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An ill domestic cat from Pleasanton was put down this summer after testing positive for rabies, which prompted local organizations to remind pet owners to keep their animals’ vaccinations up to date.
The Alameda County Vector Control Services District also asked residents to make sure their pets avoid any contact with bats, which is believed to be how the cat contracted the deadly disease.
“Bats are the No. 1 carrier of rabies in Alameda County and this cat did test positive for a bat-rabies variant strain so we’re fairly confident that it got rabies from a bat,” Valerie Ahlgren, a rabies expert with the district, told the Pleasanton Weekly on Wednesday.
Ahlgren said the cat that was euthanized in Pleasanton was reported to have been an indoor-only cat. However, she said the cat did have access to a second-story balcony, which is where Ahlgren said the cat likely encountered a bat.
According to the county officials, rabid bats have been more of problem in Alameda County since 2019. Between then and 2025, 27 bats have tested positive for rabies in Alameda County.
“Rabies is detected more frequently in bats, with 8 rabid bats detected in Alameda County, including City of Berkeley, in 2025,” according to the county’s website.
Typically when a pet comes into contact with a rabid animal, like a bat, Ahlgren said they are placed under quarantine. Vaccinated pets are quarantined for about a month while unvaccinated pets are isolated for six months.
This is so health officials can monitor the pets and see whether the rabies disease develops or not. Ahlgren said rabies can sometimes take anywhere from three to eight weeks to develop in cats.
Euthanasia, she noted, is usually the last resort after the infected animal has already been quarantined and given rabies booster shots.
“There’s no reason to euthanize a pet, somebody’s pet, for exposure,” Ahlgren said.
But when it came to the Pleasanton cat, she said the family had no idea it had even come into contact with the bat. Prior to knowing about the rabies, Ahlgren said the family had believed the cat had a urinary tract infection and had been bringing it to the vet as its symptoms worsened.
Eventually, the cat’s health deteriorated so much, due to the rabies symptoms, that Ahlgren said the humane thing to do was to put it down once the family and veterinarians saw the cat tested positive for rabies on June 29.
“This cat was already dying,” she said. “It would have died anyway.”
After the cat tested positive, the family were given rabies prophylaxis, a vaccine that helps prevent the deadly disease from developing.
According to the county, vector control staff inspected the area in Pleasanton where the cat’s family lives for “signs of roosting bats, and none were found”.
“The risk of rabies to the public is low, and no additional exposures or rabies cases have been identified,” according to the county.
But Ahlgren said even though most indoor cats are not vaccinated, she and other agencies highly recommend doing so — this goes for all pets — because cats can always get outside and bats can sometimes make their way inside homes.
The growing bat population in the county, and the recent euthanasia, has also prompted the Valley Humane Society in Pleasanton to recommend all cats and dogs be vaccinated against rabies. The nonprofit has already committed to making sure adoptable cats over three months receive the rabies vaccine in order to “help protect pets and people in our community”.
“While rare, rabies does exist in wildlife throughout California,” VHS said in a press release Wednesday. “Cats are more likely to encounter bats because of their hunting skills, and since it is not uncommon for bats to enter a home, even indoor cats can be affected. Bat bites are often very tiny and difficult to identify, so if you think you or your pet have come in contact with a bat, seek treatment immediately.”
VHS also said if local pets need a vaccine or booster, residents can visit its Phil Scholz Veterinary Surgery Center, located at 120 Spring St. in Pleasanton. For more information, visit www.valleyhumane.org.
