Teddy is under quarantine.

I am so livid right now I can barely type.

So I noticed Teddy kept going to his litter box and tried to go to the bathroom but wasn't. Silly me thought taking to the vet was a good idea. The vet tech walks in and was playing with him. He tells me that Teddy is over due a couple months for his rabies shot, but didn't recommend getting it now since he wasn't feeling well. Vet came in and said the same thing. As the vet was examining him and pressing on his bladder, Teddy stated to get agitated. He hissed and started squirming. The vet tech, while holding him down suggested a muzzle since Teddy was getting difficult. The vet ignored him. A few minutes later Teddy bit the vet tech. I saw the tech's hand and there was nothing. They brought Teddy in the back to do an ultrasound of his bladder. 20 minutes go by and then I was informed that they had called animal control because Teddy's vaccine had expired and there was the tiniest amount of blood. He has to be under quarantined for 14 days at the vet or at the pound.

My question is, if you knew Teddy was not current with his vaccination, why were you not wearing gloves, using a blanket, and/or muzzle? ESPECIALLY ONCE HE STARTED TO HISS AND GROWL!

The vet just called and offered to have a minimal to no charge for the quarantine. Honestly, I just want my cat back at home. I will never go back to this vet EVER again.

I want my baby.

The vet called animal control because Teddy bit him and he saw the tiniest amount of blood? The vet was afraid he might be infected with rabies since Teddy's vaccination had expired? Am I reading it right?

Wow. I didn't think a vet would do something like that. Let's hope Teddy goes home soon!

WoW!! I feel horrible for you. I agree that the vet should have been a little smarter about the situation.

About 5 yrs ago, my cat, MyRage(Mirage) escaped (while in heat, she is fixed now) and met up with a few toms. We eventually caught her, but in all the fuss, my brother (Very stupid move on his part) Grabbed one of the toms by the tail as he ran by. What did the tom do? Latched himself to my brother's leg, and tore up his hand.

My brother then ended up in the ERoom, and told them that it was MY cat that bit him. OMG I was about to kill him when animal control showed up at my house for my cat. I was beside myself. They wanted to take her and put her down. I explained to them that it wasn't my cat that attacked my bro, but a feral tom. They didn't care. I eventually talked them out of taking my cat away, and took her to the vet, where we found out she was with kittens. They would't opperate on her until she was quarentened for rabies, and they wanted to put her into some cage for a week or what ever. I talked them out of that, and got to take her home. I had to keep her in a seperate room from EVERYONE else for that time. It killed me. Listening to her meow in the room by herself. I spent time in there reading so she could have company. After the quarentene, we took her back to the vet, she was giving a clean bill of health, and everyone was happy.

She had a miscarraige, and fostered some abandoned kittens, one them stayed with me, and is my NyghtShade.

I don't know if there is any chance you can have him at your house or not. I would have been so beside myself to not have my girl with me, at some strange place where she knows nobody.

I will be thinking very positive thoughts for you and your kitty. I really hope that things work out very well for you.

As for the vet... I don't think I would go to that one either. That is insain. I understand taking precautions for rabies, but they should have taken them... PREcautions, as in BEFORE something happened, not AFTER! The muzzle may have stressed the kitty more, but the end result would have been better IMO.

I'm so so sorry

Yep. You read it right. Since animal control is involved I have no choice about the quarantine.... but the vet is admitting fault for not taking the proper precautions ... but still, I have to go 14 days without my Teddy. I honestly would have paid anything to take him home today. I don't care that they're not charging for the boarding. I just want my cat home now.

Of course you do, and of course you're never going back to that vet! WHAT a horrible experience! And POOR Teddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's really inexcusable of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...and to Teddy!

Get a t-shirt really good and sweaty and take it over to him. Your smell will help him.

Poor Teddy!!!!!!! I'm beyond furious for you!!!

When I was in high school my RB girl Glory was bitten on the neck and missing a good chunk of flesh so we took her to the vet. (We assume our other cat bit her.) She was quite a bit overdue for her rabies vaccine. The vet drew some blood and sent it to be tested to see if she still had antibodies. We were told that if she had them she'd be fine, we'd just have to show proof when we updated it. If she didn't, then she'd have to do the whole quarantine thing, but could do it from home in this special cage we were loaned as long as she was kept somewhere where animal control could come check on her and see she was in the cage.

