Panicked cat mom looking for reassurance

[whitney27]

Hello! First of all I apologize if this sounds like the ramblings of a madwoman as I feel like that’s what I’ve become as of late.

To summarize as succinctly as I can: my cats are not up to date on their vaccinations, as per the recommendation of our vet after one of my mom’s cats had a bad reaction to his annual vaccine. The vet assured us that since they’re 100% inside only, the annual vaccines weren’t a big deal (they all had core kitten vaccines and at least one or more annual vaccines before this advice was given), and so we haven’t worried about it the last few years. It has never caused an issue and I never thought twice about it, until now.

A few weeks ago I stumbled across a news story that there had been a sudden increase in feline panleukopenia cases. My anxiety has completely taken me over ever since. I haven’t slept well and I’ve spent countless hours Googling away and obsessively checking on my cats. I don’t come into the house anymore without using Rescue on my shoes and the entryway, but I’m still panicked and no amount of reassurance seems to be helping. To put it bluntly I have terrible fear that all of my cats will become sick, not survive, and I will end my own life out of grief and guilt. I am driving myself crazy with this.

My most senior kitty has chronic pancreatitis (he’s diabetic) and had a flareup last week which really sent me over the edge since some of those symptoms are similar to panleukopenia. It was the weekend so I took him to the ER and his blood work showed an abnormal SNAP FPL as well as increased WBCs and neutrophils, which signify pancreatitis. I told the ER vet my fear and he wasn’t concerned, said that the bloodwork didn’t match panleukopenia at all and neither did my boy’s condition. He assured me that most adult cats have some layer of immunity even if not currently UTD on vaccination, and that their risk of exposure would be very low and that this local outbreak was mainly among shelter cats. I’ve seen research saying the same, that there are some studies that have shown that core vaccines can provide a lifetime of protection. I’m trying to lean into that but my anxiety is still winning which is why I’m here with this desperate, babbly message!

I followed up with my regular vet yesterday after my senior baby’s flareup and also brought up the fear with him and he said similar, that panleukopenia is hard to miss because the symptoms are so severe, and that his blood work shows the opposite of what panleukopenia does. Right now my plan is to work on getting everyone in to get their annual vaccines, but I expect this to be a process over a few weeks because it’s been so hard to get in with vets lately and I may need to spread it out across a paycheck or two. I have no idea what to do with my mom’s cat who had the allergic reaction before.

I am seriously at my wit’s end with myself. I can’t focus on hobbies or work, I’m so panicked all of the time and even had a nightmare about it last night. I guess my point of all of this is, does anyone have some reassurance about any of this? I’m so sorry for sounding so crazy and I appreciate anyone taking the time to read this mess.

 

[di and bob]

I went through distemper a few years back with my strays and ferals outside. It was absolutely horrible! I, too, panicked because my inside cats were not up to date either, though only by a couple of years. But ANY vaccinations give some level of immunity for a lot longer than you think. If your cats are inside, and as long as you do not touch any other cat until they are vaccinated, you should be fine. It is a good idea to leave your shoes outside and wash your hands as soon as you get home. The vet came to our house and gave my cats boosters, and also vaccinated 6 other cats who were already sick, but it did not help. Kittens are almost always the worst off, their immune systems just aren't mature. Older cats can/and do often survive with supportive care. This was a few years ago and the three cats I have now are ALL survivors of that terrible epidemic, though we lost all the kittens and a few adults too then. Now they have leukemia. But you know what? They are all surviving almost three years after the diagnosis. Being older definitely helps in these situations. Please try not to worry so much until you are given something to worry about. After all, 99% of what we worry about DOES NOT COME TRUE!

