Our Cats - Anti-Vaxxers?

Our cats have always been indoor cats. 

Because Carol and I are not stupid enough to let them out of the house. We love them.

We don't make regular vet visits. Don't get their shots or any other goddamn thing because every trip to the vet costs $1,750.

I have been thinking differently about Emmy Lou and Patsy.

When Lakota died, she was fine one day, and crippled the next. Could not even walk. I asked the vet what the hell happened. She said Lakota was severely dehydrated and had some other shit going on. I told her we saw her drinking water regularly, that she was eating; the vet said "Cats are very good at hiding things. Things like failing health." That stuck with me.

Maka was diagnosed with a tumor in her mouth. She died shortly thereafter. I thought maybe we could have caught it earlier, maybe have done something about it to buy her more time, if we made regular vet visits.

We took Emmy Lou and Patsy in for a general check-up shortly after we got them last September.

I decided then that we will get their shots regularly and get them checked out once a year while we are at it. 

They were due for rabies etc shots this June. Still, I procrastinated. Until I noticed blood in the litter box recently. And eventually, blood in Patsy's stool.

I fucking freaked.

Brought them in this past Wednesday - everything is fine. Dr. Vet is theorizing the blood is diet related. He is not worried. We are mixing and matching different foods to figure it out. Anyway, they got their shots, and had complete check-ups.

It was so traumatic for them I started having Joe-thoughts. What if our cats are anti-vaxxers?

We had to stuff them into cat carriers. They didn't like that. They didn't like the ride; they are not used to being outside the house. They fucking hated the vet's office. When we got them into a room and out of the cat carriers they were actually hissing at each other. That never happens. They love each other.

They were taken out of the room individually to get their shots. They were fucking stressed as strangers took them away from us. Warm moment: When Patsy was brought back into the room with us she immediately came over to me and rubbed up against my shoes. The woman who brought her in said: "She loves her Daddy." So true.

We stuffed them back into the carriers, got them home and released them. They were immediately happy.

I was thinking about how they had no choice in the process and no idea what the hell was going on. I felt so bad for them even though we were doing them good.

The whole thing was stressful - for them and for us - from start to finish. They live such an idyllic life that the visit must have blown their precious fucking minds.

And if they are anti-vaxxers, well, I'm sleeping with my eyes open from now on.