Don't mess with the cats!
Mar 28th, 2011, 05:10 AM
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Don't mess with the cats!
The cats that you see everywhere in Turkey are nice cats; generally they are well fed, friendly and no doubt serve a valuable function in controlling rodents.
However, these cats are feral, that is to say, wild animals; they have no owners and no vaccinations against rabies or any other diseases.
Do not feed these cats while seated at a restaurant; the restaurant staff will feed them scrap food but nowhere near the tables.
Do not touch or handle the cats; you can be exposed to cat scratch fever or worse yet rabies if bitten.
Last week as my wife and I were walking in Istanbul our attention was drawn to an adult cat that appeared to be stuck under a closed gate; its head and shoulders had passed through to the outside but back half was not able to come any further. This animal was in distress so my wife bent down and attempted to help the cat free itself; the cat bit her, just ever so slightly on her gloved hand.
After pulling her glove off it was apparent that one tooth had penetrated the skin of one of her fingers, just ever so little. We are aware of a story where a man in Minnesota had a similar mark on his hand from a bat he simply pushed off the opposite side of a window screen and the man eventually died of rabies.
We soon started to research rabies on the internet and came to the conclusion that there is about a 10 days window of opportunity to start rabies treatment and because we would be back to the USA within three days, we waited for our return to proceed to an emergency clinic as soon as practical, a time of about 72 hours.
The emergency physician immediately ordered the full rabies treatment which started out as 4 injections of immune globulin, plus, the first in a series of 5 rabies vaccine injections over a 28 day period. Fortunately, these injections now are administered in the muscle rather than into the stomach as was the case only a very few years ago.
The physician informed us that the rabies incubation period in humans is on average about 90 days but can be as little as 4 days or as long as 19 years. Rabies in humans is, with only rare exceptions, fatal and there is no treatment after incubation.
The chances are, this cat did not even have rabies, however, rabies does exist in feral cats in Turkey and elsewhere; the risk is too great to assume anything. If you get bitten by a cat in Turkey I would suggest you begin treatment in Turkey unless you will be home within a couple of days.
Hence, my warning: DON’T MESS WITH THE CATS!
BTW: the cat eventually pulled it’s self back and disappeared behind the wall.
However, these cats are feral, that is to say, wild animals; they have no owners and no vaccinations against rabies or any other diseases.
Do not feed these cats while seated at a restaurant; the restaurant staff will feed them scrap food but nowhere near the tables.
Do not touch or handle the cats; you can be exposed to cat scratch fever or worse yet rabies if bitten.
Last week as my wife and I were walking in Istanbul our attention was drawn to an adult cat that appeared to be stuck under a closed gate; its head and shoulders had passed through to the outside but back half was not able to come any further. This animal was in distress so my wife bent down and attempted to help the cat free itself; the cat bit her, just ever so slightly on her gloved hand.
After pulling her glove off it was apparent that one tooth had penetrated the skin of one of her fingers, just ever so little. We are aware of a story where a man in Minnesota had a similar mark on his hand from a bat he simply pushed off the opposite side of a window screen and the man eventually died of rabies.
We soon started to research rabies on the internet and came to the conclusion that there is about a 10 days window of opportunity to start rabies treatment and because we would be back to the USA within three days, we waited for our return to proceed to an emergency clinic as soon as practical, a time of about 72 hours.
The emergency physician immediately ordered the full rabies treatment which started out as 4 injections of immune globulin, plus, the first in a series of 5 rabies vaccine injections over a 28 day period. Fortunately, these injections now are administered in the muscle rather than into the stomach as was the case only a very few years ago.
The physician informed us that the rabies incubation period in humans is on average about 90 days but can be as little as 4 days or as long as 19 years. Rabies in humans is, with only rare exceptions, fatal and there is no treatment after incubation.
The chances are, this cat did not even have rabies, however, rabies does exist in feral cats in Turkey and elsewhere; the risk is too great to assume anything. If you get bitten by a cat in Turkey I would suggest you begin treatment in Turkey unless you will be home within a couple of days.
Hence, my warning: DON’T MESS WITH THE CATS!
BTW: the cat eventually pulled it’s self back and disappeared behind the wall.
Mar 28th, 2011, 05:39 AM
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I was in Aya Sofya yesterday morning and watched a cat strolling toward the mimbar. (One has a sense that cats had free rein in that building since it was constructed in the 6th century.) Someone reached out to stroke the cat and my immediate thought was that as much as I like cats, I wouldn't do that. And I hadn't even thought about rabies.
There are cats everywhere in Istanbul. I saw one this morning that appeared to be contemplating a ride on the Tünel funicular.
There are cats everywhere in Istanbul. I saw one this morning that appeared to be contemplating a ride on the Tünel funicular.
Mar 29th, 2011, 05:27 PM
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I had read a site somewhere that asked visitors to Greece and Turkey to help with care of the feral cats by bringing food. I bought boxes of dry food, but quickly ran out. In Rhodes, I bought some luncheon type meat that I was told was OK for the cats. I ended up buying lots of it two different times. They loved it.
Now, the real story. I am an avid cat person, but was stupid that last day, and got my hand (with the smell of meat all over it) too close to one cat. It really tore into me. Blood was spurting everywhere. People quickly came to help. On Rhodes, at least, they said Rabies was not a problem, but infection was, and I should have a tetnus shot. I called home to check and mine was still good. I had antibiotics with me. So, no long term harm done. Lesson learned. I have great pictures of me feeding cats in many places in Greece and Turkey. Great memories.
Now, the real story. I am an avid cat person, but was stupid that last day, and got my hand (with the smell of meat all over it) too close to one cat. It really tore into me. Blood was spurting everywhere. People quickly came to help. On Rhodes, at least, they said Rabies was not a problem, but infection was, and I should have a tetnus shot. I called home to check and mine was still good. I had antibiotics with me. So, no long term harm done. Lesson learned. I have great pictures of me feeding cats in many places in Greece and Turkey. Great memories.
Mar 29th, 2011, 06:38 PM
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As a cat lover and owner of many(hence my screen name), I can tell you that if a cat is hurt, do not touch it. I have been bitten several times to the extent of needing antibiotics and once hospitalization due to infection in a tendon in my finger. So, it's not just in foreign countries, but right here at home too. Just be cautious of petting someone's cat or dog. I don't touch anyone's cat or dog.
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