Do indoor cats really need vaccines?

just mike

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I will tell you what I do but what I do is not what I WOULD do if circumstances were different.  I still get the full vaccinations for my 4.  Except the senior will not be vaccinated this year.  She has not been in the best of health and I don't want to push it so I'm refusing to give her the shots.  Even the rabies.  IF I did not have a feral cat living in my garage and 2 dogs running in and out all of the time I would most likely not subject them to any of the vaccinations except maybe rabies.  None of them go outside... ever.  I would have to research it more but I think that is what I would do.  Rabies is required by law here.  Since there is a possibility, albeit remote, that something could be brought in from the outside, I do the full routine.  That is just my situation though and I would suggest everyone check the laws in their municipality etc. 
 
 

barbb

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After Toby contracted lymphosarcoma related to his last shots, and before that Curly (FIV+) who suffered a severe chronic food allergy for 1 year following his shots, I am not vaccinating again.

When I took Toby in for a dental after reading about dental problems in older cats, I let them give him his shots while there, bc of being nervous about the fosters. I told the vet to please let me know if there was anything to be concerned about for these shots as Toby is our child and we would lose it if anything happened to him. She said the shot was safer than any others- completely false. It is a good thing she is not still at that practice bc I'm not sure I could control myself in her presence.

Now I have learned from firsthand experience, similar to what others on this thread have said, there is as much, or more, to be feared from the shots and sometimes also the special diets, as from the opportunistic illnesses or diseases of other cats. The last three cats I have had to take to the vet for routine exam, shots, and dental in that order- one is dead, one had a year of severe allergies, and one has lymphosarcoma. 

Merial Purevax one year brand of shots is the only one without the adjuvant (serum that forces an immune reaction) added to them and therefore is the least likely to cause a toxic or other reaction. 
 
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carolina

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Merial Purevax one year brand of shots is the only one without the adjuvant (serum that forces an immune reaction) added to them and therefore is the least likely to cause a toxic or other reaction. 
:yeah: This is the only vaccine Hope and Lucky will receive from now on, due to the law and because of petsitting situation (God forbid there is an accident, I do NOT want a quaranteene!!), and Bugsy will receive none.
 

barbb

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I agree Caroline, that is one of the things I was worried about too, opportunistic illnesses from my petsitter (she is not a technician anymore thank heavens), my outdoor ferals, the number of fosters coming through my house and what they might shed, or opportunistic illnesses that might hit my two FIV+ fosters. 

Everyone should also know that ALL three-year shots contain the adjuvant that forces an immune response and this is not a good thing bc it is the adjuvant that is suspected of causing an idiosyncratic immune response in felines in particular. 

So anyone still getting shots, only use Merial purevax one year brand.
 

dianeandbooboo

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Remember if you have an FIV+ or FelV+ cat or a cat with any type of chronic illness CRF, etc you should not vaccinate for anything at all.  The label on the rabies vaccines clearly states that animals that aren't well should not be vaccinated.  I would look into waivers if I had a cat with a chronic condition.  I have a waiver for BooBoo because we suspect that she may have asthma.
 
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emilymaywilcha

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Remember if you have an FIV+ or FelV+ cat or a cat with any type of chronic illness CRF, etc you should not vaccinate for anything at all.  The label on the rabies vaccines clearly states that animals that aren't well should not be vaccinated.  I would look into waivers if I had a cat with a chronic condition.  I have a waiver for BooBoo because we suspect that she may have asthma.
Nobody said Wilbur should get a waiver because of his allergies, so I don't know why asthma would be a reason to forgo the rabies vaccine. I would definitely make sure the cat is not allergic to the rabies vaccine, of course.
 

just mike

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This has been a very helpful and informative thread.  I'm not the original poster but I would like to thank all that have put in their
I have learned a couple of things from the thread

 
 

david's steph

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to answer the original poster's question - no, none, not for us, not even for rabies- my 2 babies that have lived here for 12 years (inside only) none.  My newcomer - shots when I took him in from outside, that's all.  No more.
 

tjcarst

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By "over-vaccinated," do you mean too many diseases or too many shots for each virus?
Too many shots period.  I believe that after the kitten series, vaccinations are most likely not required. 

Why give a rabies vaccine every year if not needed?  Because I am required to do so by local law.  If I did not have the afore mentioned pet sitter, I would not have vaccinated for rabies annually.  If the pet sitter is bitten, my cat will be quarantined for a lengthy, lonely, expensive period.

