If a family pet bobcat without vaccinations bites a child, what should be your immediate course of action?

When a family pet bobcat that is unvaccinated bites a child, the most immediate and appropriate course of action is to euthanize the animal and submit its head for rabies testing. This is critical because rabies is a potentially fatal viral disease that can be transmitted through bites from infected animals.

The unvaccinated status of the bobcat significantly increases the likelihood that it could be a carrier of the rabies virus. Euthanasia allows for the animal's head to be tested for the virus in a timely manner. If rabies is confirmed, it is crucial to take appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis for the child who was bitten to prevent the onset of the disease, as rabies can be deadly once symptoms appear.

Other options, such as observing the animal or quarantining it, would not be suitable given the potential risk of rabies transmission and the lack of prior vaccination. Administering a rabies vaccination is not applicable in this situation either because the vaccination is not effective post-exposure in a potentially rabid animal; the testing and confirmation of rabies status must come first.