“BUT I DON’T WANT A SHOT!!!!!”

Hello! Nigel, here! As you can see, I am trying to hide from my family so I can avoid getting a shot. I really, really don’t like getting shots. Really.

Of course, hiding like this doesn’t really fool anyone. Eventually, they find me and give me my immunizations. Does your kitty hide from you when it’s time for their check up and shots? I asked Dr. S why I have to get these wretched vaccinations, and this is what she told me:

“Nigel, vaccinations are very important for keeping you healthy. There are many diseases out there that can hurt extraordinarily cute and well-behaved kitties, such as yourself. That is why we really must keep up-to-date on these shots. We don’t want you to get sick. Who would write the blog?”

That is really what she said. Really.

You may wonder why your kitty needs to have vaccinations if they live inside all of the time. And you’re right…indoor cats don’t really need as many vaccinations to stay healthy as cats that go outside. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t need any vaccinations. They just need fewer.

The most important vaccine to keep up with for your cat, regardless of whether they are indoor only or indoor/outdoor, is the rabies vaccine. Rabies is a fatal disease for cats and for you humans as well. So, keeping your cat up-to-date on rabies vaccine protects the entire family. There have actually been cases of rabid bats getting in to people’s apartments or houses and biting their unprotected cats. Furthermore, rabies vaccination of all cats is required by law. The first time your kitty gets this vaccine, the vaccine lasts for one year. After that, the shot only needs to be given every three years! That’s really not so bad….

The next immunization to consider is the feline distemper combination shot. This vaccine protects your kitty against three upper respiratory diseases that are very common in cats and can cause severe complications. Your kitty should receive a series of these injections at first, and then the shots are given every three years…just like the rabies vaccine. Again, you can handle this…you are brave…I just know it!

The last one is the feline leukemia vaccine. This disease is transmitted from cat-to-cat via saliva and is not curable. Dr. S and Dr. J can do a test on your kitty first to see if they are already positive. If they are negative, then a series of injections is given to protect them against this disease. After the first series, this shot has a booster every year. If your cat never goes outside and does not come into contact with other people’s cats, then you likely can skip this one.

Keep in mind, that if you ever take your cats to a boarding facility, the managers there will most likely require your kitty to be up to date on all three of these vaccinations. This is to protect them and the other cats that are boarding.

If you have any questions about which vaccines are necessary for your kitty, you can always call For Cats Only at 561-687-1188. The staff would be happy to help you with any concerns or questions you may have.

That’s all I have to report today. This is Nigel, signing off. Meow!!

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