Vaccination reaction

Question
 I took my 5 year old male cat in for the rabies and feline distemper shot.  He has not had these shots in years, as he is our only pet, and an inside one at that.  We only had the shots because we are moving across country and he will be in the car with us for 3 days.  
  48 hours later he is VERY unhappy, hides all the time, cries or growls when you pick him up, (if you can find him) is somewhat lethargic and not at all himself.  Sometimes just petting his head he will growl.  Not like him at all.  I phoned the vet today, they told me not to worry for another day at least... what's going on?
Sandy

Answer
Well sometimes the medication can make them tired and cranky is really all i can tell ya. I have 6 cats and it affects each of my cats differently. My 14 yr old can sleeps for 2 days after her shots.
You really need to have him get certain shots every year for his own safety. just in case he were to ever get outside and get lost. Rabies, it is the law, all domestic animals must have it. Feline Leukemia, transmiteed by bites and scratches recieved from other cats. If he were ever to get out for even only a few hours, and get in a cat fight with an affected animal, he could get sick. now i dont mean to scare you, just inform you.All of my cats are totally indoor cats and they all get shots once a year. just in case.
Good luck and have a safe trip!