I had my two and a half year old grey tabby vaccinated yesterday. I had put this off for over a year as when she had her kitten jabs she was really ill. I thought that as she is now a robust little cat she would be OK this time but no, she has had the same reaction and has lain on the sofa all day not eating and making little growls when I try to stroke her. I really think it's not worth putting her through this. We live in the country and she only ever mixes with our other cat. what do you think? Do you have your cats vaccinated every year?
poorly cat after vaccination
My cat was a stray so when the day came that I decided she was mine (a fight for territory meant vets treatment needed) I talked to the vet about how to care for her. I hadn't any cat experience before she plonked herself on me. He decided that the best thing would be to treat the annual vaccinations as if she had never had any before. After the first one, she took to her bed and didn't get up until I forced her up the next day. I wasn't so worried about lack of eating, more that she hadn't had a pee for hours. It was like all of her bones had been removed and she was suffering from a giant hangover (poor thing). The booster 3 weeks later had the same effect. I asked the vet about it and he said that in a way, her reaction was a good thing because it meant that it showed that she had no immunity to the diseases she was being vaccinated against. The following year she had much less of a reaction and her last ones in November, she was her usual self apart from being a bit angry at being manhandled and forced to the vets. I will continue to get her vaccinated as there are times when I have to put her in a cattery for a few days and they won't accept them without being up to date with their jabs. Your cat may not be coming into other contact with others now, but you never know in the future. I personally would rather be safe than sorry.
OP did you kitten have the cat flu vacc plus the leukaemia vacc? If so, you might want to consider just having her vaccinated against cat flu but not leukaemia. It is the leukaemia vacc which is more likely to cause them to feel poorly. I have had experience of that with my own cats, and my mother's cats.
But having said that, we stopped giving the leukaemia jab to my youngest cat after a bad reaction, but since then he has twice had a very severe reaction to the cat flu jab (bizarrely, he was fine the first two years and reacted badly in the last two). Last year he was in a state of collapse for six days and was hours away from being put on a drip before he recovered. I am still debating whether to vaccinate him this year - my vet has actually told me not to. We live in the countryside but the cat doesn't have to meet an infected cat to get ill, you can even bring in the virus on your shoes .... and cat flu can cause horrible chronic symptoms....
But having said that, we stopped giving the leukaemia jab to my youngest cat after a bad reaction, but since then he has twice had a very severe reaction to the cat flu jab (bizarrely, he was fine the first two years and reacted badly in the last two). Last year he was in a state of collapse for six days and was hours away from being put on a drip before he recovered. I am still debating whether to vaccinate him this year - my vet has actually told me not to. We live in the countryside but the cat doesn't have to meet an infected cat to get ill, you can even bring in the virus on your shoes .... and cat flu can cause horrible chronic symptoms....
No my cat didn't have the leukaemia vaccination as the vet said that would cause the most severe reaction.
Your poor cat being so ill for 6 days - how very worrying. My older cat hasn't been vaccinated for about 10 years and she has always been fine, but you just don't know what to do for the best. I just know I hate the fact that I had a happy healthy cat yesterday morning and a very poorly looking cat now.
Your poor cat being so ill for 6 days - how very worrying. My older cat hasn't been vaccinated for about 10 years and she has always been fine, but you just don't know what to do for the best. I just know I hate the fact that I had a happy healthy cat yesterday morning and a very poorly looking cat now.
My little cat always reacted badly (similar to your's) so she (and her brother) has 1/2 a dose now. If it weren't for the cattery insisting upon it (and their insurance) I wouldn't have them done (I had a cat who lived til he was 16/17 without ever having a jab). She also has the injection in her hind leg so that if she ever were to develop VAS, she could have an amputation.
My parents' cat died from cancer last year and the tumour started at the place of her vaccination. Just keep an eye out for any swelling where the site of the vaccination is. If you spot it, don't massage it (to avoid spreading any infection) but just make sure it subsides. If it doesn't subside after a couple of weeks, take her back to the vet and get them to run some tests.
If you rely on catteries, try having 1/2 dose next time and insist on the jab being given in her back leg. If you go without it (and later need to put her into a cattery) your little cat will need to start again with the whole lot rather than boosters.
My parents' cat died from cancer last year and the tumour started at the place of her vaccination. Just keep an eye out for any swelling where the site of the vaccination is. If you spot it, don't massage it (to avoid spreading any infection) but just make sure it subsides. If it doesn't subside after a couple of weeks, take her back to the vet and get them to run some tests.
If you rely on catteries, try having 1/2 dose next time and insist on the jab being given in her back leg. If you go without it (and later need to put her into a cattery) your little cat will need to start again with the whole lot rather than boosters.
Originally Posted by Geowitch:
“No my cat didn't have the leukaemia vaccination as the vet said that would cause the most severe reaction.
Your poor cat being so ill for 6 days - how very worrying. My older cat hasn't been vaccinated for about 10 years and she has always been fine, but you just don't know what to do for the best. I just know I hate the fact that I had a happy healthy cat yesterday morning and a very poorly looking cat now.”
“No my cat didn't have the leukaemia vaccination as the vet said that would cause the most severe reaction.
Your poor cat being so ill for 6 days - how very worrying. My older cat hasn't been vaccinated for about 10 years and she has always been fine, but you just don't know what to do for the best. I just know I hate the fact that I had a happy healthy cat yesterday morning and a very poorly looking cat now.
