Cattery for unvaccinated cat?

Rockfish

Ive a cat, aged about 11 or 12, was a stray that hung around when i moved into my house and i gradually started feeding her. Never really though of getting her vaccinated etc as she used go wandering etc and i never regarded her as 'mine'. However she has more or less moved in now and im going on holidays for a few weeks in August and would like to put her in a cattery, but whats the story re vaccinations? I presume none will take her without them?

Baybay

I know our local cattery wouldn’t take her without being vaccinated.

Our fellow is vaccinated & it really isn’t that onerous on him. Or our pockets!

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119247102#Comment_119247102

,,,

Coillte_Bhoy

Apologies, wrong thread and i dont know how to delete a post

Rockfish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119247102#Comment_119247102

Oh i have no issue with getting her vaccinated, i just presumed she would be too old etc?

thebiglad

I have the same 'problem' I have cats of my own who go to cattery for my hols and they bought home a stray last year, over the month it went from full non-trusting stray to semi house cat but still with an element of the stray in it - particularly trust of anyone who isn't me or my wife - more so than just a timid cat.

Nevertheless with a recent holiday I decided would get it vaccinated and join the others in the cattery - when I tried to put it into the carrier to go to the vet had a total freak out and took me a couple of weeks to get the cats trust back - it wouldn't even come into the house for a few days - almost back to the early days again!

In the end, I arranged a cat sitter to call and look after it with kennels outside for it to shelter in - not my ideal solution but was better for the cat.

This was a full stray cat until 12 months ago so maybe next year I will try again with another year of domestication under its collar.

Depending on how long you are away and how much of a house cat it is now, have you considered a cat sitter to keep an eye on it and feed it etc?

I don't think cattery's will take an unvaccinated cat but regardless, it would be also be high risk to your cat to put it in with multiple other cats and where multiple other cats have been with risk of cat flu - i lost kittens to cat flu and was told by vet at that time not to have an unvaccinated cat in my house for 12 months as the virus would still be around!

Wouldn't change a thing about taking in the stray but, i didn't realise how much harder it would be to look after compared to my fully domesticated cats - whilst I wasn't too happy about it stray was happy so long as fed and watered and quickly readjusted when I got home.

You'll know the cat better than us but, how will it react to be in a cattery, the space, confinement and a total stranger coming into it's lodging a few times a day?

Musefan

i think there is one in Munterconnaght, Cavan that would take them. Re the carrier, cats can’t process going backwards so try putting them in that way!

thebiglad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119247288#Comment_119247288

Off topic but when he was stray/semi feral we trapped him for neutering - I don't think that whole day out was too pleasant for him and he probably associates with the carrier. It was more than a typical reaction to the carrier - I have had multiple cats down the years and have used carriers with them so used to their reactions.

I have a carrier with top opening so I hold under their rear so their back legs are out of commission and lower them in, its kind of backwards...

Still would recommend against unvaccinated in a cattery environment - the risk is for your cat, not necessarily the others in the cattery.

Musefan

As far as I know, the one in Cavan houses all of the cats completely separately so there is no mixing.

just FYI, my cat is vaccinated!

Rockfish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119247273#Comment_119247273

Thanks for the replies, no idea how she will react to a cattery but shes very friendly and easy with strangers and it's preferable to having her on her own i think. She isnt really a 'house cat' much prefers the outdoors, hanging around in the garden but likes to come inside in bad weather. Ive no problem with getting the vaccinations but for some reason had thought due to her age they might be pointless, so that is not the case???