The risk of contracting rabies from your cat -- or any cat -- is very small, but rabies is so deadly that if your cat were to contract it, he would need to be euthanized, and you might need to have a series of inoculations to save your life.

The seriousness of rabies is why vaccinations are recommended -- and in many places, legally mandated -- for cats as well as dogs.

If your cat tangles with a wild animal but is current on his rabies vaccination, he'll need to be quarantined. If he's not vaccinated, public-health officials may require that the pet be killed. That's because the only way to tell for certain whether an animal is rabid is to test the tissues of the brain.

Be sure your pet is vaccinated against this deadly, contagious disease -- for your pet's protection, and for yours.