*Disclosure: Post is sponsored by Merial, a world-leading animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health and well-being of pets, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure.
Today is a great day to celebrate and help protect your furry feline friend.
I have not one but FIVE feline family members. We never started out with the intention of having so many cats, it just happened that way.
We had one cat that we adopted from the local animal shelter. His name was Pixie. We didn’t name him – the shelter did. He was a HUGE cat, but he had a “tiny” name.
We felt that Pixie needed a friend so we adopted a feral kitten we named Velcro. No sooner did we adopt Velcro, Pixie passed away. So we adopted another cat, Kitty, so that Velcro had a friend.
My family and I used to visit our local animal shelter often to feed the animals treats, take the dogs for a walk and socialize with the cats. That is how Padmé came to live with us. We saw her and fell in love with her. We just had to have her.
To be perfectly honest I have no idea how Anakin came to be. We were at the shelter, saw him and next thing you know he’s living with us.
Our youngest, Bella, was a foster kitten. We took her and her sister, Emma, in when they were only a day old. Bella was the runt of the litter and very tiny. She’s now a happy, well-loved and very spoiled cat. All our cats are.
Their health is very important to us. We do what we can to ensure that they are always healthy. That includes getting them up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
Even though our cats are indoor cats, they still have access outdoors. They enjoy lounging in the sun on our balcony.
We might be three floors up, but that doesn’t stop other critters, like skunks and raccoons and other cats from making their way to our balcony – critters that could be infected with rabies.
Did you know that in 2013, nearly 500 domestic animals within the United States contracted the rabies virus? Cats accounted for more than half of these cases.1
Merial, the maker of PUREVAX® Feline Rabies vaccines, is encouraging cat owners to ensure that their cats are currently vaccinated against rabies infection (if overdue, now is the perfect time to make an appointment to see the vet).
Two of our cats are due for their rabies vaccination. One cat already has a vet appointment set up. I need to make an appointment for the other one. As you can imagine, with five cats, and a dog, we are at the vet often. Our cats know the routine and are usually pretty good with their vet visits. Only two cats give the vet a hard time – Kitty and Bella. Kitty usually can be calmed down. Bella on the other hand – let’s just say she is infamous at the vet’s office. She’s not a fan of the vet since she goes there the most due to health issues.
I would like to encourage all cat owners to help protect their wonderful cats by making sure they are up to date on their rabies vaccinations. If you haven’t done so already, pick up the phone today and make an appointment.
To help educate cat owners about rabies prevention, Merial has created an interactive Feline Defense game. You can find it at http://bit.ly/1Vl6Or5. You can also use the site to find a veterinarian near you if you don’t already have one for your pet.
To see what others have to say, or if you share this important information on social media, please use the hashtag #VaxYourCat.
One lucky winner will receive a $100 AMEX gift card!
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end on November 7, 2015. The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via email and will have three days to reply or a new winner will be chosen in their place.
To enter please use the Rafflecopter widget blow.
Kimberly
*Merial partnered with bloggers like me for its PUREVAX Pure Protection program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. Merial believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Merial has no affiliation and is not responsible nor liable in any way for the American Express Gift Card giveaway.
Sources:
1 Dyer JL, Yager P, Orciari L, et al. Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2013. JAVMA. 2014; 245 (10):1111-1123.
Kim Henrichs says
They are precious!
Sharon says
Your fur babies are beautiful and blessed to have you! <3