RECENTLY I RECEIVED a postcard from my vet’s office saying that my cat Daisy was due for her annual rabies shot this month. Being a conscientious and dutiful pet owner, I called and made an appointment for today. I was just about to start the ordeal of getting Daisy into her carrier, something she despises and with good reason, since it never means anything fun will happen, when I stopped and thought about it for a minute. Daisy just turned 20 and barely sets even one paw outside these days. Just how the heck would she get rabies?
A quick Google search netted dozens of horror stories about older cats and reactions to rabies vaccines: This one died right away, that one got a horrible tumor and then died, another got deathly ill for months incurring hundreds of dollars in treatment, besides that’s how vets make most of their money, it’s a scam, blah, blah, blah. While some of it was nonsense, a lot of it sounded legitimate. What to do?
I called the vet’s office and spoke with a technician who said it was true that my cat didn’t actually need the vaccine at this point in her life but still, if a rabid bat entered our house and bit her she’d be toast. I said if a rabid bat came into our house my primary concern would not be about whether or not Daisy would get rabies — after all, she’s already outlived the average feline lifespan while I am actually hoping to go a few more years without foaming at the mouth. Also, a bat inside my house? I would have to move.
I postponed Daisy’s appointment pending further deliberation, but now I’m wondering how bats get inside houses anyway.
— Andrea Rouda
Andrea Rouda blogs at The Daily Droid.
At that age they don’t need shots.
They arrive through my little bird and you may die laughing at this piece before they bite you on the neck. Thanks for a great morning laugh, little bird.