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“Mad itch” is an old name for Aujeszky’s disease, also called pseudorabies. It is caused by Suid herpesvirus 1, and pigs are its natural reservoir. Cats can be infected, and the feline disease is an acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) that is almost always fatal, usually within a few days of the first signs. Pseudorabies is not rabies, but in a cat with brain inflammation or compatible neurological signs, rabies must still be ruled out by a veterinarian.
Where the name “mad itch” comes from
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) explains the older name in its technical document on the disease: “For that reason, the disease was named ‘mad-itch’ in the past, replaced nowadays by ‘pseudorabies’.” The “itch” part refers to the intense itching the virus causes in animals other than pigs. Animals gnaw or scratch at the skin, sometimes causing severe tissue damage. The “mad” part reflects the agitated, abnormal behaviour that goes with brain involvement.
The name is misleading in one important way. Pseudorabies is a herpesvirus infection, not a rabies virus infection. The two diseases can look similar in a cat, which is why the name has caused confusion.
Can cats get pseudorabies from eating pork?
Yes, cats can be infected, but feline cases are described as sporadic, meaning they occur occasionally rather than as a recognised pattern in cat populations. The European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) guideline on Aujeszky’s disease in cats links most feline infections to feeding pig offal, such as raw organ meat from pigs. The virus enters through the mouth, multiplies in the tonsils and throat, and then spreads into the central nervous system.
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The guideline does not put a number on the risk of ordinary exposure to pork, and no source reviewed establishes how often cats are infected through eating pork products. Treat it as a known route of exposure to avoid, not as a measured everyday hazard.
The ABCD guideline gives these prevention recommendations:
- Do not feed raw pig offal to cats.
- Cook meat or pork offal before feeding it.
- Preferably, feed a commercial pet food, which the guideline names as the better option.
- Keep cats away from infected pigs.
These are the guideline’s recommendations. They are not a guarantee that any particular food or brand prevents infection.
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Symptoms and timeline in cats
The ABCD guideline describes a short course. Cats usually show signs within a few days of infection, and death can follow quickly once clinical signs begin. The table below sets out the stages the guideline describes.
| Stage | Timing (per ABCD guideline) | Signs described |
|---|---|---|
| Incubation | 2–4 days after infection | No signs yet |
| Early | Start of clinical illness | Excitation (restlessness, agitation) and hypersalivation (excess saliva) |
| Progressive | Following the early stage | Anorexia (loss of appetite); intense itching with scratching and self-injury; salivation may become more pronounced |
| Late | Shortly before death | Incoordination (loss of balance and control of movement) and paralysis |
| Outcome | Death within 12–48 hours of clinical onset | Invariably fatal in the guideline’s account |
These time intervals come from the ABCD guideline’s clinical description. They are not population-level estimates, and the guideline page does not give a publication date, so treat them as the guideline’s reported values rather than figures from a recent study.
A cat with sudden agitation, heavy salivation, itching that leads to self-injury, or loss of coordination needs a veterinarian the same day. Do not wait to see whether the signs settle.
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Why pseudorabies can be mistaken for rabies
Pseudorabies and rabies both attack the nervous system, and both can cause behavioural change, drooling and loss of coordination. The ABCD guideline states that rabies must always be ruled out when encephalitis is seen in cats. It adds that affected cats tend to progress rapidly and are rarely aggressive, compared with rabies. That difference is useful as background, but it cannot replace rabies testing. A cat that bites, is exposed to a possibly rabid animal, or shows neurological signs should be assessed by a veterinarian who can follow the local rabies rules.
How the disease is diagnosed
Symptoms and history cannot confirm pseudorabies. A veterinarian has to consider other neurological diseases, especially rabies, and arrange diagnostic tests through a suitable laboratory.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe ABCD guideline notes that PCR (polymerase chain reaction, a test that detects viral genetic material) developed to detect Aujeszky’s disease virus in pigs can be used on brain and lung tissue from cats. Sample selection and testing are done by veterinary professionals and diagnostic laboratories. General animal-health sources also describe virus detection by PCR or culture and antibody screening. Those are broad descriptions of the disease in animals, not validated protocols for cats, so they should not be read as a home test or as a substitute for the laboratory work a vet arranges.
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Outcome and treatment
The ABCD guideline describes the clinical outcome as invariably fatal. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health states that there is no treatment for pseudorabies. No specific curative treatment for feline disease was identified in the sources reviewed. After diagnosis, the guideline recommends humane euthanasia to end suffering.
No home remedy, supplement or over-the-counter product is a treatment for this disease. If a cat has been exposed to pig offal or a possible infected pig and then develops neurological signs, the immediate step is an emergency veterinary visit, with the exposure history ready to share.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can people catch it from a cat?
WOAH’s overview lists humans outside the usual susceptible species for this disease. Its 2025 technical document goes further and notes rare reports from China of human encephalitis associated with new variant strains of the virus. Human infection is therefore described as exceptional, not as a common risk in households with cats.
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The guideline also states that cats excrete virus in oral and nasal secretions, but that this has no epidemiological consequence because cats do not transmit the virus to other animals. The sources reviewed do not provide a numerical estimate of human risk, and none should be inferred from the case reports.
What is not known
- No reliable, current prevalence figure for feline pseudorabies was found in the sources reviewed. The guideline calls cases sporadic but does not count them.
- No location is specified for the feline cases, so the current infection status of domestic pigs or wild boar in any particular region is not established by these sources.
- The vaccine material in the sources concerns swine. It does not establish that pig vaccination or control programmes protect cats, and it should not be applied to cats.
Veterinary care is the only pathway the sources support for a cat with suspected illness. No feline pseudorabies medicine, vaccine or consumer diagnostic test was identified.
Quick Recap
Sources
- World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), official disease information page on Aujeszky’s disease, and its 2025 technical document on the disease.
- European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD), “Aujeszky’s Disease/Pseudorabies in Cats: ABCD guidelines on prevention and management.”
- Minnesota Board of Animal Health, “What is pseudorabies?”
- USDA APHIS, “Disease Alert: Pseudorabies.”
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