How Often to Vaccinate?

[Scuba4dk]

I have read that it is not good to give yearly vaccinations on cats that don't
go outside. I have two one year old kittens who have had all of their kitten
shots and don't go outside. I have an elderly indoor cat and a senior
indoor/outdoor cat that rarely leaves the yard. I just received a notice from
my vet that all three of them are due for their vaccinations. Just wondered how
often you would vaccinate them?

[PawsForThought]

>From: (Scuba4dk)

>I have read that it is not good to give yearly vaccinations on cats that
>don't
>go outside. I have two one year old kittens who have had all of their kitten
>shots and don't go outside. I have an elderly indoor cat and a senior
>indoor/outdoor cat that rarely leaves the yard. I just received a notice
>from
>my vet that all three of them are due for their vaccinations. Just wondered
>how
>often you would vaccinate them?

That's really a decision you need to make yourself, but there is lots of
information out there to read. Here are a couple of interesting articles:

http://www.blakkatz.com/vaccination.html

http://www.anc.org/editorials/editorials_article.cfm?identifier=2003_0801_va
ccines

Lauren


________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

[PawsForThought]

>From: (Scuba4dk)

>I have read that it is not good to give yearly vaccinations on cats that
>don't
>go outside. I have two one year old kittens who have had all of their kitten
>shots and don't go outside. I have an elderly indoor cat and a senior
>indoor/outdoor cat that rarely leaves the yard. I just received a notice
>from
>my vet that all three of them are due for their vaccinations. Just wondered
>how
>often you would vaccinate them?

That's really a decision you need to make yourself, but there is lots of
information out there to read. Here are a couple of interesting articles:

http://www.blakkatz.com/vaccination.html

http://www.anc.org/editorials/editorials_article.cfm?identifier=2003_0801_va
ccines

Lauren


________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

[Cathy Friedmann]

"Scuba4dk" > wrote in message
...
> I have read that it is not good to give yearly vaccinations on cats that
don't
> go outside. I have two one year old kittens who have had all of their
kitten
> shots and don't go outside. I have an elderly indoor cat and a senior
> indoor/outdoor cat that rarely leaves the yard. I just received a notice
from
> my vet that all three of them are due for their vaccinations. Just
wondered how
> often you would vaccinate them?

When you go to the appt., ask the vet about the pros & cons of the various
vaccines, & the different forms of some of them, too - there are a bunch of
choices involved.

Make sure the vet knows the habits of all of the cats, besides just the new
inside-only kittens; it'll help for him/her to give you insight as to what
your best choices may be for the various cats involved, & if the other cats
might impact what vaccinations you decide on for the kittens. A few years
ago I dropped all but really important - to my cats - vaccines. They no
longer get the FeLV one, for example, because years & years ago the older
one stopped trying to escape out the doors whenever I open them, the
younger one turned out to easily adapt to being inside-only, & they have
access to the outside only on a screened-in porch. So the vets & I decided
that the FeLV vaccine was more risky than it was beneficial to them. My
late eldest cat - at my vets' suggestions, I'd dropped all vaccines in her
last few years except rabies because she'd become chronically ill & we
didn't want to overload her system anymore than it already was.

AFAIK, the rabies vaccine needs a booster one year after the initial one,
even if you then choose to use the 3 year rabies vaccination schedule
instead of one of the annual rabies vax. It's been a long time since I had
young cats, but it's possible that other vaccines (the ones you decide to
keep in the regimen) also need a 1 yr. booster even if you vaccinate only
every 3 years after that.

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon

[Cathy Friedmann]

"Scuba4dk" > wrote in message
...
> I have read that it is not good to give yearly vaccinations on cats that
don't
> go outside. I have two one year old kittens who have had all of their
kitten
> shots and don't go outside. I have an elderly indoor cat and a senior
> indoor/outdoor cat that rarely leaves the yard. I just received a notice
from
> my vet that all three of them are due for their vaccinations. Just
wondered how
> often you would vaccinate them?

When you go to the appt., ask the vet about the pros & cons of the various
vaccines, & the different forms of some of them, too - there are a bunch of
choices involved.

Make sure the vet knows the habits of all of the cats, besides just the new
inside-only kittens; it'll help for him/her to give you insight as to what
your best choices may be for the various cats involved, & if the other cats
might impact what vaccinations you decide on for the kittens. A few years
ago I dropped all but really important - to my cats - vaccines. They no
longer get the FeLV one, for example, because years & years ago the older
one stopped trying to escape out the doors whenever I open them, the
younger one turned out to easily adapt to being inside-only, & they have
access to the outside only on a screened-in porch. So the vets & I decided
that the FeLV vaccine was more risky than it was beneficial to them. My
late eldest cat - at my vets' suggestions, I'd dropped all vaccines in her
last few years except rabies because she'd become chronically ill & we
didn't want to overload her system anymore than it already was.

AFAIK, the rabies vaccine needs a booster one year after the initial one,
even if you then choose to use the 3 year rabies vaccination schedule
instead of one of the annual rabies vax. It's been a long time since I had
young cats, but it's possible that other vaccines (the ones you decide to
keep in the regimen) also need a 1 yr. booster even if you vaccinate only
every 3 years after that.

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon

[-L.]

(Scuba4dk) wrote in message >...
> I have read that it is not good to give yearly vaccinations on cats that don't
> go outside. I have two one year old kittens who have had all of their kitten
> shots and don't go outside. I have an elderly indoor cat and a senior
> indoor/outdoor cat that rarely leaves the yard. I just received a notice from
> my vet that all three of them are due for their vaccinations. Just wondered >how
> often you would vaccinate them?

Since you are asking for personal opinions, I would do the following:

Since one cat does go out and then back inside, I'd vax all with
FVRCP, since those diseases are the most common and easily spread from
cat to cat.

Aditionally, I would vax the cat that goes out for rabies as well, and
if any other cats come in your yard, FeLV, minimally.

-L.

[-L.]

(Scuba4dk) wrote in message >...
> I have read that it is not good to give yearly vaccinations on cats that don't
> go outside. I have two one year old kittens who have had all of their kitten
> shots and don't go outside. I have an elderly indoor cat and a senior
> indoor/outdoor cat that rarely leaves the yard. I just received a notice from
> my vet that all three of them are due for their vaccinations. Just wondered >how
> often you would vaccinate them?

Since you are asking for personal opinions, I would do the following:

Since one cat does go out and then back inside, I'd vax all with
FVRCP, since those diseases are the most common and easily spread from
cat to cat.

Aditionally, I would vax the cat that goes out for rabies as well, and
if any other cats come in your yard, FeLV, minimally.

-L.