To wonder if cats (including outdoor ones) really need annual vaccinations every year?

It's a bit like humans. If they are going to be locked away and never catch anything or spread anything... Then avoiding vaccinations is fine.

If you are going to inflict yourself or your pets on the general population, then vaccinations are the ethical choice.

I have indoor only cats so I vaccinated as kittens and when we moved them to Thailand, but otherwise I don't worry about it.

If they were to go outdoors I would be religious about it.

I'll also add, my vet follows this stance herself and recommends it.

Is FIV an airborne disease? I know it’s a requirement for cattery stays, but cats all have their own pens in catteries, don’t they? They don’t mix with cats from other households.

I have a cat. She hasn't had vaccinations since 2019 as it was hard to get appointments during Covid and we stopped taking her. She is an outdoor cat but hates other cats and won't go near them (runs away). She's 16 this year. She still has flea and worm treatments.

I’ve had cats for nearly 50 years, at least 3 & up to 5 at a time.
They’ve all been outdoor cats, living rurally & I’ve never vaccinated any cat nor have I ever had a cat suffering from any illnesses that the vaccine is for.
They all lived long, healthy lives.
I do use flea & tick treatment monthly in the summer & worming every 3 months but I’m growing concerned after reading more & more that these treatments may actually be harmful to our pets & even the ecosystem.
I’m seeing on a lot of cat & dog forums that people are not using them anymore except when parasites are actually present.

Never had any of my cats vaccinated annually, they've all had long healthy lives.

Luckily ours is covered under the old Vets 4 Pets lifetime policy which was £99 and covers all vaccinations for life . They no longer do this for new pets and I saw today they charge £67.50 for a vaccine booster. Our insurance also wouldn’t cover any illness that is caused by not vaccinating ( also by not worming ) . We need the cover for the Cattery too.

And I suppose covid was a scam too and childhood vaccinations. You've just been lucky so far.

I've had cats for over 30 years and don't vaccinate after the first few years. All have lived to 19/20 except a feral cat I took in. Current puss is 18 and healthy. I've read that annual vaccinations are unnecessary. Can't remember the source.

Yes it's absolutely essential. One of my cats from 30 years ago caught a disease which she wouldn't have caught if she' had a vaccine and died. I was devastated. I have had every single cat since then vaccinated and you can bring this stuff home from outside.

All of my 5 are annually vaccinated and flea/worm treated as directed- they are out door cats and we have a lot of stays round here. Cat flu is a horrible thing and it would spread like wild fire in the house

I usually vaccinate annually for the first few years, then every 3-4 years after that until they get really old, then I stop. My cats are indoor only and my vet agrees that annual vaccinations aren’t critical.

if they spent any time outdoors I would probably do it more often.

My dog was vaccinated every year as she was outdoors and she went to doggy daycare (it was required with proof and I would have done it regardless because of the close proximity to other dogs)

I’ve never been asked for proof of vaccination and my cat insurance pays out at least twice year for ongoing medication. I would assume if he were to come down with something a vaccine could have prevented then I’d have to cough up but it makes no odds to anything else.
Also a vet demanding vaccine to allow flea/worm treatment is taking the piss. Although this thread has reminded me I should likely start the summer flea treatment, he doesn’t go outside much at all but better safe than sorry.

My 2 cats are 18 and 20 and have never had annual vaccinations. They are outdoor cats. It's a scam.

I have had 2 cats never had jabs lived to 17 and 18 My lovely cat I have at the moment is 17 and in very good health has never had jabs since adopted at 6 months. My vet has never suggested that he should have them. Outdoor cats.

Only kitten jabs. Most cats have lived to 18ish.

It's never occurred to me not to vaccinate my cats, but one goes absolutely nuts the minute the needle touches her - we ended up with blood pouring from the vets hand last time 😳 - so I may have a rethink about keeping it up, as she'll be 8 this year.

Great example of tautology in title!

The dog gets vaccinated as necessary because she travels with us and it's a requirement, says on her passport when she had her last vaccinations.

The cats had their kitten jabs and then nothing since. All outdoor cats (although the boys barely set foot out the front door). I only do tick treatment during tick season, and check them all every single day. We've only had fleas once, I treated them (and all the bedding etc) and haven't done anything since. I should give the girlcat worming pills as she regularly catches and eats mice while she's out..

Wow, this is an eye opener. I've always vaccinated mine, never occurred to me not to! We pay a monthly fee that includes a yearly check up and boosters and flea treatment.

I've just changed my pet insurance for one of mine and all of the ones I looked at on moneysavingsupermarket said this " like most pet insurance policies, typically does not cover routine vaccinations. These are considered preventative measures and are usually not covered by pet insurance. However, keeping your pet's vaccinations up to date can be beneficial, as it may qualify you for lower premiums, and failing to do so could impact your ability to make claims for related illnesses"

apart from puppy and kitten vaccinations I have never vaccinated my pets.
It has never been an issue with my pet insurance.

My outdoor cat is 16 next month and never had annual vaccinations either. 🤷‍♂️

I’ve never vaccinated my cats and they’ve lived to be 19, 20, and current ones are 14 and 15. Outdoor cats.