I do insist on a non-adjuvanted vaccine.  I changed vets because my normal vet did not offer this type of rabies vaccine.  Merial PureVAX is what I found to be non-adjuvanted.
 
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dianeandbooboo

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I will tell you what I do but what I do is not what I WOULD do if circumstances were different.  I still get the full vaccinations for my 4.  Except the senior will not be vaccinated this year.  She has not been in the best of health and I don't want to push it so I'm refusing to give her the shots.  Even the rabies.  IF I did not have a feral cat living in my garage and 2 dogs running in and out all of the time I would most likely not subject them to any of the vaccinations except maybe rabies.  None of them go outside... ever.  I would have to research it more but I think that is what I would do.  Rabies is required by law here.  Since there is a possibility, albeit remote, that something could be brought in from the outside, I do the full routine.  That is just my situation though and I would suggest everyone check the laws in their municipality etc.
I would suggest that you do a titer check instead of vaccinating.  I understand that you are concerned with the feral cat bringing in disease and that is a common concern with people who don't understand the difference between immunization and vaccination.  At the point your cats become immuned to the the viruses you are vaccinating for there is no reason to vaccinate again and that is what is considered over-vaccinating.  Vaccicheck is something I am hearing a lot about from holistic vets these days.
 

dianeandbooboo

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Nobody said Wilbur should get a waiver because of his allergies, so I don't know why asthma would be a reason to forgo the rabies vaccine. I would definitely make sure the cat is not allergic to the rabies vaccine, of course.
I am speaking only for BooBoo and my vet agrees there is no reason to vaccinate an indoor only cat that lives in a single cat household for any reason.  The problem with making sure the cat is not going to have an allergic reaction to a vaccines is to give it and I refuse to put her at risk.  Her cats are not vaccinate..even her dogs she brings to her clinic are no longer vaccinated.
 

Willowy

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If I did not have the afore mentioned pet sitter, I would not have vaccinated for rabies annually.  If the pet sitter is bitten, my cat will be quarantined for a lengthy, lonely, expensive period.
Oddly enough, in some places even a vaccinated pet needs to be quarantined after a reported bite. Sometimes for just as long (and just as lonely, and just as expensive). So unless keeping your cats "current" on their rabies vaccine will keep the petsitter from reporting the bite altogether, check into your local regulations to be sure it makes a difference.
 

tjcarst

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Oddly enough, in some places even a vaccinated pet needs to be quarantined after a reported bite. Sometimes for just as long (and just as lonely, and just as expensive). So unless keeping your cats "current" on their rabies vaccine will keep the petsitter from reporting the bite altogether, check into your local regulations to be sure it makes a difference.
I will check.  The vet indicated that rabies was required to avoid the quarantine and did not mention that a quarantine may be needed even in the presence of a cat current on rabies vaccines.
 

feralvr

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Thank you for this :hugs: :clap: - I just found out about this release yesterday. Unfortunately and sadly, today that my SIL's dog, Chloe, a Havanese - age 4 - just died of cancer from a rabies vaccine sarcoma. It is a very sad day in their family. I will never vaccinate my pets after the one year booster. I absolutely would refuse to see any vet who recommends yearly vaccinations so they can line their pockets. It also brings these unethical vets more money because the pets who become ill from receiving the vaccinations bring them even more business. :shame: Call me cynical - you bet I am when it comes to vets over-vaccinating pets. I do know that if my Wilbur (JRT dog) ever were to receive another vaccine - it would be a death sentence.

I am lucky that I found a holistic/homeopathic woman who runs a doggie camp and she does not even require any vaccinations on dogs boarded after the age of seven. She was the one who showed me the light a few years back on vaccinations. Unfortunately, Wilbur has suffered the consequences of vaccines and has neurological and myotonia disorders from vaccinations. He is doing well now though after being treated holistically to counter act the damage of the vaccinations. We have been blessed that he is still with us. IF any petsitter or boarding facility required vaccinations - I would not use them if they would not take blood titres as proof of immunity. They do exist out there and are becoming more prevalent.
 
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barbb

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Yes my boy Toby's sarcoma is from his vaccine. It makes me sick that he would be fine if I had not taken him in for a dental (that he never got) and had to give him the rabies shot by law.

As for the FIV+ cats, rescues do still vaccinate them because they are in contact with so many other rescues. Since I now have Curly and Dinah at my house as fosters, they no longer have to be vaccinated.

But when they first came in, they had to get their shots. As a matter of fact, many animals in rescue get their shots and testing all at one time so there is no way to know ahead of time. :-(
 
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