Today we took our three indoor-only kitties and black lab to the vaccination clinic at Zamzow's. As we loaded the kitties into their carriers, two of the three began to yowl before we even left the house. Cutie, Joey's Maine Coon mix tabby cat, curled up in the bottom of the carrier and went to sleep. She had plenty of room in the biggest carrier (since she is the fattest of the three).
We hauled all three out to the minivan (Wayne asked Joey if he wanted a wheelbarrow to take Cutie out because she's heavy hahaha) and put them in the back. Then we loaded the black lab, Smokey, into the van as well, since she was due for her yearly booster. As I got into the front seat, I could hear those 2 cats hollering like the dickens in the back. I looked back and saw poor old Smokey huddled up as far as she could get into the front. It was almost as if she was saying, "I am NOT staying back there with those mad kitties!!" The look on her face was so funny!
All 4 pets were successfully vaccinated and given the all-clear for health. It's a relief to have it done. Both teenage boys were very protective of their feline friends and responsibly carried, and cared for, their own fuzzy furballs during the entire experience. They are such excellent young men. I think it's admirable for them to be able to care for small, helpless animals with such dignity and tenderness.
Since this is my blog, I'll step up onto my soapbox for a minute! Indoor cats enjoy much more safety and are exposed to fewer dangers than outdoor cats. The life span for an indoor cat is 20-25 years while an outdoor cat's life span is about 7. Vaccinations for indoor cats come around every 2-3 years versus every year for outdoor. We always had outdoor cats when I was a kid, and those poor babies usually lived about 2-3 years at most. I've personally seen cats run over, bleeding from baseball bats to the head, swollen and infected with bites from fighting, huddled in the freezing cold, and crying from hunger.
Additionally, spaying/neutering your cat is doing him/her a HUGE favor! Please be responsible and see that it is done before 5 months of age. A female cat can get pregnant at 6 months of age, and she can get pregnant while still nursing kittens. If you knew how painful and horrible it was for a female cat to become pregnant, you would RUSH to the vet immediately for spaying as soon as possible. Please educate yourself and be a responsible pet owner. Okay, I'm putting the soapbox away now. =)
Being a huge animal lover, I count it as a wonderful blessing to be able to care properly for our pets.
Remembering the gripe/gift aspect that I am trying to promote in my entries this year, the gripe in this story is that the cost of caring for pets properly is high--and climbing. Last year, our vet's rates almost doubled, and so we chose the vaccination clinics in an attempt to save money. The gift is that our beloved pets are safe from disease and illness for several years.
