Do you vaccinate an indoor cat?

[js12]

Hi everyone, I recently got my daughter a Ragdoll cat. I was told that they are very sensitive to vaccines. The Vet seems to think that the cat will be fine and needs vaccines. The Vet wants to give the cat the Felv, Fvrcp, and Rabies vaccines. When I asked the Vet how could the cat catch any of these if he is an indoor only cat, the Vet said it’s a good idea to get the vaccines in case the cat escapes. This sounds ridiculous to me. So we are pumping our the cat with vaccines because of the off chance that he escapes and then comes into contact with another infected cat??? But

What am I missing here???

Thank you to all who respond!!!

 

[catloverfromwayback]

It's a myth that indoor cats don't need vaccinations.

 

[KittenRescue]

I worm, vaccinated, deflea and desex indoor cats. I also take them for dental visits and let vets clean their teeth or remove any tooth that have decay. I brush their teeth daily. It’s best to take care of your animals from the time they are babies for them to live long healthy lives. I expect my cats to live for 30 years. Minimum.

 

[game misconduct]

Hi everyone, I recently got my daughter a Ragdoll cat. I was told that they are very sensitive to vaccines. The Vet seems to think that the cat will be fine and needs vaccines. The Vet wants to give the cat the Felv, Fvrcp, and Rabies vaccines. When I asked the Vet how could the cat catch any of these if he is an indoor only cat, the Vet said it’s a good idea to get the vaccines in case the cat escapes. This sounds ridiculous to me. So we are pumping our the cat with vaccines because of the off chance that he escapes and then comes into contact with another infected cat??? But

What am I missing here???

Thank you to all who respond!!!

there are lots of ways your cat can escape thats out of your control it becomes a door dasher that tries to run out every time you leave. you have guests over with kids they leave a door cracked open. cat pops screen off an open window. your house gets robbed use your imagination. graycie gets her shots every year

 

[emiliemeow]

do you plan on taking the cat to the vet? It will be around other cats there, even if it never gets outside.

 

[Peaches&Mango]

I do get their initial vaccinations done as babies but then don’t have boosters done after that. I would say it’s probably best to get the initial ones done and then you can decide from then on if you want the annual boosters or not like I do

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Yes kitties need their vaccines. I think it is really important for the health and wellbeing of the kitty.
Also please get your cat spayed/neutered this will help cut down on chances of certain cancers. It will also help in the fact that (s)he won't be trying to bolt out the door trying to find a mate.

 

[Kflowers]

Two more things to consider some illness are transmitted not animal to animal but on inanimate things. You can walk over an area where a virus I'm thinking distemper (panleukopenia) and track it into your house. At least you can according to my vet. You can nurse your cat through this, I've done it twice, but often your cat isn't quite the same afterwards. One of mine was, one wasn't.

The second thing is if there is a disaster you will need to be able to prove your cat has her vaccinations to be able to take her to a shelter. Yes, you may think you'll escape with enough stuff, but you never really know. A lot of people think they'll have their cars during hurricanes, not so much.

 

[KittyFriday]

I do all vaccines, better safe than sorry. You can do titers after the initial vaccines for most things if that's more your cup of tea, just ask your vet about that.

Absolutely keep up on rabies though, even for a cat that doesn't go outside. It's legally required in most places and if your cat were to happen to bite someone life will be infinitely easier if you can jut provide proof of vaccination.

 

[js12]

Thanks to all who have responded so quickly!

I guess I will get him the vaccines. The only reason I even asked is because the woman I got him from said to be very careful with Ragdolls and vaccines. I would hate for him to have a bad reaction.

Thank you!!!

 

[rubysmama]

My Ruby's indoor only, and I have discussed this topic with my vet. After Ruby's initial vaccines when I first adopted her, I haven't done any since. My vet has been fine with this, as she feels Ruby being my only pet, and indoor only, that the risks are low. She did say that when Ruby gets older, she should start getting boosters, as it's young cats and older cats who have less strong immune systems that are most vulnerable to the various illnesses and disease.

