Vaccinations for cats

[Phoenix]

Do you vaccinate your cats regularly, like yearly?

I've read some literature online but am still undecided about FeLV and FIV. Our two cats are indoors mostly and we try very very hard to keep them inside. The younger 2 year-old cat, however, is naughty and occasionally manages to escape (though not for too long as we always go look for her, or she comes back by herself before we even find her).

I am conceptually ok with the FVRCP vaccine (but remain worried about the breathing problem) and the chlamydia vaccine. I am quite worried about FeLV and FIV side effects. Incidentally, our older 8 yr old cat has slight asthma and is currently on Seretide Evohaler three times a day.

What are your thoughts please and what do you do with your cats, particularly if they go outside?

 

[kgizo]

Our cats were all inside and we got vaccines for the reason you mentioned, occasionally slipping outside. I thought one of the diseases, can't remember which, could be transferred via breathing so if our cat was sitting by a window screen there was potential if there was a stray around. Your vet should be able to explain the pros and cons for your asthmatic cat. Ours stopped vaccines for our cat that had cancer at 15yrs old. If you have concerns get it done first thing in the am early in the week. That way if you see any side effects you can bring your cat in during normal hours.

 

[movie zombie]

kitten shots only.
our cats are inside only and never get out.

 

[Matata]

Great info here http://www.catinfo.org/?link=vaccines

 

[TooPatient]

Ours are indoor only. We don't do every year, but did get all vaccinations when we rescued each of them. Our current plan is probably once after 4-5 years for each of the cats as sort of a re-fresh.

They also get a non-chemical flea/tick treatment as do our dogs. We also have a natural pest control service that treats our yard quarterly.

We do have lots of dogs (plus some bears, coyotes, etc) around so there aren't lots of stray cats in our neighborhood. I'd probably talk to our vet again if that was to change and potentially sick strays were running around.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

No, not yearly. I read a lot on it and bottom line there was no evidence most of them were needed yearly.

 

[zoebartlett]

Our 2 cats are kept indoors all the time, but we do get them vaccinated yearly (rabies and maybe also...distemper maybe, I forget). It's probably unnecessary to get them done each year but I can't break the habit.

 

[ecf8503]

I'm a veterinarian, and I worked in cats-only practices for years. The American Association of Feline Practitioners is an organization of veterinarians directly involved in vaccine research and protocol recommendations and guidelines. I encourage all cat owners to visit their site, www.catvets.com,, for tons of helpful information. Here is the link to the vaccination information: http://www.catvets.com/guidelines/practice-guidelines/feline-vaccination-guidelines

The current recommendations are to have a series of shots, whenever a cat is young or "new to you" if their vaccination status is unknown (ex: strays). Kittens and older cats with unknown history need a series of vaccines spaced a few weeks apart to develop proper antibody levels in their blood. Rabies is required by law everywhere, but the frequency of required revaccination varies from place to place. Rabies and Feline Leukemia vaccines have been associated with some kinds of cancers, so the necessity of boosters of these vaccines depends on each cat's individual needs.

Indoor only cats can still run the risk of exposure to some diseases. What if a bat that was rabid got into your house? Or what if they slipped outside and you didn't know it? Some diseases are carried in saliva, so a bite wound is dangerous (for many reasons), but that saliva can also end up on your screen door /window if an infected cat outdoors sneezes or hisses on it and your cat puts her nose in it.

The FVRCP combo is the normal "kitten" series. Rabies needs to be given as well. Leukemia depends on whether or not your cat will be at high risk either by going outside or by living with another cat that has FeLV.

That said, how do I vaccinate my cats? They've all had their "new cat / kitten" vaccinations (FVRCP and Rabies), but not FeLV as they never go outside. I booster them every few years, but not every year as some vets will recommend (vaccines are a huge profit machine, so it helps their bottom line to recommend as many as they can, but it may not be good for the cat). Immunity lasts for years, as it does in humans, and it is possible to get titers run on your cat to see if they actually need a booster. I've never done that on my own cats: I just revaccinate every couple of years - it isn't every year.

The best thing you can do is to be an educated client, read information from reputable sources, and ask your vet questions. Be your cat's advocate. If your vet seems too eager to vaccinate I'd start looking elsewhere.

 

[Phoenix]

Thank you, kgizo, movie zombie, matata, Zoe, DS, TooPatient and ecf, for all the useful information and especially the fantastic links. It's all really helpful.

DH and I are now leaning towards not vaccinating our two cats this year. They've both been vaccinated last couple of years (not FeLV and FIV though). In fact, we're wondering if the health problems the older cat is suffering may somehow be related to the vaccines, especially the rabies one, she got when we moved countries.

