I'm a bad cat mama.

So my elder cat baby, Heckle, started throwing up everything Saturday afternoon. ( Snipped for gross details )

He was still being active and not acting particularly sick, except for wanting more petting and lap time. I didn't think it warented the emergency room, and I don't have to work today, so I thought it could wait. I got him some chicken baby food, and he is keeping that down OK. He seemed to be doing better on Sunday, but today, he keeps getting this hacking like he's trying to bring up a hair ball and can't get it out. I am taking him to the vet in about an 45 min.

The thing is, once I moved into the apartment and he became an inside all the time cat, I let his vaccinations slip. They are about a year overdue. I had the money, it was just a hassle getting the time and I thought it really wasn't necessary since he never went out. Now, I'm paranoid that it's going to be something terminal that I could have avoided if I had just made time to get his shots. I know part of this is my eldest cat baby Skunk (who was living with his daddy), died in May at age 20, almost out of the blue. Heckle is 16, and although he has been in good health and active, he's not a young cat any more. I just can't shake the feeling that somehow, it's my fault that he's sick.

Good news

The vet says Heckle just has a hairball and gave him a shot and some sub-q fluids to help move it along. She says the fact that he is still eating and not throwing up anymore is evidence that it has moved some already. So it may not have even been necessary to take him to the vet at all, but I don't want to take chances with my baby. Thanks to everyone for the advice. I will be taking my younger fur-baby in for shots and talk to the vet about whether I need to get them for Heckle.