What to do if a stray cat scratches or bites you in Turkey — do you need a rabies shot?

In September 2026 a traveler said a hotel cat scratched her at dinner when she tried to feed it. She started to worry after the trip and is now going through a rabies vaccination course; she also asked guests at that hotel to report whether the cat is still around.

In late August 2026 a child was scratched by a cat on hotel grounds. The mother checked with reception and with the staff member responsible for the cats: all cats on that hotel's grounds were vaccinated against rabies. The hotel confirmed the cat was theirs and showed a vaccination document. She also asked other guests to report in about 10 days whether the cat was still there and well.

Finding out a hotel cat's status does not always work. In August 2026, after a guest was scratched to the point of bleeding by a cat they had been feeding at their hotel, participants advised asking the hotel about the cat rather than relying on chat opinions. But in July 2026 the administrator at another hotel knew nothing about rabies shots for the cats living on the grounds.

In one family's experience, a cat bite can mean a course of shots: in June 2026 a mother said that the previous year in Turkey a cat bit her daughter and they had to go and get rabies vaccinations. She added that there are lots of cats around the hotels, of every kind.

The first thing parents did in June 2026, when a local cat scratched their child during play, was to wash and disinfect the wound immediately and then look into what else was needed. Hotel cats are often not tame: one traveler got swiped with a paw when she tried to pet a cat. It is better to decide on vaccination after such contact together with a doctor rather than going by other travelers' opinions.