How long after a cat bite does symptoms usually appear?

Symptoms from a cat bite usually appear about three months after the injury.

Bites from cats can easily lead to rabies. During the incubation period of rabies, there are typically no noticeable symptoms. As the disease progresses, patients generally enter the prodromal phase around three months post-exposure, experiencing mild fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, and other general malaise. They may become sensitive or fearful of external stimuli such as the sound of water or bright light. A tightening sensation in the throat may occur, along with numbness, tingling, itching, or crawling sensations around the wound site.

The incubation period of rabies varies significantly and is greatly influenced by factors such as the location of the bite, the extent of wound treatment, and the amount of virus contracted. If the bite occurs near the central nervous system or is more severe, the incubation period tends to be shorter. These factors also affect the quantity of virus entering the body.

After being bitten by a cat, it's essential to clean and disinfect the wound promptly and receive appropriate vaccinations, including rabies and tetanus vaccines. A cat bite usually does not cause immediate symptoms but instead enters an incubation period. Therefore, prevention and timely treatment of rabies are extremely important.