A stray cat found wandering the 8000 block of Babikow Road in Rosedale has tested positive for rabies, prompting Baltimore County health officials to urge anyone who may have been bitten, scratched, or licked by the animal to seek medical care right away. The cat, described as an adult female domestic short-hair brown tabby with white markings, was identified by the Baltimore County Department of Health and Human Services after the November 2 diagnosis.
According to nottinghammd.com, anyone who may have had contact with the cat is urged to contact a healthcare provider or go to a hospital emergency room immediately. Residents who had direct contact with the animal, or whose pets interacted with it, are also asked to report the exposure to the county health department. As WBFF reported, that includes any bites, scratches, or licks involving people or pets.
The health department can be reached during normal business hours at 410-887-5963, or after hours and on weekends at 410-832-7182, per the same account. Health officials have also warned against feeding, handling, or providing shelter to stray or wild animals in the wake of the diagnosis.
Why Officials Are Pushing Broader Precautions
Beyond the immediate exposure warning, county health officials are advising residents to avoid contact with wildlife and stray or feral animals, especially any that appear sick, and to think about rabies and other disease risks before interacting with animals around children, elderly people, those with certain illnesses, or other pets. They're also telling residents not to leave outdoor pet food or water bowls out for extended periods, particularly overnight, since that can draw in strays and wildlife. Residents considering taking in a stray or feral cat are being told to consult a veterinarian first, and to keep all pets' own rabies vaccinations current rather than letting them roam freely.
Baltimore County's Trap, Neuter, Return program factors into that guidance. The program requires caregivers of community cat colonies to sterilize and vaccinate all cats against rabies, and the county offers free rabies booster shots for cats enrolled in the program. Health officials say keeping community cats current on their rabies shots helps protect public health more broadly.
Maryland's Broader Rabies Picture
The Rosedale case comes as positive rabies cases were not on the rise statewide. Maryland law requires dogs, cats, and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age, according to The Banner, which reported that the state logged 226 laboratory-confirmed rabies cases in 2025, including 24 in cats, behind only raccoons and skunks. The outlet also noted that state health data showed no reported human rabies cases in Maryland over the decade ending in 2024.
By mid-August 2026, the state had already reported 141 rabies cases for the year, according to Maryland Matters, which also found that raccoons have made up at least 50 to 60 percent of the state's confirmed rabies cases in each of the past eight years. A University of Maryland Medical Center physician cited in that report recommended washing any animal-bite wound with soap and water for 15 minutes before seeking prompt medical attention, while a Johns Hopkins expert urged Marylanders to keep their pets' rabies vaccinations and booster shots current.
Other Recent Exposures in the County
The Rosedale case is not the first time a stray cat has triggered a rabies scare in Baltimore County. Back in 2018, county police said they contacted a man who had dropped off a stray cat with rabies at Westview Animal Hospital in Gwynn Oak, as the Baltimore County Health Department at the time told anyone exposed to the cat between October 11 and October 25 of that year to call the same after-hours number still in use today, per the Baltimore Watchdog. More recently, Baltimore County Animal Services identified one human exposure after a kitten found in the 3300 block of Paper Mill Road in Jacksonville tested positive for rabies on September 1, 2026, and notified caretakers of registered community cat colonies in that area.
