Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Tutu Tuesday


Cosmo : Mommy lured us in here with those yummy bonito flakes...but why? Why is there a table covered with a towel? Something smells fishy and I don't mean the bonito flakes!
Ling : I don't like this one bit!
Tutu : Why are the both of you grumbling? I see nothing wrong and this towel smells just like Whisky!
I made an appointment with a vet to do a house call and vaccinate all the kitties
Tutu : I thought you said someone was coming to give us treats, Mommy? Where's this mysterious person?

Tutu : We've been stuck in here for the last 2 hours! All the talk of treats has made me hungry!
Tutu : HUNGRY, Mommy, HUNGRYYYYY!
Tutu : Good Cod! Were you lying to us, Mommy? There's no sign of the mysterious person!
Tutu : Oh well, I'll just practice toesie flirting. Is it working?
After waiting for 2.5 hours, I finally allowed the cats out. Guess the vet didn't want my business (this is my THIRD attempt with this vet). After all, it's *just* 7 cats, right? But a call would have been appreciated.

Everyone has had their complete kitten shots while Meow-Me and Boomer had their vaccination as adults. I did a little more research on vaccinations and I am inclined to believe they do not require boosters as their risk of exposure is almost zero since they are totally indoor cats. Rabies shots are not compulsory here.
Vaccinations can be a controversial topic so it is always best to speak with a vet to get their input. But it is just as important to do your own research on the risks and benefits of vaccinations. :)

What do you kitties think about having a vet do house calls? Especially kitties who aren't fond of strange people. I am pretty divided on this as on the one paw, having the vet come to the house would reduce the stress of traveling. On the other paw, being prodded and manipulated in what is deemed their "safe place" may be even more stressful. What do you think?


54 comments:

www.shelter-cats.com said...

The only time we got a home visit, the vet said he couldn't do blood tests at my house, so he took my kitty off in his van back to his office! Even more stress.
I like my vet, who's office isn't far from home. I'm hoping that short visits in the car and then home for treats, will get my cats used to change and reassured that vet visits aren't too bad.
Looking forward to reading more comments on this.
Maggie

Marg said...

Well first of all I am sort of against the shots. I have heard of so many cats having bad reactions to the shots, like the Katnip's parents cat. And since they do stay in, they are probably all right except for the boarders that you take in. I like taking the cats to the vet since then they are all contained and nervous and usually behave themselves. Even Bees who was so so scared was a good boy. But what ever works best for your situation.

Hannah and Lucy said...

I have always used spot on treatments for worms, fleas, etc and find them good as they don't upset their tummies but lately I have cut it down from monthly to every 2 months which works well as they don't enjoy it being done. They only go out in the garden but they need something in case we have a flea ridden cat or maybe a hedgehog visiting.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx

Safe Haven Hotel said...

My own vet doesn't do housecalls unfortunately but I just noticed that one of the vets very close to my house that the rescue we work with, does. Very interesting to me that some will and some won't. I personally like the idea, as I think it keeps the stress level down and helps the cat to feel less anxiety in their own environment.

Fuzzy Tales said...

Vets don't do housecalls here, not that I'm aware of. Certainly my former clinic didn't, even for an extra fee.

I'm divided on the issue as well. I think it would work for those cats who just can't be transported, who are so distressed in a carrier (never mind my boys' caterwauling and fussing, I mean really distressed). And I also think that in those cases, one specific room/area would be best, leaving the rest of the house 'safe' for the cat. Certainly it would be helpful to have housecalls for those of us who don't have vehicles, but especially for elderly or physically challenged people who can't easily get out to appointments.

As for the vaccs themselves...I think it's overdone for indoor cats. I think it's easy money for the vets. Rabies IS required here and I don't do it, and won't unless I'm in circumstances where I can't avoid it. Both boys had their first and second sets of shots as kittens, and both have had rabies before adoption too. (The shelter they were adopted from does this.) Nicki had a distemper shot a year or so ago because the vet reluctantly talked me into it, but Derry's had no further vaccs since his kitten days.

Now, if they roamed freely, that would be a different matter, IMO.

Unknown said...

We don't have cats so we can't comment. How annoying the vet didn't turn up again. Have a terrific Tuesday.
Best wishes Molly

Katie Isabella said...

Tutu I am so sorry that Vet was so rood! That is inexcusable to be rood to a Tortie. Especialy on as dear and beautiful as YOU are.

Mommy had a traveling Vet for Admiral some of the time. Once to give her the shots and several times to get her nails cut. Mom can't get a kitty who will allow her to do it but one..Robin back in the day.

