Do indoor cats really need vaccines?

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emilymaywilcha

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I think it is a good idea to vaccinate all incoming pets at a shelter. That is just a no-brainer to me because there is no proof they are up to date on boosters. Boarded animals are another story. You know the cats did or did not get vaccines recently, so all kennels should do is request proof they are healthy.
 

ldg

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I think it is a good idea to vaccinate all incoming pets at a shelter. That is just a no-brainer to me because there is no proof they are up to date on boosters.
But that's the heart of the issue in the discussion in this thread - the definition of "up to date" on "boosters." All of these links point to boosters being unnecessary. No, there's no paperwork on rescue kitties. But they can do titre testing. That would be the "proof" and determine whether or not they need a vaccination.
 
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emilymaywilcha

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But that's the heart of the issue in the discussion in this thread - the definition of "up to date" on "boosters." All of these links point to boosters being unnecessary. No, there's no paperwork on rescue kitties. But they can do titre testing. That would be the "proof" and determine whether or not they need a vaccination.
If you talk to five vets, you might get five different answers. I guarantee you some vets will say, "The AVMA recommends the FVRCP vaccine, so we give that one every year," or something like that. Then there will be another vet who says, "If the cats never go out, they only need one: rabies, just because state law requires it."

I thought about ordering the book Stop the Shots! on Amazon, but it would not come with the rest of my order (all three pet food books can be shipped free in two days), so I deleted it from my shopping cart. Maybe I should have marked it as "saved for later" instead.
 
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emilymaywilcha

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The AVMA doesn't even recommend yearly shots. Which really ought to tell you something.
I think they used to recommend annual shots and changed their policy after research showed it is not necessary to do it that often. I told them to give my cats the three-year rabies shot, but never heard the FVRCP vaccine is good for more than one year.
 

kittylover23

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I only give my kittens the first shots and one year boosters. That's it. I hate giving them rabies vaccines though, they always make my kitties feel yucky...but it's the law.
 

batrice

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I'm not big on vaccinations either. What happens if they are brought to the vet without having had  a rabies shots? Cats are only indoors even if you say that it seems the vets cringe? Does a cat have to have a rabies shot when brought into a vet? I feel its up to me not them. Does a vet still have to treat a cat even if it had no rabies.??
 

sugarcatmom

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Does a cat have to have a rabies shot when brought into a vet? I feel its up to me not them. Does a vet still have to treat a cat even if it had no rabies.??
It's up to each vet clinic to decide what their policy is, so they are certainly within their rights to refuse to treat cats not vaccinated to the level they think they should be. It's also within your rights to find a new vet, if that's the case. And if that happens, I would tell them WHY you're going to a new vet, so they're made aware that their ignorance is having a financial impact on their business. Perhaps it will give them something to ponder.
 

spudsmom

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Like a lot of you, I've only had my cats get their kitten series. Mine ARE indoor only. Someone would have to break into my house and drag my cats outside...but first they would have to find them because the cats hide around other people. They run and hide if the door is open too long. lol! As much as I love my vet I was not very happy when Taz got a rabies vac. against my wishes. It's not required by law here and my feelings are that my cats have a higher risk of vac-site cancer than actual rabies. My husband had to take Tazzy in for his spay and I told him not to let them rabies vac him. (They always ask when they see my cats aren't) So I'm not really sure who is at fault that Tazzy got the shot but I was po'd at everyone involved.
 
 

melesine

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I did a bunch of research on pet vaxs about 10 years ago and after that quit vaccinating completely. I had a dog years ago that I believe his health problems were caused by over vaccination by his previous owner. At this point, once the pet enters my home it gets no more vaxs. I can't control what happened to them before I got them, so that means the dogs had puppy shots as did the kitties I got from rescue. 
 
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dianeandbooboo

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I have never had a holistic vet recommend a rabies vaccine for an indoor cat.  My vets know I will not, under any circumstances, vaccinate my cat for anything.  I will take my chances with the rabies virus before I roll the dice with VAS.
 
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emilymaywilcha

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I have never had a holistic vet recommend a rabies vaccine for an indoor cat.  My vets know I will not, under any circumstances, vaccinate my cat for anything.  I will take my chances with the rabies virus before I roll the dice with VAS.
I chose a vet who was recommended by another vet who knew him when she was in medical school. Because he said Patricia does not need the FVRCP vaccine, I am confident that if Florida law does not require it, he will not give her the rabies shot next year either. He is not holistic but obviously knows there is no risk of an indoor cat getting a deadly virus.
 

thekittysaver

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My cat has not been vaccinated since he was a kitten. He is 10 years old, indoor only. I don't vaccinate my dogs as adults either, just rabies... IMO vaccines are effective for way longer than the manufacturer says anyway. I probably carry in God-knows-what on my clothes every day just from being out in the world (especially working at a vet clinic) and I tend to believe this is enough to keep the immune response of my healthy animals adequate.

That's just me, though. For most people I recommend they at least get titers checked. But I don't think we need to vaccinate all the time, especially indoor cats that aren't out there exploring the world of disease.
I really don't think indoor cats need vaccines. I've been told that cats need some of them every year. I don't have a prob with the rabies one. Its all that other stuff recommended. The every year or how ever often is recommended  I think is more of a money making thing. Then again I don't know about this field of medicine so forgive me if I sound ignorant.
 

Willowy

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I vaccinate my cat every year. Never know what will happen in the future..
But here's the thing. . .if you understand how vaccines work, you realize that vaccinating every year doesn't do any good. Vaccines "train" the immune system how to handle a virus. Once the immune system is trained, it doesn't forget (at least not for many years without a challenge). So once the immune system is trained, repeating the vaccinations is useless, no matter what "happens in the future".

Considering even the AVMA doesn't recommend yearly vaccines, you wonder how any vets still justify vaccinating annually.
 

Willowy

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Once the immune system is trained, what does it matter if the cat is inside or outside? In fact, immunity from vaccines probably lasts longer in outside cats, because their immune systems get frequent "reminders".

When was the last time you had an MMR vaccine? Even though you go outside? Vaccines work the same in cats as in humans.
 

ldg

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I really don't think indoor cats need vaccines. I've been told that cats need some of them every year. I don't have a prob with the rabies one. Its all that other stuff recommended. The every year or how ever often is recommended  I think is more of a money making thing. Then again I don't know about this field of medicine so forgive me if I sound ignorant.
There are a lot of really informational links in this thread that are easy to understand even if you aren't familiar with medical jargon.

Sadly, the rabies vaccine is one of the vaccinations most associated with development of cancer.
 
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