I never knew this about vaccinating cats!

[Dan Murphy]

Dan,
If you live in a city I definitely see your point in not having 'outdoor' cats as there is no reason to do that.
But if you live in a rual area and have a barn there can be reasons for having 'outdoor' cats. They will keep the mouse population down around your home and in your barn. I have a lot of neighbors who have 'barn cats'.

I guess I can see that, Keli, almost like a farm animal, like a cow, horse or whatever. Makes sense. But in populated areas, well, so many get killed, we see them often, with the coons and opossum.

 

[ReneeA]

I just brought a "barn kitten" home from my dad's barn in November. He lives in a VERY rural area on a 240 acre farm. Needs the cats to keep the mice population down. He has one cat that has 2 litters a year, but they never have any problems finding them homes.

I just had Milo get his kitten vaccines in prep to have him neutered. We live in a very urban area and he will be a indoor kitty. I don't plan to give him anymore vaccines. I also have a 10 year old cat that only ever had her first set, also.

I guess I never understood the purpose of annual vaccines if they NEVER go outside. My cat has never been outside in all her 10 years, and neither will the new baby.

 

[Aidensmom]

Thank you to all that answered this post...I don't feel like a Bad Cat MOMMY anymore...

Same here.

My cat was vaccinated as a kitten, but have not done it since as she is an indoor cat. I have always had my dogs vaccinated as they go outdoors for walks and to do their business, but I may have to research that a little more now.

 

[Daxx]

Someone please help me out here ... as we just received a post card from our vet for revaccinations.

The postcard says that 2 yo Henry needs the following:

Rabies 3 yr. booster
FVRCP booster (distemper)

What do I do? Do I take him in or blow it off?

What about Tucker, our almost 1 yo cat? He had the Rabies and Distemper shots as a kitten. Do I get him a booster when he needs them and then not again!?

ETA -- Both cats are indoor cats. They never go out!!!

I am confused!!!! Please advise! Thanks!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Someone please help me out here ... as we just received a post card from our vet for revaccinations.

The postcard says that 2 yo Henry needs the following:

Rabies 3 yr. booster
FVRCP booster (distemper)

What do I do? Do I take him in or blow it off?

What about Tucker, our almost 1 yo cat? He had the Rabies and Distemper shots as a kitten. Do I get him a booster when he needs them and then not again!?

ETA -- Both cats are indoor cats. They never go out!!!

I am confused!!!! Please advise! Thanks!

Check out this page: http://critteradvocacy.org/content/view/48/56/

I know nothing of feline vaccines as I don't have a kitty now but this will explain which vaccines provide lifetime immunity and which need to be updated.

Another issue I had with my last (traditional) vet was that so many vaccines are combined now by the drug companies and he couldn't get single drugs. So, though I didn't want my boys to get Corona or Lyme, they were often combined with a 1 year booster they did need. Very frustrating! My new vet (holistic) says she can work on ordering single vaccines for ones we need based off titers so they don't get additional drugs just because they're combined. You have to figure out what each letter means in the vaccine, LOL, and see if it's something you are comfortable with giving your babies.

 

[skooniebird]

My Petco had a vaccination clinic today so I took both my cats and my dog to get their rabies vaccine. You had to sign a release to get the vaccines. For my cats, this is what the release read:

"In addition to the more well-known possible side-effects of vaccination, I have been informed of and accept the following:

After receiving an injection, including steroids, penicillin and ANY vaccine of ANY type, a cat may develop an aggressive, malignant type of cancer at the injection site. Recent studies (KASS) report the incidence of this in the overall cat population as less than 1 in 44,000. The cause is still unknown. It is also unknown what factors may cause a particular cat to be more or less likely to develop this syndrome after an injection. Being aware of this rare, yet possible occurrence, I give permission to LMP to vaccinate my cat, and understand that should this tumor develop, LMP is not responsible and treatment is at my own expense. I have been given the opportunity to ask any questions I may have before signing this release."


The vet and other workers that ran this clinic were wonderful. Very professional and patient. I have never heard of a cat getting a malignant tumor after an injection. Has anyone else seen or heard of this????

That is an interesting factoid. I don't have this worry as our cat is entirely an indoor cat. Never exposed to other animals and so dang mean that when she was small and fixed and declawed the vet said as long as she stayed indoors they would really rather not see her as they may have to dart gun her to treat her LOL. She is nice to everyone in our family and will not attack anyone unfamiliar as long as they don't try to touch her. But she hisses and screaches at them sometimes like an insane thing. Vet says it's because she was a foundling at about 2 weeks and I had to bottle feed her etc. I was not able to socialize her and knock her around the way her mom and litter would have. Never ever had a cat before and here I got stuck with the psychofeline that even the most "experienced" cat people are just dumbfounded by. She's a treat. Stalks me when I don;t know it then runs up and bites the back of my leg so hard blood runs down. They tell me she is playing.... hmmmph. If I wasn't non-violent I'd give her a nice little foot in the rear right back. Yet still I love the evil thing.

 

[Charade]

The only problem with not getting shots for indoor cats is that if you ever board them (I do from time to time), a lot of boarders require up to date shots.