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I currently work at an Animal ER and prior to that at a cat only hospital and prior to that at an animal specialty hospital and prior to that another cat hospital......I think you get the idea.
I have two indoor only cats. One of them has intestinal lymphoma and is on prednisolone and chemotherapy, both of which lower the immune system. I have only vaccinated my cats once with the FVRCP vaccine when I first got them.
I am around sick cats and I have seen panleukopenia several times at work. I change my clothes and shower before seeing my own cats. I am aware how contagious panluek is and also other horrible viruses out there. You just have to be careful, and it sounds like you are.
I worry more about vaccine associated sarcomas.
Just be sure you don't have any friends over who work at the shelter, and if you do, make sure they wash their hands before touching your cats.

 

[CaseysMom]

Hi, Whitney27,

Welcome to the forums!

First of all, give yourself some grace, and be kind to yourself. And know that what you are experiencing is normal. Those of us on this site view our cats as our children, so it is only natural to be anxious and worry whether or not we are taking good care of our children. So, at least, rest assured, you are not going crazy, you are a normal mom!

As far as vaccines and illness go, I know there is a lot of debate both ways. I have wrestled with the issue with my human children, who are now, thankfully grown up, lol. And now I wrestle with it with my fur babies. Having a vet you trust is so helpful and important. I hope you have this relationship with your vet. It sounds like you do, and that's great!

Also, I can't help but wonder if the events in the world with the pandemic and all the talk about vaccines and breakthrough cases and all that hasn't collectively raised everybody's anxiety about illness and the decisions we have to make about it. I think it has affected me for sure. And if you tend to be an anxious person already (raises hand), it will make it even harder. Try your best to relax, do whatever helps you do that normally. And reassure yourself that you are doing everything possible for your babies.

 

[whitney27]

Everyone, thank you so much for your kind words. It’s been so hard to find anyone who understands. I love my mom and she loves our cats as much as I do, but she thinks I’m being irrational with this fear and she gets very cross with me and this obsessive worry. It’s been a balm to my heart to read all you’ve written. I’m not 100% sure how to @ others on this site, so my apologies if I do anything incorrectly!

di and bob : It is such a relief to hear your story, though I’m so sorry for the loss of the feral cats you care for. One way I’ve tried to reassure myself is that we also take care of feral cats and a few weeks ago a foster helped us TNR. Two adult cats and four kittens were all healthy (and are now vaccinated) and I would assume that if panleukopenia were at our doorstep so to speak, they would’ve been the first to fall victim to it, especially the kittens who were about 3 months old at the time.

I’ve also heard that the duration of immunity from those initial shots can last a lifetime for panleukopenia and I’m trying to take comfort in that also, but my mind is so hard to reason with right now. I really appreciate the time you took to share your story and bring me some reassurance. Thank you so, so much.

S silent meowlook This really helped me breathe a sigh of relief, thank you. I’ve been reading (and rereading) a study done by Dr. Lisa Pierson who’s a vet I really respect who also didn’t get her cats re-vaccinated past their first shots. She wrote about the sarcoma concerns as well as kidney disease risks, which really gave me pause since I lost my first cat to kidney disease and he did receive the more regular, annual vaccines. It’s so hard to know what to do. I am doing my best to be very, very careful, even if obsessively so. I’m just so scared of something terrible happening and losing them all, I couldn’t survive that. I appreciate you taking the time to reply to me and share your insight, thank you so much.

CaseysMom Thank you so much for your kindness and understanding, it makes me feel such relief to not be seen as crazy, lol. I was so nervous to even post but I felt at my wit’s end. They’re absolutely my babies, they mean everything to me and I would die for them without question. So this fear of losing them all has been really overwhelming.
I’m definitely already an anxious person, it’s been a lifelong struggle for me. I have GAD and panic disorder and it’s been difficult my whole life but this is even harder because the fear is centered on my babies. I’ve had a hard time doing anything but spending too much time consulting Dr. Google lately but I’m going to try my best to try and do some normal activities. I appreciate it so much, thank you so much.