It turned out that as long overdue as she was, she still did have the antibodies and she only ended up spending maybe a day in the cage by the time we actually got it. It was awful. I bawled for hours and hours when they said they might have to take her away from me. I don't see why they can't just let you quarantine Teddy at home! I guess maybe it depends on your state's laws or something.

Originally Posted by LDG

Get a t-shirt really good and sweaty and take it over to him. Your smell will help him.

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That will help for sure!

One of my bridge cats bit me quite badly a few years ago and I had to see my doctor. Thank GOODNESS the doctor is a friend, and thank GOODNESS I lied when when he asked me if the cat was up to date with his vaccines (he was elderly, so he wasn't), and thank GOODNESS he believed me and that was the end of it.

I hope SOMEHOW the next 14 days just fly by for you and you soon have your Teddy back home where he belongs. This should have never happened. Can't you insist that the vet draw titers for the vax at his expense in lieu of quarantine?

Good luck,

Cally

I miss him so much. I feel so horrible for bringing him to that damn vet. I've been on the verge of tears since 2:30 today... I just can't believe this is happening.

Oh, and my grandmother came to the vets to help plead the case. Turns out the vet tech knew my grandfather and used to come over my grandparents house when he was younger.... and by the way, Teddy is named after my grandfather.

Honestly, this is the first time I saw this particular vet. I don't think she had any idea what she was doing when she reported it to animal control. She looked like she was going to cry to when she told me. It's still no excuse. She said she'll make some more phone calls and try to push for the home quarantine.

I keep thinking I see him out of the corner of my eye. I have no idea how I'm going to make it 14 days.

Originally Posted by CatMom2Wires

Can't you insist that the vet draw titers for the vax at his expense in lieu of quarantine?

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They mentioned something about a blood test to see if he had anything from the original vaccine in his blood, but the vet said it had no legality.

Originally Posted by Rianna

I miss him so much. I feel so horrible for bringing him to that damn vet. I've been on the verge of tears since 2:30 today... I just can't believe this is happening.

Oh, and my grandmother came to the vets to help plead the case. Turns out the vet tech knew my grandfather and used to come over my grandparents house when he was younger.... and by the way, Teddy is named after my grandfather.

Honestly, this is the first time I saw this particular vet. I don't think she had any idea what she was doing when she reported it to animal control. She looked like she was going to cry to when she told me. It's still no excuse. She said she'll make some more phone calls and try to push for the home quarantine.

I keep thinking I see him out of the corner of my eye. I have no idea how I'm going to make it 14 days.

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I am soooo sorry this happened
I can understand how you are feeling, I was afraid of this and read up on all the laws because I didn't want to do all of the rabies shots since they can cause cancer and envisioned the same thing happening and how bad I would feel so I decided to just keep getting the shots and take the risk anyway..
Could you go visit him at the vet??? 14 days is a long time I know he probably shouldn't be played with since it's a quarantine but maybe they will let you can go look at him and see how he's doing???
The vet should have taken precausions but under the law, all bites are supposed to be reported to animal control. If he had been current on the vaccine then they wouldn't have kept him under quarantine, but animal control still had to be called. The vet likely forgot that he wasn't current on his rabies shot. It is just the law unfortunately

I am so sorry this has happened to you and Teddy. It's unbelievable. How can a vet not know that a hissing, growling cat is, in all probability, about to become a biting cat?! I hope you can work something out so that Teddy can be quarantined at home.
and that your baby comes home soon.

I think if something like this had happened to me and one of my cats, I would go to the local newspaper and tell them my story.....perhaps under the guise of preventing it from happening to anyone else, and to promote vaccination....but ultimately to punish this particular vet by letting everyone in the community know A.) how truly careless they are in handling animals, B.) how poorly they handled this situation by involving animal control, and C.) hitting them where it will hurt...in the pocketbook, hopefully making people think twice before bringing their pets to them for any type of veterinary medical treatment.

My thoughts are with you and Teddy!

It sounds like that vet and vet tech need to go back to school
It's really disheartening to people like me, trying to be a vet, to know that there are people like that around. The time for caring about animals because they love them is over. All they care about now is how fat their wallet is.

Originally Posted by Rianna

I miss him so much. I feel so horrible for bringing him to that damn vet. I've been on the verge of tears since 2:30 today... I just can't believe this is happening.

