Dangers inside and outside the home
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For my mini-zoo, today is vaccination time. Everyone's relaxed,though, not suspecting that injections are in their future
MY VET has kindly agreed to come to my house, so that all the cats can be vaccinated at one time. As I wait for her to show up, I try to keep everyone inside, preferably on the ground floor. Who wants to chase a cat up to the fourth floor?
Most of the cats are unconcerned anyway. They’ve had their breakfast, and now it’s time for a catnap.
Only Thep is nervous. Thep and his friend Thong are soi cats, but because they come inside the house and mix with my other cats, they must be vaccinated too.
Thep would rather have his nap out on the soi, but since my door is closed, he can’t get out.
He grows increasingly nervous, running up and down the stairs, complaining miserably. I finally put him in a carrier and take it to a quiet place.
Thong is much more relaxed about that closed door. Gradually, he’s been changing into a housecat anyway. When he escapes into the soi, he simply climbs up to my third floor and waits for me to let him in.
He’s also turned into the most accident-prone animal I know. Viral infections, abscesses, insect-attacks, he’s suffered them all, making him the most expensive animal in the household.
I’ve been calling Thep “partly feral”, but perhaps “feral” is the wrong word for him. A feral animal bites and scratches out of fear, but Thep, even when he’s absolutely terrified by the people around him, still allows anyone to pick him up without much struggle.
He also purrs, as if he’s telling you he means no harm. He just wants to get away.
I don’t understand why he feels safer on the soi than in my home. He’s learned how to avoid moving vehicles and cat-hating dogs – but not cat-hating people. I’ve seen one neighbour in particular corner him and kick him, and there are more unkind people out there.
You find comfort in what you know, I suppose. Thep, a year older than Thong, who first joined us as a seven-month-old kitten, has spent most of his life on the soi.
At last, the vet arrives. We vaccinate Thep first so that he can escape to the soi. Then the other cats get their jabs, but only two jabs. These injections are very powerful, and we will wait a week or two so that the guys can recover before they receive the remaining two.
Even with being careful, the cats sleep for the rest of the day, a few even showing a low-grade fever for a few hours.
I relax a bit. Vaccination time is stressful for me too, watching my pets being jabbed.
Just two hours later, however, Thong comes down the stairs, crying piteously. Then he vomits, and he doesn’t stop. His body isn’t warm – it’s hot, so hot that he’s having trouble breathing. His face is swollen and red.
I rush him to the clinic where he receives an antihistamine injection to reduce the reaction to the vaccinations. In a few minutes, the terrible fever drops; the vomiting stops.
In relief, I bring him back home, but a few hours later, again the vomiting starts and his face swells up. Back to the clinic we go.
We don’t know why Thong would have such a terrible reaction to the vaccine. He had this brand of vaccine last year without any reaction like this.
The rest of the cat herd is fine. I call Thep into the house. He’s fine too.
The unfortunate Thong will be fine as well – he’s coming home tomorrow.