Mom was hesitant about it as Admiral was so afraid of strangers and it was pitiful and painful for mom to see her trying to escape. So Mom quit doing it and just faced the crying and the anguished sounds that Admiral made when she had to get in th carrier. At least, home was safe even if Mom DID make her leave to go to the Vet.
xxxoo

Katie Isabella said...

Mom said she'd rather just HAND the money for the shots to the vet and let us leave without the shots. She hates them.

Gattina said...

I agree with your vet. Even my cats are not vaccinated and go out. My vet told me that we live in such a safe cat environment, no feral cats, that it is not necessary. So for indoor cats even more. Tutu is as usual adorable !

Random Felines said...

that is just rude to not show up....

our vet comes to our house. mom agrees that it can be good and bad. some do better here and mom suspects that some might cooperate a little more (MO!!) if they were somewhere strange.

Terri said...

It's a toss-up as to whether a vet coming to the house is better. I can see why anyone with several cats would prefer it, though!

I had a Himalayan who developed reactions to vaccinations. She had to have non-adjuvant vaccine and no combos.

Old Kitty said...

Awww sweet Tutu! Hope you got lots of treats after all that waiting!

Our vet's located literally across the road from where we live so that's a bonus!

Take care
x

BeadedTail said...

We're glad you didn't starve Tutu! We don't like going to the vet so housecalls sound like a good idea. As for shots, we haven't had them because Mommy is worried about the reactions plus she had a kitty who had to get shots since she stayed at the vet sometimes due to needing fluids for kidney issues and she ended up with cancer. Not sure if it's related but close enough for mommy to worry more!

Annie Bear said...

That is so unprofessional about that vet!! I don't like shots either. With the traveling my cats have had to do over the last few years due to our moves, I've had to get them rabies shots. Also, when boarding, facilities require certain vaccinations too. If it's up to me, I don't have them vaccinated.

Love these shots of Tutu, and yes toe flirting (love that expression!) always works!

p.s. Simba loved bonita flakes!

brokenteepee said...

I think it was beyond rude to not show up three times in a row. You should send him a bill for your time.

Pretinha said...

Lamento que vocês ficaram esperando pelo vet e ele não apareceu...
É bom consultar o vet para saber mais a respeito das vacinas já que vocês ficam isolados, talvez não seja necessário vacinar.

Tamago said...

I need to do more research on vaccine as there are many different opinion. As for house calls, I'm with you. House call can reduce stress of travelling, but I don't want the home to remain my boys' safe place. Our favorite vet usually don't do house call anyway, so we've not done so far. The other vet we sometimes go to get second opinion does do house call. So we have options...
I love Tutu's flirting toesie :-) Way too cute!

Tamago said...

Oops, I meant, I want home to remain safe place :-)

My Mind's Eye said...

Oh my I've never had more than one cat at a time...and both have been fairly easy to get to the vet...well except one time our first cat climbed inside our recliner. I made the mistake of getting the PTU out too early. I had to postpone the appt until the next weekend.

Being their safe place where the vaccines are given is something to consider. It appears the vet is not going to come so you might not have to worry about it.
Hugs madi and Mom

Connie - Tails from the Foster Kittens said...

I would say there is no hard and fast rule on if a vet coming to the house is better or not for a cat, I would say it totally depends on the cat.

I agree with you on the vaccines, as it is way over done, and not just on indoor cats. this is certainly a case of a little is probably good, but too much is absolutely not better. the general consensus from those that study it is after the first annual booster after the kitten shots that it should not be given more often than every 5 years.. (rabies is different, since it is zooinotic they are far less willing to risk extending the protocol)

I also want to add that Tutu's Toe Flirting.. made me swoon!

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

I have opted out of the vaccinations. Like you, my cats have ZERO exposure and I think the risks outweigh the benefits. My entire philosophy is less is more. I do not even give them "flea" treatment unless it is neccessary. Even living in a high flea area in 9 years I've only had to dose them a hand full of times. So that is pretty low exposure too.

I can well understand with 5 cats myself why you would want to have the Vet come to you. That is a wise move if all the cats needed to be attended to at once.

Katnip Lounge said...

First off: Tutu, you are adorable! I squee'd OUT LOUD at work at your toe splay!

After what happened with my folks' cat I'm even MORE strongly in the anti-vaccination camp for indoor kitties. I don't mind toting my crew to the vet as they only go when they're sick; I don't do yearly exams on any but the eldest two.
Mommy Trish

da tabbies o trout towne said...

tutu....R mom iz total lee against 98 % of ALL meds given ta uz kittehs N we due knot haz regular vaccines done...medisinz given ta petz iz az crazed az medisinz given ta peepuls...N sinz kittehs canna "speak" ta say what kinda effects it iz trooly havin on them; like a bad stomach, aches N sew forth..how does de vetz NOE itz knot gonna affect kitteh "A" diffrunt then kitteh "B" ore kitthe "C"....we haz hurd oh sum animals that goes in for say like a rash, it getz noe better, sew than they is given sum thin else, that medisin interfeerz with de furst one; kitteh goes bak N iz givin sum thin ELSE again....

kinda like thoze "drug side effects commercials" take a aspirin fora headache then ya haz 20 mor pills ya iz takin coz pill one caused 20 mor problemz...