 

[di and bob]

Yes, i agree, they have much more immunity then you think. To me, the vaccinations are so much more important than the small risk of something happing. I have vaccinated over 50 cats and only one had a reaction. It was only lethargy for a day. I think the wsy to keep your cat the safest is to keep it indoors. Have a catico from a window if they must go out. Most of the worst diseases are from bites. All the luck. Try not to worry, we are here if you need us! Ps try not to Google. They ALWAYS have the worst senarios....

 

[whitney27]

Yes, i agree, they have much more immunity then you think. To me, the vaccinations are so much more important than the small risk of something happing. I have vaccinated over 50 cats and only one had a reaction. It was only lethargy for a day. I think the wsy to keep your cat the safest is to keep it indoors. Have a catico from a window if they must go out. Most of the worst diseases are from bites. All the luck. Try not to worry, we are here if you need us! Ps try not to Google. They ALWAYS have the worst senarios....

I called the vet today and I have everyone scheduled for shots over the next two weeks, with the first two going in Wednesday. I'm still very nervous and thinking it over, especially seeing some of the conflicting views about whether the vaccine is necessary at this point or not or could cause more harm than good. Just trying to trust that I'm making the right choice, and hopefully soon I can finally start feeling a bit more like myself again. The panleuk fear just really has me in its grips.

 

[di and bob]

Just keep thinking, all these parents that didnt get their human babies vaccinated, now they are getting polio and measles, causing paralysis and deafness. Vaccinations are much safer than the disease....

 

[Time 2 Recognize]

This was a few years ago and the three cats I have now are ALL survivors of that terrible epidemic, though we lost all the kittens and a few adults too then. Now they have leukemia.

Do you think the leukemia is a long term effect of having had panleuk? My cat went through a recent ordeal that involved hospitalization and she had a positive fecal PCR. Intestinal inflammation. WBC were low, but not below reference values. She had fever, diarrhea. Stopped eating or drinking (she never drinks much since she's always been on wet food + I add water, but she wasn't eating so...). She looked so unwell and it declined rapidly within a couple days. Hospitalized her 9 days after we first visited that vet.

It had started 10 days prior with mucus in her stool. I brought her to the usual vet the next day, who rescues kitties and has them in the kennels in the exam room. I know that cats wander that room as well at times. Echo hopped down on the floor at some point also. Anyway. I don't know.

Is this similar to what you saw in your adult cats? It's been 2.5 weeks since Echo has come home and she is still having mushy stool and doesn't seem to be digesting properly. Her B12/folate were within range, but low end. So we just started B12 shots this week.

She had a full set of the vaccine as a kitten, 3 shots. But none since and is 4yo now. So, overdue.

 

[di and bob]

My cats, who were the neighbors at the time but spent a lot of time at our house, seemed to get kitty colds quite a bit. Refused to eat, hid and became very congested. Happened about three times and then one became very sick. Lost over 1/2 his weight became so congested and weak he couldnt walk. Brought him in and they diagnosed the leukemia. Said hed be dead in days. He had almost 0 white blood cells. Said more than likely the other two had it too. Researched and ordered the DMG, offered him Delectable Lickables and he did take one or two licks a day. Three days after the DMG started he began to get a little better. Slowly. Now is fat and sassy 3 years later. I think the distemper messed with their immune systems. My other boy has 'scarred' lungs and is getting worse with his breathing as the years go by. When he had distemper his lungs were horrible and he had a terrific discharge from his nose and mouth. He was skin and bones and came real close to dying. Distemper is horrible. We lost so many, its definitely not worth it ifbyou can vaccinate. They died lingering horrible deaths.

 

[stephanietx]

My cats have all had kitten shots and their rabies shots and no vaccines since. If you have kitties with any kind of chronic conditions or compromised immune systems, I would not vaccinate them. Instead of getting vaccines, ask your vet to test them for panleuk and do a titer to see if they still have antibodies.

 

[di and bob]

I agree, my cats have not had vaccinations since diagnosed with leukemia.....