The scenario in America is not uncommon. A healthy domestic cat enters a shelter. For some reason, and we never know the circumstances, the cat bites or scratches a shelter worker. The cat carries no identification. There is no history. The cat is unknown to the shelter for whatever reason. There is no doubt that the cat is a domestic cat because his behavior indicates socialization and friendliness around people. And there is no doubt that the cat looks healthy.
What to do? Does the shelter euthanize the cat immediately in order to test the cat for rabies? A rabies test is carried out on a cat’s brain and therefore the cat has to be killed before the test can take place. Or does the shelter hold the cat for 5 to 10 days in confinement for observation?
Under the circumstances, it would appear that the policy is to notify the local health department immediately and provide the name and address of the person bitten. The potential for rabies exposure and case management is then overseen and directed by the local health department. The department has a discretion to deal with the matter but, as I understand it, the normal procedure is to confine the cat for 10 days and observe for signs of rabies. If the animal becomes ill during the ten-day confinement, at the discretion of the local health department, they may euthanize the animal and test for rabies. This procedure is also stated by CDC.
In Minnesota it would seem that a private organization running a rescue operation can do as they see fit to protect their staff and volunteers. This would give the green light to euthanize the cat without holding him for a 10 day observation.
A spokesperson for the Minnesota Federated Humane Societies said that that is incorrect and just like Animal Control a rescue organization has to hold the animal for 5 to 10 days. If the animal is physically suffering and beyond cure as assessed by a licensed veterinarian then it can be euthanized.
Also in Minnesota, impounded animals that have bitten humans may be euthanized and tested for rabies before the five day period has elapsed if demanded by the Department of Health. This is obviously a discretionary decision. What I mean is the cat may or may not be euthanized. If the cat looks healthy and domesticated it would be unreasonable to the euthanize her without a standard 10 day observation.
The point that I’m getting at is there are two courses of action when a cat bites shelter worker as an animal shelter, (1) the cat is euthanized and tested for rabies in order to protect the workers or (2) the cat is confined for 10 days for observation for rabies. In addition the local health department is notified.
It is difficult to find a very clearly defined answer using the Internet as a research tool. Obviously, in the USA what happens depends upon the laws of the state concerned. As far as I can tell there is no federal law on the subject. There appears to be a grey area were discretion can be used by the local health department. I do not think that a shelter has the discretion but there are stories of shelter management making decisions unilaterally to euthanize cats under these circumstances without criticism from the local authority. Is there a lack of clarity among shelter managers?
The decision to euthanize can be a tragedy if the cat was a beloved companion and for some unfortunate reason he found his way to a shelter where he was frightened and/or mishandled and bit or scratched in defensive mode which in effect ended his life.
The decision-making processes is complicated by the large number of cats passing through shelters, the pressure on shelter management, the fear of rabies which is fatal to humans and what appears to be a grey area in the rules which allows discretion to euthanize by shelter management when a cat bites.
I welcome the input of others but….
**NO COMMENTS BY TROLLS**
P.S. This page may be updated and amended as necessary when further information comes to light.
Sources as stated and Virginia Recommended Pet Shelter Bite Protocol.
(typos corrected)
You seem to be forgetting something. Yes, they can hold the cat for 10-days observation to see if the person bitten or scratched must now pay out of their own pockets for rabies shots, often in excess of $5,000 for the required treatment to save their own lives. But the shelter or veterinarian is not off the liability-hook after that. They still have a cat that they don’t know if it has rabies or not, and it has already proved to be aggressive. They can’t just let it go into the community or into the hands of someone else and risk that cat having rabies and biting someone again during the last 10-days of its life when it IS infectious. Anyone bitten or scratched by that cat in the future can then deeply sue the person responsible for releasing that cat if that cat does this again and they later find out that it does have rabies. (This is also why most all communities enacting TNR policies will only do so if the TNR caretakers assume legal liability for their cats or have enough liability insurance. They know there’s a very real risk of their cats being rabid and biting people. It’s already happened and been reported in the news, many times.)
Do you think a shelter or veterinarian can afford the average $6,000 per cat to quarantine it for the legally required 6-months each time someone brings in a cat that scratched or bit someone? If you don’t want undocumented cats being euthanized that bite or scratch, then I suggest you start a fund-raiser every time you hear of such a situation and offer to pay the $6,000+ to have that cat go through the legally required 6-month quarantine to save its life. If you can’t do that then you have no excuse to justify complaining about those that can’t afford to do what you won’t do either.
I don’t recall the story, Albert. It is a very sad one. That would really upset me and I’m sure that it upset you very much. There is a problem, the way I see it, with cats biting shelter workers, on how to deal with it. The whole area is very problematic because the cause of the bite may be mishandling together with the strange environment et cetera. This should not indicate potential rabies. It should indicate that the cat is frightened but of course I understand that rabies is fatal and therefore there has to be very stringent requirements. It is a very difficult area and it leads to unnecessary death but as we know it is very hard to argue against these failures (as I see them) in shelter management.
Thank you for saying so. I also think the fear of or likelihood of getting rabies way out of whack to the probability. Not every animal has to be killed and tested on the spot, as they never freaking have it.
I did ask to see the bite, and she showed me a little red dot on the end of her finger. I wouldn’t jump at the chance to kill an animal, especially a pet and there’s an alternative.
I’m pretty sure I told this story here before, but I had brought a cat to the emergency animal hospital (on a Sunday) as she was in dire need. I rescued her off the street but knew where she came from. I’d already had her in to my usual vet who found no chip and we were under a 30 wait for ownership rights. While I was in the waiting room the vet told me the cat bit her, and that they wanted to euthanise her. I said absolutely not, to which she said well, we’re going to anyway! And that’s what happened. They distressed a dying, gentle old cat who “might” have bit. They said it was during intubation, so… duh! That’s the risk you take, you don’t punish the cat for that, and by the attitude of the vet, that was she did. She didn’t like me either, especially when I fought her on this. I was helpless, except that I fought a little more and complained to the state veterinary board, who took her side. This is the only photo I have of “Aubrey”.
Thank you for your extensive comment. I do understand it. The article is about how shelters deal with matters when a cat bites or scratches, so to return to that it seems to me that the question for shelter management is whether to euthanize a cat or hold the cat for 10 days. The latter must be the proper procedure. And it appears to be the accepted procedure. If shelter management euthanize a cat with an unknown history under these circumstances it would seem to be out of fear of the consequences of rabies together with a less than concerning attitude towards the lives of rescue animals due to the number of rescue cats and dogs at most shelters. A sloppy approach it might be fair to say particularly as most often when cats in shelters bite it is because of the predicament in which they find themselves and possible mishandling by shelter workers.