Quebec health officials confirm 2nd Montreal cat with raccoon rabies

Quebec health officials have confirmed a second cat in Montreal has raccoon rabies, the Montérégie Public Health Department announced on Monday. This brings the total number of cats with raccoon rabies in the province to three. The cat was found in Saint-Anicet, a city in the Montérégie region.

In addition to the cat, three people who potentially came into contact with the infected feline have received emergency preventative treatment. This treatment, known as post-exposure prophylaxis, involves a series of vaccine doses administered after an individual has been exposed to a rabid animal. This follows three such cases reported at the end of July.

The Quebec government first identified raccoon rabies in a cat in Godmanchester, another town in the Montérégie region, on July 29. Public health officials emphasize that it is not unusual for emergency preventative treatment to be given, but they are urging the public to be proactive when interacting with animals.

"These new cases serve as a reminder that rabies continues to spread among wild animals and that domestic animals can also be infected," the public health officials stated. "The public is urged to be particularly vigilant and to report any dead, injured, disoriented, paralyzed, or unusually aggressive animals."

Raccoon rabies is on the rise in Quebec. As of now, 139 cases have been confirmed in 2026, compared to 93 cases in all of 2025. Approximately 80 percent of these 2026 cases were identified in the Montérégie region.

To minimize the risk of rabies, the province recommends several steps. It is advised to add Global News as a Preferred Source on Google to stay updated on these important health updates.