My Cat’s FVRCP Shot Journey
Okay, so let’s talk about the FVRCP vaccine for cats. I remember when I first got my little guy, Whiskers. The vet said he needed his shots, and the FVRCP was one of the main ones. You know, the one for distemper and those nasty upper respiratory things. I was like, “Alright, gotta do what’s best for him.”
So, we went in for the appointment. The actual shot was super quick. The vet tech held him, quick poke, and done. Whiskers didn’t even seem to notice much at the time, maybe a tiny flinch. He was more annoyed about being in the carrier, honestly.
Bringing him home was where I noticed things.
That first evening, he wasn’t quite himself. Usually, he’s bouncing off the walls, chasing toy mice. But after the shot? He mostly just wanted to sleep. Found himself a quiet spot under the bed and just conked out for hours. Didn’t have much appetite either, sniffed his food and walked away, which is unusual for him.
- Lethargy: Definitely the biggest thing I saw. Just low energy, sleepy.
- Soreness: I tried petting him near the injection spot later that night (gently, of course!), and he kind of flinched and gave me a look. Seemed a bit tender there.
- Appetite: Lower than usual for about 24 hours.
I kept a close eye on him, obviously. Made sure he had fresh water and his favorite comfy blanket nearby. The vet had mentioned he might be a bit quiet afterwards, so I wasn’t too worried, but you always watch, right?
The next day…
By the next morning, he was already perking up. Still maybe a little quieter than his absolute normal hyper self, but he ate his breakfast, used the litter box fine, and even batted at a dangling string for a bit. The soreness seemed mostly gone too.
Within about 48 hours, maybe a bit less, he was totally back to normal. Zoomies resumed, appetite was back full force, no more tenderness.
Boosters and Later Shots
He’s had his boosters since then, and honestly, the reactions seemed less noticeable each time. Maybe a little sleepy for a few hours after the booster, but nothing like that first time. No noticeable soreness or loss of appetite with the later shots.
So, yeah, in my experience with Whiskers, there were some mild side effects right after the first FVRCP shot. Mostly just feeling tired and a bit sore. Nothing scary, and it passed really quickly. Every cat’s different, of course, but for us, it was just a day or so of taking it easy.
