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.

Hi There,

I feel that it is still a very good idea for cats to go in for an annual exam. Hopefully, by doing this, and having a blood panel done on cats at least 7 years old, any problems will be picked up in the early stages.

One of my cats was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and another with renal insuffiency, thanks to routine bloodwork. I also think it's important to have a yearly urinalysis done on senior cats. Something like kidney disease will show up in urine before it can be detected in blood.

Regards,
PHKitkat