Why Your Cat Needs Vaccines Before Being Boarded

The vast majority of animal boarding facilities these days require that any animals staying with them must be vaccinated beforehand. If all the cats that are coming to a cat boarder are vaccinated, why does your cat have to be? How is an unvaccinated cat in danger among vaccinated cats? Here's why animal boarders ask you to do this, as well as how you should get the vaccinations done for the least difficulty later.

How Vaccines Work

Believe it or not, vaccines are not an absolute, 100% guarantee that a pet won't catch a virus. However, it's the same for humans. In most cases, it's possible for a vaccinated person — or pet — to catch an illness that they're vaccinated against. However, since the body already recognizes the illness courtesy of the vaccine, the infection is generally far, far less severe than if a pet were to not have the vaccine.

In short, this means that if a vaccinated pet came to the animal boarding facility and was mildly sick with the illness, your cat would stand a much better chance of not catching it. Even if your cat did catch it, the illness would be as mild as the cat who gave it to them, since they'd both be vaccinated.

Liability

Another big reason for animal boarding facilities asking for vaccines is to reduce their liability. If they didn't require people to have their pets vaccinated first, then pets could potentially bring in terrible illnesses and infect everyone. By requiring vaccination — and proof of vaccination — everyone is safer for it.

Getting Your Cat's Vaccines

If your cat hasn't been vaccinated in over a year, it's likely time for some boosters. Take your cat to your local pet hospital. Let them know the names of any illnesses you remember your cat being vaccinated against, or bring in any paperwork you have.

Your cat will be given a series of injections with vaccinations against common illnesses cats can carry, like FIV or even feline herpes.

Before you leave, ask your vet to provide you with paperwork proving that your cat received all its vaccinations. Typically, animal boarding facilities want a date, the name of the vet, and a list of the vaccinations given. If you're concerned about authenticity, you can ask your vet or a vet assistant to sign it for you.

Getting your cat vaccinated is a great way to protect his or her health, whether or not he or she stays at a boarding facility. Your animal boarder has your cat's best interests in mind, and so should you. Talk to a vet about getting your kitty vaccinated if they haven't gotten any shots recently.