R mom prob ab lee sounds like a vizhuz bad purrson...but we all had vaccinez az kittehz, never go outside coz we live in de city; tuna hada bad bad reactshunz ta de rabies shot N while itz knot de onlee thing that contributed ta sauce goin ta RB at de wee age oh ten...never in a bazillion yeerz will another kitteh EVER haz convenia...period...

sorree bout yur vet...guess de dood did knot want any biznezz....we think if ya hasta go two de vet; if de mobile vet haz an "office" like inn side de van...all iz well N good, but due knot let them inta de houz coz we think thatz considered a safe zone...

plus like.. cod forbid... if sumthin WUZ ta happen, de vets office iz equipped ta handle like an emergencee wear in de houz; knot sew much sew



da tabbies o trout towne said...

pea ess...sorree for R ramblin...R mom gets ona "kick" N her willna bee quiet !!!

Brian's Home Blog said...

Yiu should get extra treats for waiting! We had a house call vet but she went out of business. We loved not having to travel to the vet so that out weighed the stress while she was here!

Avalon's Garden and Mewsings of Garden Cottage Cats said...

WHOA!!! Tutu, you sure haz sum purttty black toez! ♥♥ ^.,^

Havin de vet come to de house wouldn't work!...... we would take off fur partz unknown! and we would not be found!! ^..^ Mom hatez those shotz too! :|

♥♥♥xoxoxo♥♥♥

Marilia said...

Cosmo, Ling, Tutu!
Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cats Herd You said...

Our vet doesn't offer housecalls, so we haven't tried it, but there is a vet in our area who offers it. It could be useful for basic things, but we're already so afraid of strangers, it might be pretty traumatizing.

Clooney said...

Wow, that is a bummer that the vet did not show again! Tutu you need some extra treats for waiting all that time and for theese wonderful toesies of yours too. We have found it difficult to find a vet in Canada (in various cities) to do housecalls. Both Neytiri and I don't like traveling in the car or going to the vet and sometimes our Human has wanted to have the option of a housecall. For you all, it totally makes sense to have someone come to your house to see you all at once. But the home as safe place thing does worry us too. As for shots, the vets here now really want cats to have them every 3 years and try to put the scare in you if you don't have them done but both of us have also not felt well in the past after shots so my Human does not like them at all.

Mickey's Musings said...

Tutu toes!!!! WOW!!!!! Pawsome :)
Our Vet will do house calls. They have a mobile clinic/truck in addition to an office. They are also within a short walking distance, so Mom does that.
We tend to agree with most of the commenters about shots. Besides, they are pricey when you have lots of cats.
Purrs Tillie and Georgia,
Treasure,Tiger,JJ and Julie

The Island Cats said...

You lost us when you started that toesie flirting, Tutu!

The mom wishes she could find a vet that does house calls. There aren't any in our area. She thinks it would be easier on us...'specially Zoey who absolutely hates going to the vet.

Oui Oui said...

I would love a vet who made calls since I think it is less stress than travelling, at least for visits where special tests aren't required. However, I'd find a more responsive vet. I'd never have given him/ her a 3rd try. That was just rude and inconsiderate with no excuse.

My cats are indoor cats and we are required to have rabies shots. I get the 1 year shots since they have less side effects than the 3 year ones. Even if I wasn't required to get shots, I would do the rabies, just insurance in case a kitty did run outside (and sometimes that has happened).

Oui Oui said...

I'd like to add, we have a lot of wild life in our area, including foxes, raccoons, coyotes (believe it or not!) and feral cat colonies. Every couple of years, we hear of rabid wild animals being found or people bitten by them, so in our case I think rabies shots are a good idea.

Brando and Bogart said...

We here agree, the Vet could have called!! What is the matter with em! We hope the kitties got treats for waiting so patiently! Have a great week!

Gigi said...

I vote against all those choices and FOR those delicious sounding fishie flakes AND for the flirty toes. And THAT's what *I* vote for! XOXOXOXO (You like chewing towels, don't you darling? I wonder--am I missing something? Are they tasty? Just satisfyingly chewy? What?)

michico*Adan*Lego-小芥*阿丹*樂高 said...

You are very brave!!

Mollie said...

Loved the photo's, that is shocking they never even phoned you.. obviously he has too much money..LOL xx00xx

Mollie and Alfie

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

Well, no matter what you decide I would go with another mobile vet. Not calling (and NOT CALLING 3 TIMES) is inexcusable.