 

[andromedaslove]

I have just gotten to the point with my cats that after their intial shots I don't get any other vaccinations for them. Actually, I don't take them to the vet at all unless there is something wrong. My vet is constantly trying to convince me to vaccinate them, or here's the real kicker put them on heartworm preventative. First off, they are strictly inside cats. Secondly, I grew up in the sticks and had plenty of outdoor cats growing up. I have seen plenty of dogs get heartworms, and once when we didn't give our dog heart worm preventative she got it, but NOT once did ANY of our cats get heartworms.

 

[Planogirl]

The only problem with not getting shots for indoor cats is that if you ever board them (I do from time to time), a lot of boarders require up to date shots.

That's a good point. Another thing to consider.

Does anyone know what they think actually causes the cancer? Is it the shot itself or the device or what? And what about the chips so many cats get now?

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

Wow, I had never heard of this! I think people certainly need to be made more aware of it, so that they understand the risks!

Regarding the indoor/outdoor thing- I also grew up in a rural area where having indoor cats was unheard of. Ours are mostly indoor now, but we live in the country with a fenced-in back yard, so our cats get a little outdoor time each day. They mostly just go sit on the back porch and enjoy the sun or watch the world- I think they just like the change of scenery.

 

[wdwmom2]

Never exposed to other animals and so dang mean that when she was small and fixed and declawed the vet said as long as she stayed indoors they would really rather not see her as they may have to dart gun her to treat her LOL. She is nice to everyone in our family and will not attack anyone unfamiliar as long as they don't try to touch her. But she hisses and screaches at them sometimes like an insane thing.

I had to laugh when I read this . In my OP I said that the vet giving the shots was very patient. Let me tell you why. Both of my cats are very sweet and loving..................at home. The one is an absolute terror when you take him anywhere. So yesterday at the vaccination clinic he screamed and hissed at the top of his lungs, tried to bite and scratch everyone, and then shot urine across the inside of the large van that they were doing the vaccinations in. I was soooo embarassed . I can only imagine what the people standing in line outside of the van must have been thinking. It must have took us about 10 minutes to get him restrained good enough for the vet to give him his shot. The vet and her helpers have the patience of saints!!!!

 

[mickeysaver]

I have no cats, don't really know much about them, but did read this. I do have a question though....inside/outside? By outside, I would presume that means a cat allowed to wander wherever it wants to, as opposed to be outside, on a leash. Why do people allow cats to be, outside cats? So many wind up looking like roofing shingles on the pavement, or get lost, not to return home, or meet some other life ending event. I never understood that. Anybody?

Hey Dan. Yes, I am one of those people that allows their cats to go outside. We have a pet door and they come and go as they please. I don't have to worry about litter boxes. All four are fully vaccinated. When we were looking for a house to buy last year, one of the check off boxes was for "pet friendly". To us, this meant that we would not live on a busy street and if at all possible, we would have woods behind our home and a fenced in back yard. We got it all with the home that we bought. While we did sacrifice a few things that we wanted for ourselves in choosing to buy this house, we were not going to give in on that one point. Those cats didn't choose to have us as their owners, but we chose to take on the responsibility for their care and quality of life.

BC is our oldest girl and she loves to lay in the sun and has been known to chase a squirrel or a bird here and there, but as she ages, she is choosing to spend more time in the sun than in the chase. George is my prissy boy. He chooses to stay inside more than out, but he at least has that option. Cha-Cha is my huge boy. He loves to lay in the sun and climb trees. He is known for sleeping in one of the trees in our yard on a limb just about 6 feet up. He has caught more than a few birds unawares. lol And finally, Arwen....she is all about the hunt. The local wildlife didn't take long to get a clue to watch for my littlest huntress. Her favorite spot is inside a large stand of monkey grass. You can't see her there, but if she loves to hunt from her own personal blind.

I can't imagine restricting these natural predators to a completely indoor life. They are happy with their home. We are happy that they love us and are thriving in our care. It's a good thing. Maggie

 

[Rajah]

Wow, I'm surprised to hear so many people don't give their cats the regular vaccinations -- including me. I feel very strongly that the vaccinations for FIP were what killed both Sage and Blaze, so I'm very gun-shy about vaccinations. They all got their first kitten vaccinations, but haven't been back since for vaccinations, and they're all very healthy kitties. They're also totally indoor and we don't board them.

 

[LakeAriel]

The first cat I had lived for 20 years. Willie was NEVER vaccinated and was an indoor cat. Besides the threat of cars there is also the threat of coyotes etc. I also don't find it amusing for cats to kill birds and rabbits and other small creatures when they belong to you and are fed by you. This is different for strays that need to hunt to live!
I worked for a Vet also and besides the sarcoma related to these shots, especially rabies, animals are developing autoimmune diseases at alarming rates! I have 5 healthy cats now and they have not, nor will be vaccinated. Veterinarians disagree about this for mostly economic reasons. The rabies vaccine is required in NY so if you have a cat that may bite put him in a locked room if you have company. I also have a dog with a huge benign tumor at the site of her last rabies shot, four years ago. It is very unsightly but apparently does not hurt her. She has not received another shot either.