...

I keep thinking I see him out of the corner of my eye. I have no idea how I'm going to make it 14 days.

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I imagined NyghtShade in your Teddy's paws, and it brought tears to my eyes. I wouldn't be able to sleep without my baby girl. I am glad to hear they are seeing about home quarentine, that will be much nicer for you and your baby. He is a beautiful cat. It was hard for me to keep MyRage in a room by herself, but it was much easier knowing she was home, and I could open the door to see her anytime.

It took a while for me to not be angry with my bro over that. I told him on the phone that night, 'Don't even think about coming over until I cool down, cuz I don't want to lay my eyes on you for a while'. Happily 5 years later, it is a distant memory, and that is all.

If your boy doens't get to go home, I hope the 14 days go by real fast, and you two are reunited to loud purs, pets, and head butts.

When we were moving in, Shadey was still at my parents house (a week ago today), and even though I knew she was there, I kept seeing her out of the corner of my eye. I understand how human kitty love is. Reading about your pain makes me sad. I so wish I could take it away, and make it better for you.

I also hope that the vet will... not charge you for the visit, not charge you for the quarentine, and vaccinate your kitty for free, as well as NEVER be so careless with anyone else's babies in the future.

Cuddles n Kisses from my ShadeyLadi, Mystyc, and MyRage(Mirage)

Be safe.

BTW... DON'T FEEL BAD FOR DOING WHAT A GOOD HUMAN SHOULD DO. You were being a good kitty parent! It's their fault, and in NO WAY is it yours. You did NOTHING wrong, and need not feel any kind of horrible. You are suffering, but it's not your fault!

But what about the straining in the litter box? Is Teddy's urinary tract problem being addressed? That's the real issue here isn't it? geesh!

Do go in and visit him every single day he is in quarantine, so he will know you are coming back. This will make it easier on both of you. Each time you leave, then come back, it impresses on him that you will be back.

I am sorry you and Teddy have had to go through this, and I hope Teddy does not have any long lasting stress problems, especially considering his Urinary Tract issue.

But it does illustrate my always urging people to keep their pets up to date on rabies vaccines, regardless of what they believe to be necessary, a current rabies vaccine protects everyone.

A vet tech should KNOW better. Sounds like she ticked off your cat and he rightfully so bit her. I hope you get your baby back soon. Are you allowed to visit him? I would deter your friends and family from using that vet as long as she works there.

Awww, what a crappy situation

It's funny how his original issue seems to almost be a non issue now. They did an ultrasound of his bladder and it was empty, which meant that he wasn't blocked at all. (Which was my concern since my RB Jazz had so many issues with blockage) The vet tried to find the silver lining and said they would be monitoring Teddy 24/7 while under quarantine. This didn't appease me, at all.

I think I'm allowed to visit.... but honestly, I dare them to not let me. I'm going to bring one of my shirts for Teddy to cuddle with.

What bother me the most it that this could have so easily been prevented. I acknowledge my part for not being so rigid on his vaccines, but he is a strictly indoor cat and I could have never dreamed of this situation.... but what gets me the most is if this vet was so by the book on protocol that it got animal control involved, where was this by the book protocol when they knew they were dealing with such a "dangerous" cat? It makes me want to scream... well, actually I have.

Thank you everyone for your support. I'm really going to need TCS vibes to get through the next two weeks. You all understand the bond between human and cats better than anyone else.

Anytime an animal bites or scratches and the rabies vaccine is in question (even if it JUST expired) it is standard protocol for the safety of the physician/tech to call animal control and report it (it's the law in most states.) The quarentine is for the safety of everyone. I used to work for animal control, we had to do quarentines on occassion.

The reason they chose not to vaccinate Teddy was that the vaccine if he was already sick/had a fever...could have made him feel much much worse. I understand you being upset over the situation, and yes, it honestly stinks.

Now that being said, if the tech even remotely sensed that Teddy was going to be aggressive - she should have insisted on muzzling him and had a better hold on him. Any well trained vet tech knows the proper way to restrain a cat...if you're doing it properly...there is NO WAY they can attack. If she felt uncomfortable working on him by herself, she should have called for a second tech. She should have worked as a team with the vet...if she told the vet he needed a muzzle- they should have paused to restrain him properly and THEN proceeded with his check up.

Soo sorry you're going through this sweetie He'll be home soon!