Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I had a conversation with a guy I met who is a veterinarian. He agreed with the philosophy that it is completely unnecessary to give booster vaccinations to indoor only cats, and may in fact be a bad idea (the shots could have side effects).

If I am not going to get booster shots for my three cats, and they all appear perfectly healthy and active (the only exception is one being overweight, which I monitor and try to control with low-cal food), why do I even need to bother going to a vet at all this year? They all had an exam two years ago, and got boosters then. They are 5, 7 and 9 years old.

Although yearly vaccines are not necessary for indoor cats, you should re-think about not vaccinating for rabies, particularly if it is the law where you live. If your un-vaccinated cat bites someone then animal control could take the animal and have it destroyed and you would also be liable for any anti-rabies treatment the victim had. I do not vaccinate my indoor cat against FeLeukemia, but I do vaccinate every other year for rabies as per the law in my state. I just don't want a big hassle if he should bite someone.

You should get the cats to a vet just for a checkup - things can go wrong and the cat will cover it up for a long time before it shows any symptoms. Better to catch any potential problems early on when treatment is more likely to be successful.
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

Good point about the rabies vaccination---I forgot about that. I am in CA and would assume the law would be annual or bi-annual, too.

PHMadameAlto had a good point about the rabies shot. Also, your nine year old cat is now a senior. He should really be seeing the vet once a year for blood work. When you bring them in for rabies shots you may want to ask your vet about senior cat care.
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PHMoxie