PSM-Ani

Consider this post a public service message...
aimed at animal owners.
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Another trip toting a cat out to Doctor Harry's for the rabies shot to benefit "A Helping Paw" Org. It's a state law in MA each cat and dog must have their rabies shot each year to be legal. There's inexpensive clinics held each spring. If you wait past April you pretty much missed all the clinics and would have to pay for an office visit.
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I once gave a beautiful kitten to a nice family I knew. I lectured them on what the kit needed, and told them to make certain the kitten had a rabies and distemper shot before being let outdoors. They loved the kitten, and raved about her each time I ran into them around town.
Then about two months later I got a sniffling phone call describing a horror story of what happened to the poor kitty. It was outside, (unsupervised) and had not gotten the shots needed yet. The kitten went into the road, and was hit by a pick-up truck. It was injured, still alive laying in the road. A good Samaritan picked up the kitten and brought it to the vet's. But the kitten was in pain, and bit the Samaritan, drawing blood in the process. The kitten, who could've survived the hit, had to be put down because it hadn't had the rabies shot.
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Not to get the shot is risking losing your pet if they claw or bite anyone and need to be tested, which is only done by testing brain tissue (the animal's head must be cut off to test).
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I looked up tons of info on rabies one year at a friend's request after their shot-expired dog came in contact with a racoon which had been dragging it's hind-legs. That could be a partial paralysis associated with a rabies progression symptom, as there are two types of presentation (symtoms, how you would tell). One is the viscious behavior and salivation, the other the progressive paralysis.
The racoon had run-off and could not be tested. Gladly it was deemed after a long, lonely, indoor quaranteen that Elmo, the doggie, was alright after all. Those folks will never miss the shot-time again!
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Rabies has been going through the wildlife population here for the second year. The local vets put together baits containing vaccines and toss them along wooded areas to hopefully protect some of the racoons, fishers, skunks, oppossums and other critters.
For the longest time they didn't think it would cross the canal, but either they swam or stowed away aboard trucks or boats and spread all through the Cape anyways.
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It's possible for a cat to catch an infected, disease carrying mouse, or for a rabid and demented animal to uncharacteristically attack a pet they'd normally run from. We also have some deer and coyotes randomly roaming about.
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What scares me is if the cat catches a bird these days, we 'll have to worry about the "Bird Flu" spreading to them. There's no pet vacine for that illness yet. And People could possibly get a new strain of it from their pets.
So for the most part, my kitties have to stay in, unless I'm out in the yard with them on a day off. Getting them to go in when I need to go somewhere is quite a challenge, too. It can take hours to get them in.
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They do make effective in-home bug detectors. Found a wasp crawling in the kitchen for me this week. They like eating beetles. You can always tell when their eyes are attentively fixed on a wall or the ceiling where the insect is. They've also rid the house of many mice- Good job! They definately earn their keep, and I need the company...
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Today's pic is of Turtle, the tortoise-shell colored cat (today's needle victim). She hates the vets. When she was an itty-bitty kitty, she got ill and had to go in for a few days of kitty IV and drugs, which cost a pretty penny. She was spayed at about six months of age. Then she got an abcess from fighting with sis' Mischief, and needed to go back again the following year.
Of course, Turtle didn't know today was just for a quicky shot.
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First I had to brush her, then pick her up and quickly go shove her into the already open carrier, hidden in the bathroom. If She'd seen it first, there'd be no catching her at all....
Everytime I put her in the kitty-carrier she flips out in a tizzy fit, as though she can break out of there! It takes her awhile to calm down. She meows very loudly the whole way. That's kitty-speak for "Stop this confinement, Now!" As previously stated, I'm so glad my truck has a truck-bed cap, so the noise is muffled to low volume.
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At the Doc's she turned into "Ferocious-Kitty" open mouth Hissing, glazed eyes and looking like she's ready to take off your arm! She suddenly cannot be separated from that same carrier she was so desparate to escape earlier! So We had to take the carrier apart! She clung to her same spot, petrified, and sat still for the shot, finally all done. We put the top back on the carrier, screwed it back together as she sat there wondering what just happened.
We drove back home and what do you know? What a sweet, friendly kitty walked back out of the carry-case!
I guess she felt pretty relieved it was over. I hope she forgets again until next spring, at least! She's all purrs n rubs again, happy there was no stay-over for her this time.
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So now if she has a run-in with a brave squirrel out on the deck, I won't be worried. She's into the birds, though, n if she catches another one of those...
I hope there's not another trip to the vets!
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SO Get 'em those rabies shots. It's important!