Stephens County Environmental Health announces stray cat tested positive for rabies near LeTourneau Drive

Stephens County Environmental Health has announced a stray cat in the LeTourneau Drive area of Toccoa that bit a person and attempted an attack on another individual has tested positive for rabies.

Problems of this nature often occur when people attempt to feed or rescue stray domesticated dogs or cats.

If you have stray animals on your property call animal control.

People should always avoid contact with wild animals and unfamiliar dogs and cats.

Feral cats, unlike stray domesticated cats are born in the wild and should be treated as wild animals.

Stephens County Environmental Health urges the public not to attempt to capture or feed feral cats, instead, leave them alone.

If you feed your pets outside, pick up any uneaten food so wild animals, including feral cats will not be attracted to your property.

The rabies virus does exist in Stephens County wildlife and can be transmitted to domestic animals and humans.

Rabies in humans is essentially 100 percent fatal if not treated within a certain time prior to the onset of symptoms.

If you know of any person or domestic animal that had any contact with this cat or had the potential to contact it, please call the Stephens County Environmental Health Office immediately at 706-282-4507 extension: 121.

Symptoms of rabies that you should watch for in any domestic animal includes animal stops eating or drinking; animal becomes unusually vicious towards owners or others; animal walks with a sluggish gait or even sideways; animal constantly slobbers from the mouth; animal displays strange or unexplained behavior.

If you suspect that you or your animal has been in contact with this or any rabid animal, or you notice your pet or domestic animal displaying any symptoms of rabies, avoid contact with the animal and confine it, then call the Stephens County Environmental Health Office at 706-282-4507 ext: 121.

There is no better time than now to ensure that all of your pets are currently vaccinated.