When I took my cat Admiral Ticklebelly to his regular veterinary appointment, I was expecting a routine check-up – but I left with an autistic cat.

I may not be a “veterinarian,” but I have watched enough programs on feline behavior (just search YouTube for cat+riding+roomba) to know that Admiral Ticklebelly has caught autism.

The realization came shortly after my cat’s vaccinations last year – for rabies and feline distemper. My veterinarian insisted that vaccination was “required by law” and that it was “extremely important to the health of my cat” and that without vaccination my cat could “get really sick and die,” but I should have known better. I soon learned from holistic reading materials that vaccination = autism.

Ever since being vaccinated, Admiral Ticklebelly refuses to play with me, and rarely shows me any affection. When I enter a room, often he won’t acknowledge my presence, but rather remain staring out the window as if I am not even there. There have been nights when I wake suddenly to find him silently watching me in my sleep, and other nights when he will run down the hallway at full speed, unprovoked, chasing some imaginary ghost.

Of course I still love my autistic cat. That will never change, but I cannot help but wonder how the Admiral’s autism will affect him later in life. Will it be hard for him to make friends? Will it be a challenge for him to find love from less empathetic humans? What will his future look like when I’m no longer around? Society can be so closed-minded.

All I can do is stand up for the rights of pet owners who are yet to be victimized by the pro-vaccine system. Don’t let those corrupt government cogs down at the Furry Friends Pet Pawspital brainwash you with terms like “rabies epidemic*” and “feline leukemia.” We the People know our pets better than some “veterinarian” with a fancy medical degree.

*Editor’s Note: Admiral Ticklebelly passed away last week from complications due to an undetected case of feline leukemia.