I am mixed about the home vet calls too. I agree with the others who said that if it is IMPOSSIBLE to transport the cat to the vet then it is a good idea.

Otherwise, I would just go in person.

Little Miss Titch said...

it seems to me this vet was rude time to try another one,Thats why we went back to my old vet that I had with my first bunny they are just better with small animals,xxRachel

HH and The Boys said...

We would love not to see the vet at all, but if we need to do it, we would love to have them come to the house. The stress of the car does us in.

Have a great day.

hugs, Bugsy and Knuckles

Anonymous said...

We can totally hear Ling saying just that! MOL! Our mom wishes so much she had a house-visiting vet, and she says there is one in town but it's not her favorite business in the least, so she packs us up one by one in the cage and we have to ride in that noisy car all the way across town. Ugh!

Seville at Nerissa's Life said...

Your mom invited your doctor to come to YOUR house? To come INTO YOUR HOUSE???

Oh, the betrayal.

May the purrs be with you,
Nissy

meowmeowmans said...

That is so rude of that vet not to show up. Why say you make house calls if you can't even show up???

Anyway, we like our vet, and they are fairly close by. So we've always taken the kitties there.

GLOGIRLY said...

Wow...that vet isn't a very responsible business person. I don't think I'd be giving her any more chances.

I think house calls could be a great thing for multiple cats. Although with Katie, I don't think it would be any less stressful to be examined at home. Either way, she's miserable and scared.

xo Glogirly

Cathy Keisha said...

TW had called a v-e-t to come to the house to give my shots but then decided to take me to the office instead. I hadn't gotten vaccines in 2-3 years cos I'm indoors only cat and peeps didn't see a need to. But I bite them a lot and they say if they get infected and I don't have rabies shots, I could get taken from them. They're trying to pass laws in the US so that vets can't give vaccines in your house, which is crazy stuff.

Kitties Blue said...

Our vet has been coming to the house since before we even had some of the current group of cats. We try to get everybody on the same schedule so all eight can be taken care of at once. As soon as the vet is completed with one that cat is allowed to leave the room. They usually head to the catio to get away. This saves us the time and effort of taking them to the vet in groups of two or three, they do not have the stress of the PTU, car ride, shots, PTU and another car ride home. We, absolutely, would never do "the annual round-up" as my husband calls it, any other way. The inconsiderate vet that stands you up needs to be fired. We have been going to the same vet for close to 30 years. Hope this helps you make a decision for the future. Janet

haopee said...

Poor Tutu! Starved to death, Mom! Starved to death eating towels.

I know what you mean about bad vets. Sigh.

haopee said...

Oh, and our vets usually require yearly vaccinations. I don't follow it either because of the new AAHA guidelines.

Anonymous said...

I dont get to have home visits,I could, but we live very close to my vet AND I am an only cat, so they only have to CATCH ME!! But if I had a vet who scheduled a home visit and did not call to say they were not coming,I would never ever call them again,AND I would do a review of their services on YAHOO of somewhere and it would not be "pawsitive"...just sayin', Savannah

Gigi said...

Hello darling Tutu! Do you think I could come over and test out that towel? The towels in this house just aren't very tasty...or amybe I'm not chewing them right.

SquirrelQueen said...

Three tries and still a no show? Maybe it's time to call another vet. None of the vets here make house calls unless it's farm animals or an emergency. But our Mama is friends with our vet, she is the same one who does TNR with our Mama.

Mama here. Since the two kittens come in contact with the inside/outside cats they get regular doses of flea/tick treatments. Ticks have been a problem this year. The outside cats get treatments when I can catch them or slip it into their food. The kittens have had all their shots but I will probably skip rabies next year.

Petronela said...

I shall eat that paw, ;literally devour it :). Tutu keep your paws out of mommy's pics or I'll come and eat them :)...fur included. Love you so much and your mommy :)>

Kjelle Bus aka Charlie Rascal said...

Can´t beleive that your mom actually invited a Vet to YOUR house !
I´m sure glad he didn´t show up :)
My mom and I think it was VERY rude of him not to call you and say he wasn´t coming :(

Lívia Fernanda (I/O Gatos) said...

I think it's more stressful for cats get out, cross the traffic, face strange lights, and smells... maybe a vet at house is much better for cats! And I think this procedure shoud be done by the same professional, so the cat feels safer with this person! Unfortunately, this vet doesn't want to cooperate! But he is loosing the oportunity to have a great contact with such wonderfull cats like the Furries!! Even more these cute cute cute toes practicing toesie flirting!! Don't worry, maybe he is too busy with other animals! Don't give up!!

Kisses and hugs and purrs!