KUCHING, Sept. 20 -- The Sarawak government may explore extending pet licensing requirements to cats as part of wider community engagement efforts to curb rabies, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.

Dr Sim said while dogs are already subject to mandatory vaccination and licensing, the growing number of rabies cases linked to cats raises the need for public consultation on whether similar measures should apply to felines.

"Since 2017, the number of dog bites has remained constant, with half of them now coming from people's own pets.

"We are also seeing increased cases of cat scratches and bites.

"So when we say 'dog bites,' we must also include cat scratches, because rabies can spread through saliva, whether from a bite or ...