Rabies is a virus that travels through saliva. Think of it as a tiny, angry hitchhiker that needs a bite to jump from one animal to you. It has to get into your body—usually through a scratch or an open wound.
The most common way? A bite from an infected animal. It’s like a really, really bad handshake from a squirrel or a bat.
You can’t get it from blood, urine, or petting a fuzzy head (thank goodness). So, no, your cat sneezing on you does not count.