Cat Vaccination - Are You Signing Your Pet's Death Warrant? | Pets and Animals

By JaneTompsett
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Vaccinating your cat is going to cost you. Unfortunately there's no getting away from that fact.

But your cat's not sick or in pain, so why should you bother booking an appointment to see your vet and paying out for something that, on the face of it, your cat doesn't need?

Death, is the reason. Painful death and the heartbreak it will bring to you and your family should your cat catch one of the preventable diseases that will needlessly end her life.

In all conscience, can you willfully ignore the lifelong protection from these diseases that vaccination will give your cat?

So, why vaccinate your cat?

To make sure that she is protected from the most dangerous viruses .

To give her the healthiest life possible.

To actively prevent infecting other cats.

To save having to face the decision to put her to sleep.

And as a bonus, avoid potential vet's bills in the future!

There are three main diseases to avoid:

Cat 'Flu or Feline Influenza

Just like human 'flu, cat 'flu is highly contagious and has a very high death rate in cats.

If your cat is unlucky enough to catch cat 'flu, her eyes, nose and windpipe will become inflamed. She will feel very unwell, will have unpleasant discharges, have a high temperature and consequently will appear very apathetic and disinterested in life. In addition, your pet will have little appetite and may have painful sores and ulcers on her tongue. So, your poor cat will be dribbling, and unable to eat, lose weight and condition, be sneezing frequently and struggling to breathe.

Each droplet of mucus breathed, sneezed or coughed out will carry the infection and the virus can travel through cat communities rapidly.

So, taking an infected cat to the vets, a cat show, cattery or other environment where there are other animals, will pose a significant risk of spreading the disease.

However, some cats are fortunate enough to recover from cat 'flu but even so, they can remain a carrier of the virus for the rest of their lives, continuing to pose an infection threat to every unprotected cat they comes across.

Feline Infectious Enteritis (Distemper) - Feline Panleucopenia

Unborn or newborn kittens are particularly susceptible to this disease and it is not uncommon for it to prove fatal within a very short time after the symptoms appear - it' really is that severe!

The cells of the gut wall, spleen, bone marrow, liver, lymph nodes and even sometimes, the brain will typically become affected and the incubation period is generally between two and nine days long.

Typical signs that your cat has distemper include vomiting, diarrhoea, apathy, a distinctive hunched posture and pitiful crying when handled. A sick cat has only a very slim chance of recovery.

This virus is passed on by direct or indirect contact between cats and often fleas can be a factor in transmitting the infection from one animal to another.

Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) The cat form of AIDS

Whilst being harmless to humans, there is no cure for cats. Feline AIDS is easily spread by direct contact in animals and once infected, will certainly result in the eventual death of your pet.

Outward symptoms of this disease are vomiting, weakness, diarrhoea, breathing problems and loss of weight. As this virus attacks your cat's immune system, any infection will quickly spread and overwhelm your cat's defences.

Sadly, any cat found to be infected will need to be put to sleep immediately as they pose too great an infection risk to other cats. Thankfully, vaccination will give your pet the protection she needs against contracting FeLV in the first place, thereby removing any future threat to her life or the lives of other cats.

So, for any responsible cat owner who cares for their pet, there is simply no choice to be made. Vaccination is the only option, not only for the protection of your cat but also for the protection the cat population at large. If your cat is unvaccinated - get it done today!

About the Author

Make certain that you protect the longterm ongoing health of your cat. For more cat care information and tips and to subscribe to Jane Tompsett's free Cat Owners Confidential newsletter simply follow these links.

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