A stray kitten that showed up on North Street in Clarkesville earlier this week has tested positive for the rabies virus, officials say.
The resident phoned Habersham County Animal Care and Control on December 27 to say the kitten was “stumbling around.” They said when they went to cover the kitten with a blanket it “attacked the blanket.”
Habersham County Animal Control Officer Emily Harrison responded to the address and was able to locate and capture the animal. The kitten was transported to the animal shelter where it was evaluated. Becuase of the symptoms and behaviors the kitten was exhibiting, the decision was made to euthanize it.
“The animal was humanely euthanized and was sent to the health department for rabies testing. Results that confirmed a positive specimen were obtained Thursday afternoon,” HCACC officials say.
Prior to obtaining the results, it was discovered that a canine at the residence had consumed some food that had been placed out for the kitten. The canine had a current rabies vaccination and received a booster vaccine directly after the rabies results on the kitten were returned. The dog has been placed in a home observation for 45 days as a precaution.
This marks the sixth positive case of rabies in Habersham this calendar year.
The previous cases in 2022 involved the following locations and animals:
- Col Hugh Road in Clarkesville – cat
- Thornbriar Way in Mt. Airy – skunk
- Highway 17 in Clarkesville – raccoon
- Ivy Hills in Mt. Airy – skunk
- Family Ties Lane in Demorest – skunk
“This is a reminder to check that your pet’s vaccinations are current. Dogs and cats who receive an initial rabies vaccination are not considered immunized until 28 days after the vaccine has been administered, therefore it is strongly recommended that any animal newly vaccinated or those too young to receive the vaccine (less than three months) not be left outdoors unattended,” says HCACC Director Madi Nix.
In addition to vaccinating your pets for rabies, there are several things residents can do to protect themselves and their pets:
Avoid wildlife and animals you do not know.
- Do not allow your pet to roam; it can come in contact with rabid wildlife.
- Never feed or touch wild animals, especially bats, skunks, raccoons, or foxes.
- Seek medical attention immediately if bitten or exposed to saliva of a wild animal.
- Contact your veterinarian if your pet was exposed to a bat, raccoon, skunk, or other wild carnivore.
- Do not encourage the feeding of unmanaged cat colonies. If you do feed cats, ensure they are part of a TNR colony and have been vaccinated for rabies.
To learn more about HCACC, visit https://www.habershamga.com/animal-control.cfm.
To learn more about the rabies virus visit https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html