 

[LAJennifer]

I would advise against the FIV vaccine. Once a cat is vaccinated for FIV, they will always test positive for FIV - so the vaccine actually makes it difficult to determine FIV status. Casual transmission of FIV is also very rare. I brought in a feral cat 4 years ago - and he has FIV. My vet and I decided against the FIV vaccine for my other 2 cats (they are still negative).

My cats get the FVRCP vaccine every 3 - 5 years.

I don't like the rabies vaccine, but each of my cats have had it twice (most recently was 3 years ago because it was required for air travel when we moved across the country).

If I had an escape artist cat, I would probably vaccinate for FeLV - but only the first year of having the cat.

 

[Phoenix]

I would advise against the FIV vaccine. Once a cat is vaccinated for FIV, they will always test positive for FIV - so the vaccine actually makes it difficult to determine FIV status. Casual transmission of FIV is also very rare. I brought in a feral cat 4 years ago - and he has FIV. My vet and I decided against the FIV vaccine for my other 2 cats (they are still negative).

My cats get the FVRCP vaccine every 3 - 5 years.

I don't like the rabies vaccine, but each of my cats have had it twice (most recently was 3 years ago because it was required for air travel when we moved across the country).

If I had an escape artist cat, I would probably vaccinate for FeLV - but only the first year of having the cat.

I agree. I read up some more, esp the links the other ladies provided, and it seems that FIV is definitely out. Thanks for the infor re FIV for your cats and am sorry to hear that your feral cat has FIV but am glad that the other two babies are ok.

The risks associated with an FeLV shot seem too huge. We might just take our chances but of course will try even harder to keep the smaller cat inside.

 

[Nyc2chigal]

Starting last year, no, I don't get my cat vaccinated yearly.
1. She's an indoor cat, and doesn't need many of the vaccinations (other than the rabies in case she got out, which never happened).

2. Last time I took her in for a checkup, I specifically asked that they do not give her the FeLV, and they said OK.
They ended up giving it to her accidentally. That just sent me over the edge.
There is a risk that the FeLv vaccine actually gives cats Feline Leukemia, and I didn't want to put my cat at risk.

I told the vet that if my cat developed this disease, that they will be held accountable.

Doctors/Verts are TOO Vaccine-happy these days, and it's troubling.

 

[ecf8503]

There is a risk that the FeLv vaccine actually gives cats Feline Leukemia, and I didn't want to put my cat at risk.

Not true. FeLV is a killed vaccine, there's no way it can cause the disease. Same with Rabies. And that's exactly why they are associated with vaccine site sarcomas - because the adjuvant (the chemicals that make the immune system recognize the vaccine) has long been thought to be involved.

 

[amc80]

There is a risk that the FeLv vaccine actually gives cats Feline Leukemia, and I didn't want to put my cat at risk.

Not true. FeLV is a killed vaccine, there's no way it can cause the disease. Same with Rabies. And that's exactly why they are associated with vaccine site sarcomas - because the adjuvant (the chemicals that make the immune system recognize the vaccine) has long been thought to be involved.

My breeder told me not to get the FeLV vaccine for our cats (Ragdolls) as it has cause some sort of problems in the breed. Not sure what it is...I'm sure she told me way back when but I've since forgotten. Actually I think it was in our contract to not get that one. The other shots the cats had for the first few years, until I started to do more research. They are 100% indoor and haven't had their shots in probably 3 years.

 

[Nyc2chigal]

There is a risk that the FeLv vaccine actually gives cats Feline Leukemia, and I didn't want to put my cat at risk.

Not true. FeLV is a killed vaccine, there's no way it can cause the disease. Same with Rabies. And that's exactly why they are associated with vaccine site sarcomas - because the adjuvant (the chemicals that make the immune system recognize the vaccine) has long been thought to be involved.

My mistake.. I wrote it in a hurry.
You are correct. I was worried about the vaccine creating the injection site sarcoma. I didn't want to put my cat at risk of getting this, as I heard that they advance quickly, and are difficult to treat.

 

[ecf8503]

You are correct. I was worried about the vaccine creating the injection site sarcoma. I didn't want to put my cat at risk of getting this, as I heard that they advance quickly, and are difficult to treat.

You are correct! Injection site sarcomas (if there is such a thing - recent research is questioning this) is extremely aggressive and difficult to treat. Especially if the vaccine is administered over the shoulder blades - which was standard practice for many years.

The current recommendation is to give Rabies on the right rear leg and Leukemia on the left rear leg, as far down the leg as you can get.