 

[fionasmom]

Another point with the rabies vaccine is that if you are in a part of the country where your cat might encounter a bat (and they do fly into houses) it opens the question of possibly/actually having had a rabid bat in contact with your cat. If the cat has no rabies vaccines, some jurisdictions insist on euthanasia rather than quarantine.

My cat vet will only give two vaccines at once to any cat of any age, if that helps.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

fionasmom I really didn't know that they would euthanize and not do a quarantine in some areas..

I actually know nothing about a cat coming in contact with a bat and what the protocols are.

If the cat has had their rabies do they quarantine if they come in contact with a bat?

 

[fionasmom]

In general, if a pet has current rabies vaccines they should be safe from any quarantine or legal action.

Bats have fine, needle sharp teeth and it is hard to tell if a person or pet was bitten. In CA, a person who handles a bat which is not able to be captured for rabies testing will probably end up taking the rabies series themselves.

 

[FurryMonsters]

Vaccines in indoor cats can be a controversial topic. As you see, a lot of people have strong opinions either way.
I can only say what happened in my case:
I have 2 indoor-only cats. The DSH was vaccinated when he was under 1 year old and he was fine. The other cat is a large fluffy boy roughly the size of a ragdoll male. He got his vaccines around 4 years of age (estimated). He had a very bad reaction, and was very poorly. Fortunately, antibiotics and other meds helped, but it was touch-and-go for a while. He never got the second dose, and I have not vaccinated my cats since.

 

[neely]

This TCS Article will help explain which vaccines are necessary and which are optional:
Cat Vaccinations: A Quick & Useful Guide - TheCatSite

And this Article discusses the importance of having a rabies vaccine:
Do Indoor Only Cats Need Rabies Shots? - TheCatSite
Please note this paragraph in the Article which explains what can happen if your cat bites someone else and does not have their shots:
The CDC calls for a 10-day quarantine protocol whenever a healthy dog or cat bites a person. If the animal shows no signs of sickness during the 10 days, it's released back home.
In many areas, if the cat is fully vaccinated, that 10-day period can be spent at home. However, a bite from a cat that's not current on rabies shots is more likely to incur a full quarantine away from home. This is a far less desirable situation for many reasons.
In fact, animal control officers or health departments can also require quarantine of unvaccinated cats for up to 6 months if they have a wound of unknown origin.

 

[maggie101]

My cats have never been interested in going outside plus they are senior which makes it more risky. They will be boarded Aug 12 and the boarding place wants fliv and distemper. I plan on buying advantage

 

[IndyJones]

It really depends where you live. In Ontario for example, your pet (cats dogs ferrets) MUST be vaccinated aginst rabies by law. If the bite someone and they go to the doctors or hospital and you can't provide proof of vaccination you end up in a huge legal mess plus having to pay a fine.

If your cat is around people including yourself it could accidently hurt them and cause an infected wound. IMO not worth the hassle to not vaccinate them.

IDK what laws are like where you are but here it just takes one hospital visit to land you in legal trouble.

 

[KittyFriday]

Yeah, the rabies thing in particular can be a whole mess. I was recently bitten by a stray kitten (rhyme time) and my regular doctor was off but told me to go to urgent care in case of infection. Urgent care called in animal control, who said they would normally do at 10 day quarantine at either the vet or a shelter, but of course since the kitten had disappeared by then they couldn't do that, so I ended up having to do the PEP series as ordered by the health department (no fun at all).

I don't think either my dog or my cat would cope well with 10 days in a busy vet kennel, so for me it's just easier to play it safe and keep UTD on vaccines, especially rabies.

 

[Pywacket21]

I questioned my vet about this too. Cat is indoor only. Here, it’s required for rabies. He gets whatever other shots she thinks he needs. My dogs go out in the yard to potty, hard telling what could be on their feet. A possum has been hanging out there the past 2 nights. Afraid to let my 8# Maltese out, it’s bigger than she is. And Pywacket wants to GET IT