Boarding Elderly Cats: What To Do So They Won't Get The Flu!
by Linda Sullivan
An indoor cat will live between 12 to 15 years, so it is not uncommon for a cat owner to find themselves needing to board their pet while they head off on holiday. As someone who is in this situation, but who has an elderly cat, there is concern about how to protect your old kitty from getting the flu while being boarded. You will be taking your feline to the vet shortly, but you have heard some vets do not recommend vaccinating a cat when they are older. If this happens, does it mean you can't send your cat to a boarding facility? These are the points you need to consider.
Why some vets do not recommend vaccinating an elderly cat
Just like humans, cats suffer from various health failures as they age. Common health issues in older kitties include kidney failure, heart disease and arthritis. Some vaccinations can irritate existing health issues when administered to elderly cats, so the need to continue injections in advance years is a decision to be made by you and your vet. In Australia, cat vaccinations are not mandatory, so if your vet feels that vaccination will aggravate a current health issue, then they may advise not to have it done.
Can you board a cat without current vaccinations?
As a general rule, cat boarding facilities will only accept cats that are up-to-date with their vaccinations. However, it may be possible to negotiate this policy if you present to the centre a letter from the vet confirming why the cat has not received its vaccinations. Based on the medical exemption by the vet, the cat boarding establishment may choose to accept your animal. However, this acceptance will likely have conditions attached to it.
Possible conditions of boarding an unvaccinated cat
The cat boarding facility wants to keep cat flu out of its building, so it may only accept your cat if you agree for your pet to stay in insolation during the boarding period. This restriction means there is no chance of your cat catching or passing the flu to other cats. While isolation is not an ideal situation if your cat is a sociable one, it does mean your pet remains healthy while out of your care.
Talk to your vet and then your local cat boarding facility about this situation if your vet advises against a flu booster. The boarding facility's main aim is to keep your pet happy and healthy while you are away on holiday, so this is the goal you can all work towards.
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About Me
If you would like some advice on how you can make sure that your pet is healthy and happy, you have come to the right place. My name is Rich and last year I bought my first pets. I got a cat from an animal rescue centre and a dog from a friend who was moving abroad. A lot of people think a cat and a dog cannot peacefully coexist but they are wrong. However, in order to create a happy home life for your pets, you need to know how to look after them. The guy from mu local pet centre has been really helpful and has given me lots of expert advice which as helped me to look after my cat and dog. I hope you like this blog.
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