By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News
The Department of Environmental Management and Department of Health are warning people in the East Bay Village area of West Main Road in Middletown about a feral cat that tested positive for rabies.
The cat is described a medium-sized, black, female, shorthaired with kittens.
Marisa Coates of the State Veterinarian’s office said the cat was killed by a family dog around the Fourth of July and subsequently tested positive for the disease. The dog is being treated, along with a child who was scratched by the cat.
The DEM and Department of Health recommend ensuring all family pets are up to date on rabies vaccines and avoiding all contact with stray, wild or free-roaming animals.
Anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to the rabid cat should immediately call the Department of Health at 222-2577. Anyone who has a pet that may have had contact with this cat or any feral cat in this area should contact Middletown Animal Control at 846-1144 extension 7101 or the Middletown Police Department at 846-1104 after hours.
Once symptoms appear, rabies is fatal in people and in animals.
