What animals carry rabies?
Dogs, cats, and ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies because they are large enough to survive an attack by a rabid animal, contract rabies, and pose a risk to humans. State law requires all dogs, cats, and ferrets that have bitten or scratched a person to be confined for a 10-day quarantine period to observe the animal for signs of rabies. Bats that bite or scratch a person or domestic animal are of great concern for potential rabies. Use care and protection to contain the bat and call Animal Control to pick it up for rabies testing. Call us for guidance if you find a bat inside your home. Small animals and rodents such as squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, mice, gophers, moles, rabbits, and hares seldom survive an attack from a rabid animal and therefore don’t normally carry rabies. A bite or scratch from these animals should be treated, but we don’t take reports or confine these animals for rabies testing. Carnivores such as raccoons, foxes, skunks, bo
