Mother was just attacked by a wild cat

[Atma]

So a few minutes ago I was using the computer as usual when I heard a terrible, blood-curdling scream from downstairs. I ran down and saw my mother holding her leg saying that a wild cat just attacked our two cats outside, and when she ran out to chase it off it jumped onto her leg and scratched and bit her. We put alcohol on the marks (There were quite a few...) and looked at the cats and they were fine.

Obviously now I'm worried about rabies. I asked if the cat had excess saliva or was foaming at the mouth and she said not from what she saw. But animals with rabies are more aggressive and obviously that's what this thing was. She was going to go to the hospital tomorrow anyway for surgery, so while she's there she's going to tell them about it. But in the mean time, I was wondering if anyone has any experience or advice about this sort of thing.

[Correction]

Why are you wasting time posting on an internet forum instead of going to the ER and asking a trained professional?

[Atma]

Because she refuses to go tonight when she was going to go the hospital tomorrow anyway. I did everything I could to force her to go, but she's old and stubborn.

[SephYuyX]

I dont really remember, but isnt rabies one of the things where time is a factor?

[Brill Weave]

If she has no interest in her own well being, I hope she has rabies. Common sense. Crazy animal attacks you outside you go to the fucking hospital and get checked out. It's blatantly retarded to not go get checked out.

[Souj]

well, maybe she does have common sense, and there was no wild cat.
Maybe something else happened and she's covering it up!

[Correction]

Because she refuses to go tonight when she was going to go the hospital tomorrow anyway. I did everything I could to force her to go, but she's old and stubborn.

So you think 'hey mom the Internet said it was okay to go to the ER hurry up get your stuff' is going to sway her opinion?

Put her in a fucking car and drive her to the ER.

[Seraphise]

Actually cats do this very normally. If cats are in a fight and you get in between expect to get torn apart. Good chance it -doesn't- have rabies, but still possible. I have two cats that hate each other, I used to get in between there fights, but walked away with far too many cuts.

[Lordwafik]

Tell her you'll give her a present if she just goes to the hospital.

[Kang]

Just take her.

[Correction]

If it helps, tell her that there are much worse things than rabies to get infected with when a wild animal breaks the skin with claws/teeth. Parasitic infections are pretty scary even to the stubbornest of old folks.

[KuaiEQ]

stupid bitch shoulda just sprayed the other cat with a hose. who breaks up a cat fight with their hands?

[LD]

who breaks up a cat fight?

Fixed. Unless it were mine, fuck the little bastards. They kill each other all the time.

[Atma]

Police officers showed up, they have the cat trapped and animal control is going to take it and see if it has rabies, they might want to take our cats for observation.

[NotGreyheim]

Isn't this how a bunch of those zombie movies start?

[Brill Weave]

I, for one, welcome our new zombie cat people overlords.

[SephYuyX]

http://roberthood.net/blog/wp-conten...zombie-cat.jpg

[Kuya]

If catching AIDS from cat bites doesn't teach you that cats suck, then nothing will.

[KuaiEQ]

cats own. just keep em inside so they dont go all tiger on you.

[Yuri-G]

Rabies takes a while to kick in and waiting a day is fine, though there are plenty of other reasons to go tonight anyway.