Do you do yearly Vax on your indoor cat?

3 year vaccines, no rabies because they are all insiders, vets as soon as needed.

What I did do because of a new kitten coming into the house is that I vaccinated all my older cats a week before she came home. Then at the right time for her, I gave her the shot she needed. All worked well.

Yearly exam and vaccination (Rabbies & Distemper) on a 3 year cycle!!

My vet is sensitive to the issues with skin problems around the vaccination sites. He'll do a 3 year rabies, and full vaccinations on my cats up to about 4-5 years old. After that, we do an annual checkup and may do every other year vaccinations for some of them while they are in their prime years. By the time they hit 9 or 10, we start on the geriatric profiles.

Sylorna:

I had to insist that my Mom's vet change to the rear legs instead of the neck.

He did not like it - but is doing it!

3 year vaccinations and yearly check up.

FIRST there is NO fence a cat cannot get out of! My Benji has proved that!

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL22/5.../105837947.jpg Benji with half his head and body and legs on other side of NETTING on side fence trying to get over it

Secondly and MORE importantly Vaccines LAST OVER 3 years! The NEW?! (several years old) protocol is EVERY 3 years and NEVER in the scruff, and NEVER in the shoulders The Vaccinations are to be ONE shot at a time (NO 3 in one) and ONLY on the legs - as far back and down on the leg as possible.

The reason for this is VAS - Vaccine associated (caused) Sarcoma (cancerous tumors) also caused Injection site sarcoma. They USED to try to tell us these tumors were rare BUT NOW (and this is with out all vets or owners reporting them) it is 1 cat in 3,000 will get them. Better to amputate a leg and save a cat than let the tumor take over the cat and kill it.

Here are websites to check out my information: http://critterfixer.com (THIS is by a VET) & Shorti-online.com(or .org)! ALSO type in Vaccine associated sarcoma or injection site sarcoma in your browser and read about VAS on the places it takes you.

HERE is a photo of a cat with shoulder VAS:


And HERE is my Late Corkie who beat VAS but lost a leg:


IF you can find a Vet who does INTRANASAL vacs THAT is the best way to go. I adopted Panther and he came down with the calici virus and I NEEDED to get my others protected against it but did not want to take a chance on them getting vas so I found a vet who did the upper respiratory vas intranasaly!

Also the Leukemia virus has to be got by DIRECT contact with a sick cat and a cat is protected from this after one or two vaccinations for the rest of their lives.

I don't want a controversy about this fence. I only know my cats have lived within it since the year 2000. They have never been out. We did have trouble when it was first installed with a cat getting inside. My husband readjusted some of the braces and that was the last time an a cat came over the top of it. It has provided me a way to keep my cats when my husband developed allergies. While the cats were getting used to it, we only put them out during the day so I could watch them and then put them in our utility room at night. Once they got used to it, they quit trying to get outside.

My vet came to my house to see it and now recommends it to people like me who for various reasons can't have their cats inside. I know how smart cats are because I have had cats for twenty five years or more.
If there is anyone who would like to see it the web address is http://www.catfence.com/index.htm

My kitties get 3 year Distempers in the rear legs, and no Leukemia or Rabies, but get exams annually.

rabies and three in one every three years for Gigi , Kandie if (hopefully) sees 19 shell only get rabies , Zoey has to get booster then the every three yr plan for her

the first vet i went to always gave vacs in the ribs. and insisted that the cat have all its shots (yes shots, not tests. never spoke of tests once) before spaying, and insisted that males not be neutered before 8 months. since i've begun learning all of this...he was a nice guy, but a horrible vet!

Given that I volunteer in rescue and occationally foster....my 2 cats are updated on everything.

Katie

Yes, my cats get vaccinated and otherwise "checked up" every year. They're indoor cats, but you can never be certain they won't somehow escape, and I'd rather they be protected if that happens. We have access to a very good cat clinic (just for cats, with a sign on the door reading "No dogs allowed: Please respect our feline friends"), which is affiliated with the local veterinary college, so I admit we're spoiled by excellent vet care. Our vets know our cats extremely well, and I view the vet visit as a yearly checkpoint, a measurement (I guess) of my success as a cat-owner. Our vets know that I'm concerned about Oz's weight (he used to be underweight and scruffy-looking, now he's got a gorgeous coat but he's a little bit pudgy); that Spike is mildy brain-damaged and has some behavioural issues; that both cats have dental problems that we're all working on together ... That sort of thing. Visiting the vet every year helps me feel confident as a pet owner, that I'm ensuring my cats have the best possible care.

Wow, that feels preachy. But the thing is, my parents hardly ever took their cat to the vet, and then one year she was having problems that were severe enough to warrant a visit. It turned out she had a heart murmur, thyroid problems, and other things, a lot of which could have been dealt with sooner if they had bothered to take her in more frequently. Now, she's 17 years old, and she has a visit to the vet twice a year just to keep her various health issues in check. And she also gets yearly vaccinations despite being an indoor cat, because she has made the Great Escape on more than one occasion!

I am now doing yearly exams and 3 year vax!!!

My kitties are indoor only and get yearly examinations, vax.

Originally Posted by CommonOddity042

the first vet i went to always gave vacs in the ribs. and insisted that the cat have all its shots (yes shots, not tests. never spoke of tests once) before spaying, and insisted that males not be neutered before 8 months. since i've begun learning all of this...he was a nice guy, but a horrible vet!

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I'm confused. What's wrong with having all of the cat's shots before they're fixed? My vet told us that she wanted our cats to have all of their shots before they were fixed because of the risk of airborn infection during their stay at the office. Also, don't most indoor cats get neutered before 8 months? Did we do something wrong to our friends?

Originally Posted by Sylorna

I'm confused. What's wrong with having all of the cat's shots before they're fixed? My vet told us that she wanted our cats to have all of their shots before they were fixed because of the risk of airborn infection during their stay at the office. Also, don't most indoor cats get neutered before 8 months? Did we do something wrong to our friends?

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By 8 months, most cats are sexually mature and the risk of testicular cancer in males and ovarian/mammary cancer and pyometra in females goes up.

No, you didn't do anything wrong

Most vets spay/neuter between 4 and 6 months here, and a lot more are leaning toward pediatric spay/neuter as soon as healthy kittens are at least 2 pounds.

Our kittens get vaccinated once when they are 9-10 weeks old and then 2 weeks later they get their booster shot. We do not do any more vaccinations after that for the rest of their life. We went to a seminar and found out they are a waste of time and money.

Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

Our kittens get vaccinated once when they are 9-10 weeks old and then 2 weeks later they get their booster shot. We do not do any more vaccinations after that for the rest of their life. We went to a seminar and found out they are a waste of time and money.

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I am sure lots of us would be interested in hearing more about the seminar you went to, where it was, who conducted it etc.

Originally Posted by Bugaboo1

I am sure lots of us would be interested in hearing more about the seminar you went to, where it was, who conducted it etc.

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Yes I would like to hear about these findings!!