Quebec’s agricultural ministry is urging pet owners to get their animals vaccinated after the province recorded its first case of raccoon rabies in a cat. The Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation (MAPAQ) said the disease was detected in a stray cat in Godmanchester, in Quebec’s Montérégie region, on July 23. The case demonstrates the importance of keeping vaccinations in pets up-to-date since the disease is spreading among wildlife in Quebec and there is a “very real risk” that it can be transmitted to domesticated animals, the ministry said. “Rabies is fatal and incurable in both animals and humans. Once symptoms appear, there is no effective treatment. Prevention therefore remains the best method for protecting animals and people in contact with them,” MAPAQ said in a statement on Wednesday. “Continued vigilance is essential to limit the spread of raccoon rabies and protect the health of both people and animals.” Anyone who is bitten or scratched by an animal suspected of having rabies should wash the affected area for 15 minutes before calling Info-Santé at 811. To help mitigate the disease in Quebec, residents in the Eastern Townships, Montérégie and Centre-du-Québec are encouraged to report raccoons, skunks, or foxes that are dead, injured, disoriented, paralyzed or exhibiting unusual aggressive behaviour. Raccoon rabies has been on the rise in Quebec this year. Since Jan. 1, Quebec has recorded 118 cases of raccoon rabies and four cases of bat rabies. The province recorded 93 raccoon rabies cases for all of 2025. Aside from vaccination, MAPAQ recommends taking other steps to reduce the risk of rabies exposure, which include:
