? Upper Respiratory Infection exposure time

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Panic, Jun 17, 2020.

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  1. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Hi again, I just got approved to adopt a teeny little baby kitten! I wasn't allowed to take her home (or touch her for that matter) because she has/had an upper respiratory infection and has three more days of treatment left. Googling tells me that they can still be contagious for up to three weeks, but I'm not sure how long she's been sick etc. Her adoption photo was taken a week ago and she looked pretty icky but today she looked adorable and clear-eyed. I imagine she began treatment a week ago.

    I do not want my older cat to catch any sort of URI since he's got a compromised immune system, so I'm wondering how long I should keep them separated? I've been blessed to never have dealt with URIs and I want to be cautious.

    upload_2020-6-17_16-36-25.png
     
  2. Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)

    Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA) Well-Known Member

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    I don’t know the answer but I just want to say what a sweetie and congrats!!! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
     
  3. Diane Tyler's Mom

    Diane Tyler's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Oh Elizabeth she is adorable, is there a vet you can ask this question to
    Good luck with her , do you have a name picked out for her yet
     
  4. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Thank you both! I am very excited about bringing her home and getting my mind on happier things. <3

    Hm my vet is pretty garbage about getting back to me, honestly wish there were more options around. I tried asking questions about her at the shelter but they were short/rude so I don't think I could get a good answer out of them. If anything I'll just keep them separated for two extra weeks.

    The shelter has been calling her Nova but I'll be renaming her Gyda (long e sound). The shelter worker was holding her so close to her chest I couldn't take a good pic but when I bring her home I'll share!
     
  5. Diane Tyler's Mom

    Diane Tyler's Mom Well-Known Member

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    That stinks about the shelter being short and rude. They should be happy you are adopting this sweet girl. She looks like she is a chocolate color
    Cute name you are giving her, how did you decide on that
    Can't wait to see more pics of her and good idea about keeping them separated for an extra two weeks
     
  6. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Yeah they weren't the friendliest bunch but somehow that doesn't surprise me. I had to schedule an appointment to even go and then they were still closed because they were having a meeting (???). I drove 40 miles to go see her, it would have been nice to at least pet her. All the other staff were. :rolleyes: The last time my family adopted a kitten from a shelter was almost 15 years ago; I assumed they still spay/neutered them before adopting them out but apparently I get to take her home and they'll call and tell me when to bring her in to be spayed. I tried to ask when exactly (like 3 months old? 6?) but the lady just said WE'LL CALL AND LET YOU KNOW. Geez.

    She is actually coal black - the photo definitely doesn't do her justice! She's so so fuzzy too, the pic above just makes her look like she was pulled out of a ditch LOL. Her mom and brother(s) were there as well and their adoption photos looked rough too.

    I heard the name on Youtube from some show somewhere a few months ago, thought it was super cute and told myself the next time I get a new female kitten I'll use the name if it fits.
    Going to be a long weekend, I can't pick her up until Sunday so I guess I have some time to figure out how to go about it.
     
  7. Diane Tyler's Mom

    Diane Tyler's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Boy the people at the shelter sound like a friendly bunch NOT
    I don't know if they do this where you live but when I adopted a cat that I had many years ago my own vet neutered him for free , I just had to show him that he was adopted. But who knows now.About how old is Gyda
     
  8. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Tell me about it! Not to mention when a staff member snapped at me while I was waiting for another worker to give me back my ID because she "already told me I couldn't adopt her today" ??? The lady asked for my ID!

    I always figured they wouldn't release the animal to ensure they were fixed! Makes sense to me. Everything was free though for whatever reason they didn't tell me - shots, spay surgery, microchip all pro bono which is nice at least.

    Her chart says she's 8 weeks old now, so 7 weeks at the time of the pic above.
     
  9. jt and trouble (GA)

    jt and trouble (GA) Well-Known Member

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    AWWWWWWWWWWWW? I wuvs her!
     
  10. Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)

    Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Shelter staff is not usually the friendliest. That was similar to my experience adopting my late cat Deanna back in the 90’s and back then it was the same process. Take home then bring back to spay/neuter. My dad end up convincing me to take her to a vet because his generation believed you get what you pay for ha! Anyway, it’s nice that the chip is included too!! How many others do you have again? Separating at first is best anyway I know for puppies they say 9 days, so 2 weeks maybe about right. Can you go to one of those ask a vet online sites?

    Kittens are the best and she truly look precious! :bighug:
     
  11. jt and trouble (GA)

    jt and trouble (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Good lord guys! Our local shelter has coffee and treats for people that just walk in the door. Thats who gets all the food Zoe decides she doesnt like.:p

    I think its sad some shelters have such bad reputations. :(
     
  12. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Interesting! Maybe it was just my local shelter that did the spay/neuter upfront? The pup we adopted there was the same way, spayed then adopted.
    I only have the one now, an older tomcat with FIV and arthritis. I live with some family right now so there's two more mollies and another tom. They're a really sweet bunch, my tomcat Fenton "raised" all the other cats so they get along very well. I wanted Fenton to raise my new one, he loves them and is such a good influence. <3

    I wish! Our local shelter (not the one Gyda is at) refused to let my dad adopt an older chihuahua because he said he would let it go outside!
     
  13. Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)

    Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA) Well-Known Member

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    It definitely depends on the shelter and the city. you’re in Palm Springs JT what do you expect?! I’d want dinner and a show too LOL I went to the poorest one when I adopted Deanna because I thought those guys needed the most help. The staff was overwhelmed. I don’t blame them but it was a bit like the DMV :(
     
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  14. jt and trouble (GA)

    jt and trouble (GA) Well-Known Member

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    :eek:
     
  15. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

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    It depends on the shelter. Most are doing early spay/neuter but some are still waiting until the animal gets to a certain age and/or weight and part of the adoption contract is to agree to either bring them back to be fixed or show proof that you've had it done

    Generally, they don't like to spay/neuter until they're at least 2lbs.....I would say that little ball of fluff has some weight to gain first....as well as it's never a good idea to submit a sick animal to anesthesia.
     
  16. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    I always thought it was odd that shelters would spay/neuter early anyway - I've always seen the recommended age being minimum 6 months (sometimes a year). Our late cat came from the local shelter (the only one) and we got her at 10 weeks - they spayed her before handing her over. I always fixed my animals around 6 months. But that's a definitely good point Chris.
     
  17. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Oh Elizabeth she is adorable, but does look sick poor baby. What a lucky girl to have found a home with you.
    I’m so glad she was looking better when you saw her.
    I’m not sure of the exposure time....did they say what she actually had?
    I would definitely wait a good amount of time before bringing her home if you have an immune suppressed one at home. I would think at least 2 weeks.
    Has your immunosuppressed one at home been immunised against cat flu?
     
  18. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Yes, to me she didn't even look sick anymore today as far as appearance goes. They said upper respiratory infection, that's about all the information I got out of them. I tried to ask about where she and her family came from/why they were sick but the lady just shrugged and said she wasn't working the day they came in so she doesn't know.
    Luckily my tom doesn't have any symptoms of FIV (I believe it's in the dormant stage and not full-blown? if I've researched it correctly) but he certainly doesn't need to be contracting anything from her. I'm perfectly fine with playing it safe and not letting them meet for the full 21 days. I just don't know HOW contagious it is - I know it's nose-to-nose and with sharing bowls, but I don't know if it's like, breathing the same air sorta thing.

    Uh hm I think so? That's part of the FCVRP vaccine right? If so I'm pretty sure he's been vaccinated against it. It's been a long time since I've given my cats anything aside from rabies/deworming meds but they've all had their kitten shots.
     
  19. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Ask if you can have access to any vet reports regarding the little pile of fluff and its family.
    This kitten is going to be a looker.
     
  20. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Lots of rescue kittens come in to the rescue places with the cat flu or URIs. It’s very common.
     
  21. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    I'll ask again about her when I pick her up. She was impounded which ... means seized or strays I think? Correct me if I'm wrong lol. They wouldn't let me go see her yesterday because she was still on impound hold.

    She is definitely a cutie, wish I could have gotten a picture today - she looked like a little coal black baby fresh out of the dryer. :woot:

    Here's some pics of who I'm assuming is mom and brothers. They all have the same intake date, were impounded, and same ages. And they all look lowkey terrible, poor things. I wish they'd update their pictures if they look better like she did today.
    upload_2020-6-17_22-56-35.png
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  22. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Oh my goodness I want them all!! Poor mum looks as if she could do with some loving care. I hope she gets a good home.
     
  23. Diane Tyler's Mom

    Diane Tyler's Mom Well-Known Member

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    That's great every thing is free
     
  24. Dusty & Roe

    Dusty & Roe Member

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    Omg How Adorable is this little one .
     
  25. Patty & Teal'c

    Patty & Teal'c Member

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    She is such an adorable little girl. Can't wait to see pictures after you get her home.
     
  26. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Mom definitely looks like she could use some TLC! Wish I could take them all </3
     
  27. jt and trouble (GA)

    jt and trouble (GA) Well-Known Member

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  28. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Okay, after an exhausting day Gyda is home! They WERE closed, and the gate was closed too so it was by sheer luck we saw a guy walking out of the shelter and we begged him to tell the girl inside we were here (long story short, the lady that told us to come today had written down we were coming yesterday and/or tomorrow even though I doublechecked with her TWICE). So here she is! No good full body pics yet, she's hiding under the bed right now. I've attached her medical history, it says she had an URI, herpes conjunctivitis, and coccidia. Not sure what all that means yet or how/if it will affect her later in life.

    upload_2020-6-21_15-14-12.png
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  29. Nan & Amber (GA)

    Nan & Amber (GA) Well-Known Member

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  30. Diane Tyler's Mom

    Diane Tyler's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Oh Elizabeth I'm so glad Gyda is finally home. I wish her a healthy life.
    Can't wait to see more pics as she grows up:cat:
     
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  31. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    She's decided to come out and say hello! She's very lovey right now - my dachshund has been harassing her a bit (she likes kittens but she insists on getting in their face too) and she gave her a good hiss and spit that sent my pup wailing bloody murder. :woot:

    Does anyone have experience with feline herpes? My aunt's old cat had conjunctivitis ALL the time, so perhaps he had herpes. I'm trying to read up on it and it looks like it's only contagious during a visible flare-up? Really looking forward to taking all I've learned here and giving her the best life from the start!

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  32. Nan & Amber (GA)

    Nan & Amber (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Oh yeah, gotta set those ground rules early!!!! :cat:

    Yes, I had a cat who had this. I don't remember what they said specifically about being contagious during flare-ups-- maybe? Seems like the acute phase of the illness (the URI) has more opportunities for spread, but I don't know. Actually, come to think of it, even though I didn't have other cats of my own at the time, I was fostering back then, and the shelter certainly had no qualms about placing kitties with me, so it probably isn't very contagious normally (unless they were just desperate for fosters :rolleyes: )

    The main thing, though, is that the flare-ups as conjunctivitis are very painful :( and need to be treated. That's the eyedrops on your sheet. I had to do them 5x per day for a few weeks (shades of FD schedules!), but the flare-ups weren't that frequent, thank goodness. Hopefully Gyda won't have them too often-- as with anything, there's some randomness involved in this, I think. Just in case, you might want to desensitize her to the process while she's a kitten. Hold her in your lap with her back to you, after a period of pets and praises gently tip her head up and open the affected eye wide, mime a drop, more pets and praises and treats, let her go.

    One thing that was recommended to me was to add some lysine supplement to her food as a way to keep viral replication down and try to prevent flare-ups. Can't hurt, right?
     
  33. Nan & Amber (GA)

    Nan & Amber (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Darn it. Just checked a VCA article (it's been a while since my experiences, so I wanted to see if there were new treatments available), and it says that cats can infect other cats throughout life. No word on whether it's only during flare-ups, though (it also says that flare-ups can involve respiratory symptoms, which was not the case with my kitty. So much for anecdata!).

    https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/conjunctivitis-feline-herpes-viral
     
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  34. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    I've flipped through several articles so far including the one you just linked, there doesn't seem to be a definite (?) answer about when it's contagious but I've seen some mention that it's only contagious during a flare-up, that they can shed the virus while having clinical signs, so hopefully that means I just need to be wary if it appears. I may set her up with a wellness exam (they were supposed to give me a free voucher for one but I guess not pff) and ask the vet about it. I'm also reading that 80-90% of cats have it so maybe it's not actually a big deal and only a small percentage end up with chronic clinical signs? My cats have all been vaccinated against it and they never caught it from my aunt's cat either who lived next door.

    Definitely going to look into the lysine supplement!

    I'm hoping it's just not a huge deal because they didn't say a word to me about her having herpes, and I put down that she'd be living with other cats too!
    5 times a day is really intense! I took my aunt's cat in (long story) for the conjunctivitis once and they just had me put some ointment in his eyes twice a day. Come to think of it, I probably didn't think to wash my hands before petting my own cats afterwards! :nailbiting: Maybe that means they're pretty immune LOL. Or I'm just lucky/stupid.
     
  35. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    From vcahospitals.com :

     
  36. Nan & Amber (GA)

    Nan & Amber (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Yeah... and then they also say that the pcr test may not show a latent infection absent a flare-up:

    " Unfortunately, if the virus is in a latent state (the patient is not showing clinical signs), diagnostic testing is usually unrewarding."

    That implies that cats don't have a lot of circulating virus to shed when the disease is in the latent state, which is helpful.
     
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  37. Nan & Amber (GA)

    Nan & Amber (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Also, with regards to the 5x day eye drops, I should mention that my kittie was a senior adoptee that hadn't been treated well by her previous owners :(, and had corneal ulcers. So the treatment might have been more intense than typical in a cat where the problem was addressed well in kitten hood and not allowed to get out of hand to that extent.
     
