Do you do yearly Vax on your indoor cat?

I'm just wondering how many of you out there give your babies yearly vaccines?

I fully intend to

I do as well. But they not only get their vaccines they get weighed, their eyes, ears, heart and teeth are checked, along with a good feel around

I will take them all in for yearly exams to be completely checked over.

Of course, every year. My cats actually go out in a leash every now and again, but I would, even if they didn't. Usva is actually a cat flu carrier (she is a rescue, got it from the shelter) and panleukopenia can come inside your house in your shoes. I wouldn't dare to risk it. Rabies vax we don't need here.

We take our cats for yearly exams, but rather than vaccinate every year we run titer tests. If the tests show they need vaccinations that year then we vaccinate; otherwise we wait till the next year and run the titer tests again. Rabies is required every three years, so no titers on that - just revaccinate every 3 years. More and more evidence is showing a that vaccines last far longer than one year, and more and more cases of vaccine-associated sarcome are showing up, so I would much rather err on the side of caution even though it is more expensive to run titers and only vaccinate when absolutely necessary.

Yep.

What is a titer test that AmyH talks about here? I am aware that they are now saying the shots last longer than a year. My cats are outside cats. However they are confined to our yard within a fence that they can't get out of and no other cats can get inside. It is a chain link fence with a contraption called a cat fence in system attached to the top of it. Technically they could have contact nose to nose I guess.
We live out in the country and don't have a problem with stray animals in our yard.
We do have occasionally possum and coons in the yard. Year before last they went under the fence and came in to get in the pecan tree and eat the pecans. The cats didn't bother them and they didn't bother the cats. My vet has said since they are outside he would rather vacinate them every year. But if there is a test that tells for sure, I want to know what it is.

Originally Posted by Bugaboo1

What is a titer test that AmyH talks about here? I am aware that they are now saying the shots last longer than a year. My cats are outside cats. However they are confined to our yard within a fence that they can't get out of and no other cats can get inside. It is a chain link fence with a contraption called a cat fence in system attached to the top of it. Technically they could have contact nose to nose I guess.
We live out in the country and don't have a problem with stray animals in our yard.
We do have occasionally possum and coons in the yard. Year before last they went under the fence and came in to get in the pecan tree and eat the pecans. The cats didn't bother them and they didn't bother the cats. My vet has said since they are outside he would rather vacinate them every year. But if there is a test that tells for sure, I want to know what it is.

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Titer testing is a blood test where they check for antibody levels in the bloodstream; if antibody levels are adequate there is no need to vaccinate at that point.

Here is a short article on titer testing:
Titer Testing

I would be cautious about saying cats can never get in or out of any fence; unless you are outside with them the entire time they are out there there is no way to know for sure what goes on. Additionally, wild animals are always a threat to cats and other domestic animals; even if our pets don't get into fights with them, racoons and possums and the like can still spread deadly diseases through non-physical contact means such as excrement. Just some things to consider....

Originally Posted by rosiemac

I do as well. But they not only get their vaccines they get weighed, their eyes, ears, heart and teeth are checked, along with a good feel around

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Originally Posted by emb_78

I'm just wondering how many of you out there give your babies yearly vaccines?

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my guys get annual rabies vaccinations. but that was because we moved to a different state and no one around here offers the 3 yr vaccine. but they still get annual checkups. my vet advised to discontinue distemper vax for raven and nabu because of their allergy to it. and stimpy was recommended every 3 yrs or to discontinue. all 3 are indoor cats, and we live on the third floor so there is minimal risk for them. the vet even recommended discontinuing rabies vax but i won't do that. i know what happens if a bat gets in the house and your kitty isn't UTD on rabies vax.

ps-my cats were vaccinated annually for distemper/FeLV for most of their lives--raven & nabu are 8 and stimpy is 5. i don't advise discontinuing vaccines without talking to your vet.

Yearly exams and necessary vaccines for Sophie here, yep.

Absolutely - Annual checkup and required vaccinations.

Yes!
6 cats all indoor, but MIL runs a sanctuary and has 20 some cats of her own, plus she fosters moms and their babies, and/or babies that are orphaned.
Since we do visit her, we have all vaccs done on our gang.
She takes care of the costs though, she can write them off.

Before I moved down here though, I only did Rabies every 3 years and the combo vacc yearly.

They absolutely get vaccines, but we've opted for the 3-year vaccines.

yearly exams, and the distemper combo every three years, no rabies shots.

Amy,
Thank you so much for the link and the explanation of what the titer test is. I had never heard of it.
You would have to see the fence to understand how it works. My husband and I are both home all the time and we know they never get out and other animals don't get over the top.
I understand the danger of the possums and coons. They dug under the fence since they could not come over the top. I was really upset when we saw that they got in here and were in the pecan tree. I know if the cats got in a fight with the coons, the coons would win. l also realize cats can get things just from being outside. That is why my vet wants to keep on with the yearly vaccines even though he realizes they have said the shots could last longer. But I will ask him about the titer test and see his opinion for that with my cats. I would take his advice. HE even did the yearly shots when they were inside cats because he said other people could bring in things, especially if they had their own cats or dogs. And he said if the cats sat on a window sill with the window open, they could possible sniff noses with another animal or get somthing airborne.
My cats are my babies and I don't take chances unnecessary chances with them. The would still be inside cats because we both love them very much. But we had to make a choice when my husband was so sick with the allergies. We built a new house, no carpets and no cats. We moved in Jan of '03 and he has been able to discontinue all his allergy meds.

I completely agree...even as 100% indoor cats they can pick up anything, which is why we do keep up with vaccinations; however if a vaccine is still working in their system, revaccinating doesn't do anything other than expose them to something they don't need at that time. That's why we go for the titer testing. Vaccinatons are definitely important, but I am very concerned about "too much of a good thing." I know a lot of people think that vets insist on annual vaccinations just to get more money coming in; while that may be somewhat of a factor, I think a lot of vets just do it out of habit - it's mechanically part of their routine. Protocols are definitely changing; some vets are just taking longer to catch up with it.

Here are some more links on vaccinations and frequency...

Protocols

More on protocols

CatShots

Of course this just is where my comfort level is; everyone has to do what works for them....

I'm glad that this thread was started! I was actually doing some looking on the internet yesterday regarding the injection related cancer that some cats get. This will be Chesters first year checkup this year, so as far as I can tell it's recomended to get the combo and the rabies shots. I'm going to see if I can get my vet to give him a 3 year vaccine though and get her to change to giving it in the leg. I'm not really sure why she doesn't already. Maybe it's out of habit.