Cats are dexterous, lively and endearing, and are one of the most popular pets, and the ranks of cat owners are growing. People who often come into contact with cats are scratched or bitten by cats, which leads to some questions about whether rabies can be transmitted by cat scratches or bites. Should we get vaccinated? Let’s have a preliminary understanding of rabies. 1. What is rabies? Rabies (rabies) is an acute infectious disease of humans and animals caused by rabies virus. Clinical symptoms mainly include characteristic fear of water, fear of wind, pharyngeal muscle spasms, progressive paralysis, etc. Rabies virus belongs to the genus Rabies virus of the family Elasmobranchidae and is a single-stranded RNA virus that can be transmitted by tearing between animals. For rabies, there is a lack of effective treatment, and the death rate of rabies in humans is almost 100%, so rabies prevention is particularly important. 2. Can cats carry the rabies virus? Yes, most mammals can be infected with the rabies virus. In China, the animals that transmit rabies are mainly dogs, caused by the bite of a sick dog. Cat bites transmit rabies in about 3% of cases, and cases of rabies caused by cat scratches are extremely rare. Therefore, the majority of friends who have cats do not need to be overly nervous. 3.How to treat the wound after being scratched by a cat? Wound treatment includes thorough flushing and disinfection. The sooner the local wound is treated, the better. Wound treatment is not recommended if the wound is already scabbed or healed at the time of consultation. If the pain is severe during cleaning or disinfection, local anesthesia may be given. Wound irrigation: Wash and rinse all bites and scratches thoroughly with 20% soapy water or a weak alkaline cleanser, alternating with running water under pressure for at least 15 minutes. The wound is then washed with saline or water and finally the residual fluid is absorbed with sterile skimmed cotton to avoid residual soap and water or detergent in the wound. For deeper wound irrigation, use a syringe or high pressure pulse instrument to reach into the deep part of the wound for irrigation and cleaning to be comprehensive and thorough. Disinfection treatment: after thorough rinsing, use 2%-3% iodine (iodophor) or 75% alcohol to rub the wound. 4.After being scratched by a cat, do I need rabies vaccination? First, let’s get to know a term, rabies exposure, which refers to a bite, scratch, licking of mucous membrane or broken skin area by a rabid dog, suspected rabid dog or an animal with an unidentified healthy rabies host, or an open wound or mucous membrane in contact with animal saliva or tissue that may be infected with rabies virus. Rabies exposure is classified into three levels according to the mode of contact and the degree of exposure: 1. contact or feeding animals, intact skin is licked for level I; 2. bare skin is lightly bitten, minor scratches and abrasions without bleeding for level II; 3. single or multiple penetrating skin bites or scratches, broken skin is licked, open wounds and mucous membranes are contaminated for level III. Different rabies exposure levels require different treatment: 1. Class I exposed persons do not need to be disposed of; 2. Class II exposed persons should have their wounds treated immediately and be vaccinated against rabies. If you are confirmed to be a grade II exposed person with low immune function, or if the grade II exposure is on the head and face and the animal causing the injury is not determined to be healthy, you should be treated according to grade III exposure; 3. Rabies vaccination is recommended. Grade III exposure requires rabies immunoglobulin or anti-rabies serum injection. However, not all cats carry rabies virus, so there is no need to worry too much.