”
I know exactly what you mean, it is so upsetting knowing you have inflicted this on your previously healthy cat.
My vet didn't suggest a half dose, I'll see what he says (it's due in a few weeks). One of the main reasons I am still considering vaccinating my cat is that I use a cattery a couple of times a year. However my vet has said that a cattery will probably accept a letter from him detailing why my cat is not vaccinated - I have not yet asked them.
My vet always advises people, as routine, that their cat may be quiet or a bit stiff the day after their vaccine.
As it challenges the immune system, to start/maintain an antibody reaction it is not surprising if there is sometimes a reaction, after all people often have a swelling and a sore arm for a while after a tetanus vaccine.
However presumably the cats who are most reactive to the vaccine(s) would be the same ones who would be worse affected by the actual disease?
Unfortunately there are very few things in life that have a real benefit where that isn't balanced by some potential cost of some description, money, cost, time, effort, health, convenience, etc.
As Lippincote said,even indoor only cats can pick up airborne or physically transferred infections from shoes, hands, clothing etc.
When I had ferrets they used to have an annual half dog dose distemper vaccine, but I don't know if a half dose would work for an adult cat, as even kittens are given full sized doses and the vaccines would presumably not be licensed to be used at half doses.
Apparently even fully grown captive lions still just get a single full size domestic cat dose for their vaccines.
I guess really you would have to do an antibody titre to be sure, but presumably it would give more protection than no dose.
Catteries usually insist on vaccines both to protect your own cat from any infection carried in by any other cat or person or in the air, and to protect the other cats from anything that your cat may be carrying, as even vaccinated cats can physically carry in pathogens or sometimes be asymptomatic carriers with symptoms which sometimes then becoming apparent if the cat's immune system is compromised by stress.
At the end of the day it is a question of balancing the risk:benefit for each individual case, bearing in mind that if over 70% of the population are vaccinated the other 30% often get away without as there is much reduced chance for a disease reserviour to build up and it is harder for individual infected cases to spread and lead to generalised infection throughout the population.
Accordingly there may be some argument, catteries aside, to gain the benefit of vaccinating cats who are not badly affected, but chancing it without vaccination for cats who are severely affected.
As it challenges the immune system, to start/maintain an antibody reaction it is not surprising if there is sometimes a reaction, after all people often have a swelling and a sore arm for a while after a tetanus vaccine.
However presumably the cats who are most reactive to the vaccine(s) would be the same ones who would be worse affected by the actual disease?
Unfortunately there are very few things in life that have a real benefit where that isn't balanced by some potential cost of some description, money, cost, time, effort, health, convenience, etc.
As Lippincote said,even indoor only cats can pick up airborne or physically transferred infections from shoes, hands, clothing etc.
When I had ferrets they used to have an annual half dog dose distemper vaccine, but I don't know if a half dose would work for an adult cat, as even kittens are given full sized doses and the vaccines would presumably not be licensed to be used at half doses.
Apparently even fully grown captive lions still just get a single full size domestic cat dose for their vaccines.
I guess really you would have to do an antibody titre to be sure, but presumably it would give more protection than no dose.
Catteries usually insist on vaccines both to protect your own cat from any infection carried in by any other cat or person or in the air, and to protect the other cats from anything that your cat may be carrying, as even vaccinated cats can physically carry in pathogens or sometimes be asymptomatic carriers with symptoms which sometimes then becoming apparent if the cat's immune system is compromised by stress.
At the end of the day it is a question of balancing the risk:benefit for each individual case, bearing in mind that if over 70% of the population are vaccinated the other 30% often get away without as there is much reduced chance for a disease reserviour to build up and it is harder for individual infected cases to spread and lead to generalised infection throughout the population.
Accordingly there may be some argument, catteries aside, to gain the benefit of vaccinating cats who are not badly affected, but chancing it without vaccination for cats who are severely affected.
Thank you everyone for your wonderful informative and helpful replies. After a sleepless night (on my part) I am happy to say Poppy has got up from the sofa for the first time in 24 hours and limped outside to the loo. She also ate and drank a little.
One of her front legs is very painful and she can't put it down. I rang the duty vet last night who said the vaccination affects the joints in some cats. She was a surprised there was such a reaction with the leukaemia vacc being omitted.
Now to decide whether to go through with the second injection.
One of her front legs is very painful and she can't put it down. I rang the duty vet last night who said the vaccination affects the joints in some cats. She was a surprised there was such a reaction with the leukaemia vacc being omitted.
Now to decide whether to go through with the second injection.
Hello op I'm pleased poppy is feeling better today.
We had something similar with our mr pip on Monday when he had his annual booster really knocked him for six for about 36 hours.
It's scary to see as normally he's robust lil fella.
We now have the dilemma of should we have our other cats booster done as she never leaves the house and is mentally a very fragile girl. I think i will still have it done but OH isn't so sure.
We had something similar with our mr pip on Monday when he had his annual booster really knocked him for six for about 36 hours.
It's scary to see as normally he's robust lil fella.
We now have the dilemma of should we have our other cats booster done as she never leaves the house and is mentally a very fragile girl. I think i will still have it done but OH isn't so sure.
