Cats now at risk as rabies spreads from dogs like ‘Tom and Jerry’, says Deputy Premier
Posted on 20 Sep 2025
Source of News: Dayak Daily
KUCHING, Sept 20: Cats are increasingly at risk of contracting rabies from dogs, a situation Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr. Sim Kui Hian likened to the antics of “Tom and Jerry.”
He explained that just like the cartoon duo, cats and dogs often play with each other, making them highly susceptible to transmitting the disease.
"Currently, rabies cases involving cats are only about 2%," he said. "But if more dogs become infected, it will spread to more cats, and then cats can pass it back to humans. It goes around in a circle." He made these comments to reporters after officiating World Rabies Day at the MBKS community hall today.
Emphasizing the need for strong community engagement, Dr. Sim, who is also Sarawak's Minister of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government, stressed that vaccinating at least half of the pet dog population could reduce the risk of rabies by 50%.
"At the moment, the law does not require cats to be registered, but if necessary, we may need to consider it in the future. We hope it will not come to that," he asserted.
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Meanwhile, Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak (DVSS) director Datu Dr. Adrian Susin Ambud revealed that since the outbreak in 2017, a total of 278,000 animals have been vaccinated, including 10,957 this year alone.
He also shared that out of 490 samples taken this year, 45 tested positive for rabies. Of these, about 2% were cats, while the rest were dogs. Dr. Adrian also noted that nearly half of the positive cases were from owned dogs, most of which had not been vaccinated.
"About 50% are positive. We want to appeal to the public to come forward and get their dogs vaccinated, because this is free," he urged.
Also present were MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng; Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG) permanent secretary Datu Elizabeth Loh; Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (MFICORD) deputy permanent secretary Sayed Ismail Nasiruddin Wan Hashim; Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) deputy permanent secretary Desmond Douglas Jerukan; and Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) president Datin Dona Drury Wee.
