Suspected kitten rabies case prompts warning in Boulder City

UPDATE

According to Boulder City officials, the kitten in question tested negative for rabies.

ORIGINAL STORY

A family found an abandoned kitten in Boulder City and decided to rescue it. A week later, they noticed it became sick. Now the city is issuing a warning to area residents.

Boulder City Animal Control officials are asking the public to be aware of rabies symptoms of rabies in both humans and animals as they await confirmation from the state that the kitten's illness was indeed rabies.

About two weeks ago, local residents found what appeared to be an abandoned kitten and took it home. However, a week later, the kitten became sick.

Once at the veterinarian, an initial diagnosis was a suspected case of rabies. The kitten was in critical condition beyond treatment and was humanely euthanized.

"While this is still a suspected case of rabies, we want to be diligent in sharing this information immediately. All mammals are capable of spreading the virus. That’s why it is so important to keep your pets up to date on the rabies vaccine,” said Ann Inabnitt with animal control.

The family who took in the cat was told to start rabies exposure protocol as Boulder City Animal Control sent the kitten's remains in for state testing. They expect to have results in a few days.

In the meantime, officials are warning local residents of what to look out for. They say if you have taken in an abandoned pet in the past month, contact animal control at animalcontrol@bcnv.org and get it to the vet for rabies vaccinations.

The CDC outlines the following symptoms for rabies:

• Onset of flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, fever, weakness, headaches and discomfort.
• As the disease progresses, weakness, paralysis, seizures, difficulty breathing, and abnormal behavior and aggression can occur.
• “You and your pets should exercise caution if you encounter abandoned animals, especially if they appear to be ill,” said Inabnitt.
• More information on the Southern Nevada Health District Rabies Page.