WHY SHOULD I VACCINATE MY CAT?

We are often told by cat owners that their cat is an inside cat, so there is no need for vaccinations. This really is not true because there are many unpredictable situations that may arise in the future that will allow the unvaccinated cat to be exposed to diseases. Prior vaccination can prevent these diseases from making the cat ill, or at least greatly lessen the effects the exposure has on the cat. We would like to share with you the situations that owners have told us happened to them, causing them to regret not having vaccinated their cats.

"He escaped." Almost all owners believe their pet will never escape – until he does. Once outside, cats will often encounter other cats who are carrying a variety of diseases, and the unvaccinated cat is very prone to becoming ill from this exposure.

"A stray cat broke into our house." This happens more than most people believe and can usually not be predicted. We know stray cats carry contagious diseases and there is always direct exposure to these because usually the reason the cat breaks in is to fight with the resident cat.

"We adopted another cat." Whether he comes from a shelter, a private home or was found as a stray, any cat can be carrying a contagious disease that will be transmitted to your cat. When making the decision to adopt another cat, owners almost never have the option of waiting several weeks while they get their present cat’s vaccinations updated.

"He was turned over to a shelter." When cats are held at shelters, they are exposed to dozens of other cats, and this is impossible to avoid. Many of those cats are strays and are probably carrying several different diseases. The greatest challenge a cat’s immune system will ever encounter is when he is held at a shelter. Tragically, those cats who become ill in shelters have less chance of getting adopted.

"We had her at a boarding kennel." Obviously, there are many cats at a boarding facility. Even the best and cleanest among them have occasionally had outbreaks of contagious diseases. This is a potential problem anywhere many animals are gathered together. It is also the reason most boarding kennels will REQUIRE PROOF of vaccination before allowing a pet to stay there.

"She had to go to a veterinary clinic." Consider where your cat is now. Besides needing to be spayed or neutered, any cat can become ill or injured during its lifetime and need to go to a veterinary clinic. We all keep our facilities as clean as possible, but all veterinarians are aware that animals coming to the hospital may be exposed to contagious diseases we have no way of knowing are even present at the time. If at all possible, all pets should have as much protection as possible against contagious diseases BEFORE it is necessary for them to spend time at a clinic.

After a cat receives its first vaccination, the cat MUST be boosted (repeat the vaccination) in 3-4 weeks, or the immune system will not respond to the vaccine. After that, the immune system needs 1-2 additional weeks to mount a response that is strong enough to protect the cat from the disease. Thus, after the decision is made to vaccinate your cat, it may be 4-6 weeks before your cat is protected. None of the above situations allow that much time for planning ahead. It is extremely important that owners have their cats protected BEFORE they need it, so the protection is there when the need arises.

SHOULD MY PET HAVE PAIN MEDICATION AFTER THE SURGERY?

We believe pain control is an important part of the healing process.  Studies in both humans and animals have shown better and faster healing when pain is controlled, even for as little as 4 days after the surgery in most cases.