The rabies virus can usually only survive for a few minutes on a cat’s paw, and the exact survival time is related to different environments.
Rabies virus is usually infected through broken skin as well as mucous membranes, and may also be infected through the respiratory or digestive tract. In an aerobic environment, it can usually only survive for a few minutes, and will become inactive once it comes into contact with air.
The rabies virus has a poor ability to survive outside the body and is easily inactivated by sunlight, formaldehyde, ultraviolet light, fat solvents, and alcohol. However, the rabies virus can survive for a longer period of time in body fluids or tissues. Therefore, generally there is no rabies virus on the cat’s claws, and the virus can only be carried if a cat infected with the rabies virus has licked its claws and left saliva behind at the same time.
If you are scratched or bitten by a cat, it is necessary to be actively vaccinated against rabies.