And those bats that fly in the back yard would do just fine, thank you. You jump it and it bites you, and you have never had your rabies vaccinations. Rabies is caused by a virus that attacks the brain and nervous system. At about the same time it is causing nerve problems, it also multiplies in the salivary tissues and shows up in saliva. The bite of rabid animal will transfer rabies virus into the new victim.
Rabies virus travels toward the brain in nerve tissue.
If you are bitten on the head or neck, you could have rabies in as little as two weeks. But if you are bitten on the foot, it could take three months to a year before you come down with rabies. This is known as the incubation period. So now it's three months since your cat caught that bat, and she is beginning to act a little funny. Rabies virus affects behaviour.