SAINT JOHNS, St. Johns County — Though it is somewhat rare, a kitten at an animal hospital in St. Johns County tested positive for rabies this week, prompting an alert for the community.
Veterinarian Zachary Drilingas was on shift at the Murabella Animal Hospital in when someone brought in a stray kitten about eight weeks old. He said it was acting unusual.
"At first we thought it was having a seizure," he said. "We set it on the ground. It began to circle, which is a severe neurological sign. It had also been having mood swings of aggression and was lethargic."
All of that led Drilingas to suspect rabies or a neurological disease. The cat was euthanized. After, tests were done, and indeed, the cat had rabies.
Drilingas said it’s possible the little kitten contracted rabies from another domestic animal. But it’s more likely, he said, it got it from a wild animal.
"Here in Florida, the most likely culprits are going to be raccoons, skunks and bats," Drilingas noted.
According to the CDC, it’s unusual for cats to have rabies. Recent numbers indicated only about 5 percent of rabid animals are cats.
The stray kitten was found in the Trailmark neighborhood, according to Drilingas. It's not too far from the World Golf Village.
"It's just a suburb neighborhood," he noted.
It’s in a fast-growing residential area of St. Johns County, which is expanding into what was recently farmland and forest. The health department has issued a rabies alert for the area.
Drilingas suggests keeping an eye on your furry friend’s behaviors. He said signs of rabies are commonly weird behaviors, aggression and extreme lethargy.