Surat: As if the stray dog menace was not enough for city residents, incidents involving stray cats have now become a cause for concern. Cases of stray cat bites have increased significantly. Earlier, only two to three cases were reported in a week, but now an average of four cases are being reported every day.

In one incident, a 27-year-old woman, Nagma Salman Khan, was bitten on her right hand by a cat near Patelnagar in Udhna. She sought treatment at New Civil Hospital, where she was administered anti-rabies care. She will need to return to the hospital on scheduled dates for the remaining vaccine doses.

In another case, Ram Mohan Kushwaha (41), originally from Uttar Pradesh and currently residing in Pandesara Police Colony, was bitten on the left heel by a cat while returning from Nanpura with chicken. He subsequently sought treatment at the Civil Hospital.

According to health experts, the risk of rabies from cat bites is very high. The rabies virus transmitted through cat bites can spread rapidly in the body, making it essential to receive an anti-rabies vaccine and necessary treatment immediately after being bitten. Any delay can prove fatal. Experts attribute the rise in such incidents to the growing number of stray cats in the city and their increasingly aggressive behaviour. DeshGujarat