 

[nhrenee]

I'm going to talk to my vet about this but in the meantime does anyone know if Dogs can pass any of the diseases on to cats? My lab goes outside but my 4 cats do not.
TIA

 

[vetrik]

I worked as a vet tech for 7 years, and these vaccine related tumors were just becoming an issue while I was working. I completely agree with strictly indoor cats not necessarily needing their boosters for distemper (and definitely not for leukemia) every year after they receive their kitten shots, but even if I had indoor cats they would always be vaccinated for rabies because of experiences I have had and the strict laws regarding rabies. There is a "Purevax" rabies vaccine which was created to be less likely to cause these tumors because it does not have the preservatives that they believe may cause them. It is only good for 1 year, as opposed to the 2-3 years that the other rabies vaccines are good for. My 2 cats have been receiving this rabies vaccine for several years now, in their rear legs so the leg could be amputated if they ever did develop a tumor. Of course, my cats get distemper and leukemia every year also, since they are indoor/outdoor cats (we live on 400 acres on a quiet dirt road).

I have had bats get into my house at night several times, and I know other people it has happened to, even in more urban/suburban areas than where we live. You also never know when anything else could happen, like a cat slipping out the door and getting into a fight. One of the times a bat was in the house, we had a puppy who had not been vaccinated for rabies yet because of his age. Because we could not be sure whether he had interacted with the bat at all, we had to have the bat tested for rabies, and if it had come back positive the puppy would have needed to be quarantined in a shelter at our expense for 6 months to make sure he did not develop rabies. Fortunately, the bat was negative. I keep my cats vaccinated for rabies according to state law because I don't want the worry of putting them to sleep or quarantining them if something unexpected happens.

 

[LakeAriel]

I worked as a vet tech for 7 years, and these vaccine related tumors were just becoming an issue while I was working. I completely agree with strictly indoor cats not necessarily needing their boosters for distemper (and definitely not for leukemia) every year after they receive their kitten shots, but even if I had indoor cats they would always be vaccinated for rabies because of experiences I have had and the strict laws regarding rabies. There is a "Purevax" rabies vaccine which was created to be less likely to cause these tumors because it does not have the preservatives that they believe may cause them. It is only good for 1 year, as opposed to the 2-3 years that the other rabies vaccines are good for. My 2 cats have been receiving this rabies vaccine for several years now, in their rear legs so the leg could be amputated if they ever did develop a tumor. Of course, my cats get distemper and leukemia every year also, since they are indoor/outdoor cats (we live on 400 acres on a quiet dirt road).

I have had bats get into my house at night several times, and I know other people it has happened to, even in more urban/suburban areas than where we live. You also never know when anything else could happen, like a cat slipping out the door and getting into a fight. One of the times a bat was in the house, we had a puppy who had not been vaccinated for rabies yet because of his age. Because we could not be sure whether he had interacted with the bat at all, we had to have the bat tested for rabies, and if it had come back positive the puppy would have needed to be quarantined in a shelter at our expense for 6 months to make sure he did not develop rabies. Fortunately, the bat was negative. I keep my cats vaccinated for rabies according to state law because I don't want the worry of putting them to sleep or quarantining them if something unexpected happens.

Do you get vaccinated for Rabies in case the bat is positive and bites you? Of course not! If your cats go out of course you would risk vaccination, you need to weigh risk of side effect against risk of disease. An amputated leg is hardly no big deal. There is no way I would vaccinate my strickly indoor cats. It is certainly your choice to do so if you wish.

 

[ugadog99]

Up until this last year I had the yearly vaccines for our pets. This last year I had our cats titered and will do the same from now on. I want to research doing the same for our dogs.

What does titered mean?

I have a 13 year old dachshund that is due for her shots. I am very concerned about doing this, though.

 

[mdhkitten]

I live in Alabama, worked for vets for 12 years, and have an indoor dog and cat. The dog gets her annual vaccines every year because she does get groomed and therefore runs the risk of contracting things, especially kennel cough (that's drops that are put in the nose, but a "vaccine" just the same). Kennel cough is very hard on dogs if they get it and VERY contagious! My cat does get his rabies yearly because Alabama is a state that has strict rabies vaccination laws. If he were to break the skin by biting (even while playing) with anyone, and they went to the doctor, the doctor legally has to report the incident to the health department and the pet has to be quarantined for 10 days for rabies observation(well, even if they've had the shot they have to be quarantined, it's just the law.........I've seen plenty of it happen before), but if the health department finds out they haven't been vaccinated you are fined quite nicely. That's just here.

 

[vetrik]

Do you get vaccinated for Rabies in case the bat is positive and bites you? Of course not! If your cats go out of course you would risk vaccination, you need to weigh risk of side effect against risk of disease. An amputated leg is hardly no big deal. There is no way I would vaccinate my strickly indoor cats. It is certainly your choice to do so if you wish.

I would never get vaccinated for rabies because if the bat were positive, I would get treated for rabies, along with the rest of my family. There is no way to treat rabies in animals like there is in humans, and I don't like the options for cats that are not vaccinated for rabies.