I have some questions about vaccination -
My two older cats, Meeko and Esmeralda (nine and eight years old) have not been vaccinated since they were kittens. Terrible, I know, but the choice wasn't up to me, it was up to my parents (I only moved out with the cats this past May). Since I've had them and been on my own, I've been really hesitating on getting them vaccinated, because I'm afraid they'll end up with a sarcoma or some other reaction, and I'll have done more harm then good. I know these things are quite rare, but still. My two younger cats, Phineas and Henry, are both up to date on vaccinations (Phineas was vaccinated in the shelter, Henry by his previous owners before ending up at the shelter). So, questions...
- Is a reaction more likely in my cats since they're older and haven't been vaccinated in so long?
- What should I have them vaccinated against? I've done some research - definitely Rabies and Distemper, and definitely NOT FELV or FIP (they're exclusively indoor cats), but Phineas and Henry's records both say they were vaccinated against rhino-calci - I did not come across this on any of the sites I looked at - what is it, and is it recommended, and what are the risks, etc.? Are there any other vaccines that I haven't mentioned here that they should or should not be vaccinated against?
- Does anyone know how I can find out if the three year rabies vaccine is legal in my province? If I do have them vaccinated using this vaccine, do they still need to be vaccinated each year against Distemper or anything else I vaccinate against?
I'm really nervous about making this decision, so thanks very much in advance for any advice!
My two older cats, Meeko and Esmeralda (nine and eight years old) have not been vaccinated since they were kittens. Terrible, I know, but the choice wasn't up to me, it was up to my parents (I only moved out with the cats this past May). Since I've had them and been on my own, I've been really hesitating on getting them vaccinated, because I'm afraid they'll end up with a sarcoma or some other reaction, and I'll have done more harm then good. I know these things are quite rare, but still. My two younger cats, Phineas and Henry, are both up to date on vaccinations (Phineas was vaccinated in the shelter, Henry by his previous owners before ending up at the shelter). So, questions...
- Is a reaction more likely in my cats since they're older and haven't been vaccinated in so long?
- What should I have them vaccinated against? I've done some research - definitely Rabies and Distemper, and definitely NOT FELV or FIP (they're exclusively indoor cats), but Phineas and Henry's records both say they were vaccinated against rhino-calci - I did not come across this on any of the sites I looked at - what is it, and is it recommended, and what are the risks, etc.? Are there any other vaccines that I haven't mentioned here that they should or should not be vaccinated against?
- Does anyone know how I can find out if the three year rabies vaccine is legal in my province? If I do have them vaccinated using this vaccine, do they still need to be vaccinated each year against Distemper or anything else I vaccinate against?
I'm really nervous about making this decision, so thanks very much in advance for any advice!