Rabies vaccinations are available to ensure your dog, cat, a ferret or livestock animal will not get rabies. It is up to you to ensure that the shots are kept up to date. For you pet to be considered legally vaccinated, most states requires that a licensed, accredited veterinarian provide the vaccination for to the animal. In the US rabid cats have outnumbered rabid dogs in 8 out of the last 10 years. Protect your pets from stray or wild animals and make sure they are identified by a licensed tag an a rabies vaccination tag. Protect you whole family by vaccinating your pets against rabies, don't attract animals to you home by feeding them, keep tight fitting lids on garbage can, keep garage and shed doors closed, along with all chimneys so animals do not nest in these areas or enter your home. Avoid contact with wild animals and with stray animals you do not know. Some wild animals have become very accustomed to living near people. Always be cautious because you cannot tell for sure if an animal has rabies just by looking at it. If someone is bitten by a cat, dog or wild animal: First wash the wound immediately with soap and running water for at least five minutes. Second see a physician immediately, even for minor wounds. Third, if your pet bit someone or has been bitten, immediately confine the pet and contact the local animal control officer or public health agency and check with your pet's veterinarian for treatment and rabies vaccination history. DO NOT try to capture a wild animal that has bitten you or your pet. Finally, do not destroy the animal which has bitten a human or other animal. Contact the local animal control officer or public health agency. An animal infected with rabies may show no visible symptoms for several days. When the disease does manifest itself, however , you may notice nervousness, aggressiveness and abnormal behavior, such as wild animals losing their fear of humans or nocturnal animals being active in the daytime