How to Give a Cat Vaccinations

Giving your cat vaccines is more cost-effective and typically less stressful for the cat than taking it to the vet for vaccines.

Administering your cat's vaccines is an alternative if you want to save money or if your cat does not tolerate trips to the vet. By giving your cat's vaccines yourself, you do not have to pay the inflated cost of the vaccines. Nor do you have to pay the vet. In addition, if your cat becomes extremely stressed out when at or on the way to the veterinarian's office, giving the vaccines yourself may be more relaxing for both you and your pet. However, if your cat has a history of vaccine reactions, always allow a vet to give the shots. And ideally a vet should examine the cat before giving the vaccinations to ensure the animal is healthy enough to be vaccinated.

Things You'll Need

• Vaccine
• Syringe
• Slippery surface

Instructions

1. Place your cat on a table or other raised surface, with its head away from you. Consider putting your cat on a washing machine or somewhere that is slippery. Your cat will feel less stable on a slippery surface; therefore, making it feel less brave and decreasing its chance of running away.

2. Hold the syringe between the thumb and index finger of your dominant hand. Lift your cat's skin with your thumb and forefinger of your other hand, creating a tent shape.

3. Locate the space that was created between the skin and the cat's body when you raised the skin---this is called the subcutaneous area. Push the needle forward into that area until you feel it penetrate the cat's skin once. If you feel it pop through twice, you have probably gone through the skin to the outside. Remove the syringe and try again.

4. Pull back on the plunger of the needle, to ensure that you are not inside of a blood vessel. If you see blood, remove the needle and insert again; however, if nothing comes back inside the needle, you are in the correct place.

5. Push the plunger forward so the vaccine is injected into the cat. Pull the needle out of cat and rub the injection spot. This helps comfort the cat and soothes any irritation caused by the shot.

Tips & Warnings

• The recommended injection site varies with each vaccine. A shot for feline distemper is typically given around the shoulder blade area, while rabies vaccine is injected in a back leg and feline leukemia into the back left leg. Note that by law only a veterinarian may administer the rabies vaccine.

• If your cat becomes extremely lethargic, has trouble breathing, vomits, has diarrhea or seizures or displays other abnormal behavior, take it to a vet immediately. The cat probably is having an allergic reaction to the vaccine.

References

• PetEducation.com: How to Vaccinate a Cat