Cat placed into ‘strict’ quarantine in California after playing with a rabid bat
A domestic cat that played with a live bat last week in Northern California has entered a “strict” 30-day quarantine after the bat tested positive for rabies, city and local health officials said.
An “owned cat” was found with the bat on Oct. 24 near the 1400 block of Inglewood Court, Yuba City officials said in a news release.
Sutter Animal Services Authority personnel captured the bat and submitted it for rabies testing to the Sutter County Health Department, which determined the bat to be rabid, according to the news release.
“One cat had contact with the bat and will undergo a strict 30-day quarantine,” city officials wrote.
It was not clear whether the bat bit the cat.
The city advised residents to contact Sutter Animal Services Authority at 530-822-7375 immediately to report an alive or dead bat in or near one’s residence.
Bats are common in Northern California, including the Sacramento area, and rabies exposures are reported on occasion.
In 2018, Sacramento County health officials sought multiple people believed to have handled a rabid bat at the parking lot of the Target store in Rancho Cordova. Less than a month earlier, health officials had detected rabies in bats found near Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento.
California requires dogs older than 4 months to be vaccinated against rabies. There is no requirement statewide or in Sutter County for cats to have their rabies vaccinations.
People should avoid contact with wild animals. Rabies is usually fatal in humans once symptoms appear.
This story was originally published October 31, 2022 at 1:41 PM.