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  38. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Ohh poor baby, that would make more sense then!
     
  39. Diane Tyler's Mom

    Diane Tyler's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Adorable, Gyda showed your dog who the boss is going to be in your home lol
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2020
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  40. Bron and Sheba (GA)

    Bron and Sheba (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Oh she is just adorable Elizabeth:cat:
     
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  41. jt and trouble (GA)

    jt and trouble (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Shes a cutie patootie alright. I can see her in a few years, taking her rightful seat as Queen of the household. :bighug:
     
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  42. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    She is definitely a cutie! I got just a little weepy when I played with her earlier; she reminds me very much of baby Panic.
     
  43. NoahFL

    NoahFL Member

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    Congrats on your new baby! I have such a soft spot for black cats. She is beautiful!
     
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  44. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Enjoy the haughty little love bug.
     
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  45. Maggies Mom Debby

    Maggies Mom Debby Well-Known Member

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    My Emme came to us with feline herpes. L-lysine really helped keep it in control. I think it works by boosting the immune system.

    I liked buying the NOW brand powder. It was cheap and was easy to sprinkle on her food. You can get capsules, but then you have to open them to add it to the food.
     
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  46. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Thank you for the recommendation! Is it meant to be used daily or just during flare-ups ...?
     
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  47. Maggies Mom Debby

    Maggies Mom Debby Well-Known Member

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    I used it daily, on the advice of my vet, to prevent flare ups. I had tried chews which she wouldn’t eat. If I remember correctly, the dose was 1/8 teaspoon of the powder sprinkled on her wet food, and she didn’t seem to notice it at all. The powder is just pure l-lysine, nothing else.

    You can get it on amazon, but here is what is available at chewy.com:
    https://www.chewy.com/now-pets-l-lysine-immune-system/dp/167186?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=NOW Pets&utm_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzKHe_ceV
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2020
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  48. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Thanks so much, I'll pick up a bottle and pass it along to a friend of mine who said her cat gets a lot of flare-ups. :)
     
  49. jt and trouble (GA)

    jt and trouble (GA) Well-Known Member

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    I likes black cats too. :p:bighug:
     
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  50. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Can't imagine where that could have come from! :woot:

    An update on Gyda - still in quarantine, very very friendly! Her eyes are still leaking and she's still sneezing here and there. I took her to the vet yesterday to be tested for FIV/FeLV and she came back negative! The vet tech asked if I wanted to give her a booster and I realized I didn't know if I was allowed to get them done - they haven't officially let me adopt her since she's not spayed yet, they made me sign the foster form instead. I called and asked and they said since she's not legally mine I can't take her anywhere (oops? hope I don't get in trouble for testing her) and that I have to get all her boosters done at the shelter ... 40 miles away. Ahhh so I'm going back again tomorrow morning for her booster. Can't believe they didn't even tell me about it. I did ask if I should keep her quarantined concerning the URI and the vet just said to keep them separated until she's had all her vaccines, but that's not for another six weeks! Call me foolish but I've never separated my new cats for that long. Isn't the whole point of vaccinating so they won't catch anything? :confused:
     
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  51. Olive & Paula

    Olive & Paula Well-Known Member

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    When I took in PJ, my vet said to keep her separated from others for 2 weeks after 1st round of shots. Since my others were vaccinated, he said it would be okay. She was a very clean healthy baby (except for missing leg) for a feral 5 weeker. He spays/neuters at 5 lbs or 6 months. PJ was always tiny and seemed like forever to gain weight.

    She is absolutely adorbs.

    Having one of the enclosed playpen could be real handy. A way to keep them separate yet get use to each other. And if she should ever have a flare up you can separate easier and she will be use to it.
     
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  52. Panic

    Panic Well-Known Member

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    Curious, was that just the FVRCP?

    Oooh a playpen would be a good idea! Right now I've got her quarantined to the bedrooms and the rest are allowed in the main areas (living room, kitchen, etc). So far so good but she's little so she tolerates it better than a big kitty would XD
     
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  53. Olive & Paula

    Olive & Paula Well-Known Member

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    Yes just the FVRCP. Rabies wasn't given until the others were finished. My others have always been vaccinated so wasn't worried with them. If they were not, then vet said strict isolation until after 2nd round of shots.

    This is the playpen I have in the medium size 45" . Plenty of room for adult cat. Comes in handy many times.

    https://www.amazon.com/Zampa-Portab...=1593127632&sprefix=Zampa,aps,207&sr=8-5&th=1
     
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