Cat vaccinations / walking a cat on a leash

[Tagrendy]

Hi everyone, do any one of you take your cats outside to walk on a leash? If so, have there been any instances of the cat contracting serious illnesses from outside?

I'm thinking to take my cat on walks about once or twice a week, now trying to prepare for it. My main worry is viruses / infections. I've contacted all local vet clinics, and they have vaccines against rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleucopaenia and rabies - but not leukemia ( FeLV ). It seems leukemia is mostly transmitted from cat-to-cat, which I can make sure he doesn't interact with other animals during the walks, but it seems that technically the virus can also stay in urine / feces for couple of hours, so excluding cat-to-cat contact is not 100% safe.

I was looking for some insight from some of you that do take your cats outside - what do you do to keep them safe? Is there anything I need to know / research? Also, do they seem happier after having walks outside or it makes them feel even more miserable being home now that they have been outside?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
My boy gets supervised backyard time although this began with him in a harness and leash. We keep him up to date on rabies and the FVRCP vaccination, which as you noted prevents three potentially deadly airborne viruses: rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia.

However there are ferals and strays who pass through our yard and I wonder sometimes about the FeLV.

But in any case, his outside time is vital to his mental as well as physical wellbeing (nasty diseases notwithstanding) in my opinion .

 

[fionasmom]

I have had cats, 4 to be exact, who were trained to sit outside on tieouts in the shade when I was home to keep an eye on them. This went on for years until they became too old to try to escape, in which case they were allowed to sit outside without the leash on. I have never walked my pet cats or taken them off my property. No food or water was outside, so no other cats came through unless just passing by. Now, I have a small feral colony in the back part of my property so that would have changed everything about the tieouts.

You might be able to direct where your cat walks; keeping him on a sidewalk might be safer but also might be hard to control.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

And do make sure that your flea treatment includes heartworm! Yes, cats can get heartworms, and yes, it can be fatal to them. There is no cure for cats as there is for dogs. In fact, do that anyway. It's transmitted by mosquitoes, and they are not respecters of indoor/outdoor.

 

[Tagrendy]

Ooh thanks. I've been researching heartworms since yesterday - scary stuff! Found only one parasite treatment that said it prevents dirofilarios ( which I assume is the disease from having heartworms ). I'll be going to the vet in a couple of days, will ask about this. Have been treating the cat for worms with Drontal every 3 months, thinking he's safe. So much to learn!

 

[di and bob]

I have three cats with Leukemia and have researched it well. It is thought now that casual contact like eating, drinking, contact with feces, etc. is not really an easy way to get it. Like most, it is contracted through deep bites and blood transfer. I keep my cats strictly indoors now because with this disease, ANY colds, diseases, etc. can easily kill them with their lowered white blood cell count. Two of them have almost died before they became indoor cats, but they pulled through, and are happy and well almost a year later. I found that if they can hold on, it takes 30 days for the bone marrow to grow new white blood cells. In many cases it is NOT the death sentence it appears to be. Many cats live for many years after they contract it. So far so good! PS I also want to say they are all on daily DMG which I mix in a small amount of Delectable Lickables, which can help build up their immune system. It can't hurt!

 

[klunick]

We used to have two cats that were allowed to sit on the porch supervised. They eventually learned as long as they didn't try to go down the steps, they wouldn't get into trouble. I really miss sitting on the porch with them.

I was thinking about getting harnesses and leashes for Boone and Gracie but I think they are still too little just yet.