Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

How many of you do boosters for your cats ?

160 replies

BigButtons · 15/03/2026 08:48

I expect a number of strong responses to this question. How many do yearly boosters after the initial kitten jabs?

OP posts:
Janey90 · 15/03/2026 09:23

ICanLiveWithIt · 15/03/2026 09:15

That's another question... How many people insure their cat?

My cat is vaccinated and insured

Starlight40 · 15/03/2026 09:23

Mine are house cats but we have the boosters otherwise their insurance would be invalid. If they weren’t insured I wouldn’t bother.

Vermin · 15/03/2026 09:24

Current cats are insured and vaxxed but are only coming up to 2 so first set of actual boosters. Last cats were insured and not vaxxed after first three years. There was a lot of press back then about how the annual booster was a vet finance booster first and foremost and that it was not generally necessary. Never had an issue with claiming on insurance not any illness and both lived to be older than 18. I will probably boost these two.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Chemenger · 15/03/2026 09:25

I think there is some evidence that older cats that have been regularly vaccinated maintain immunity to some or all of the diseases. I was told this by a very respected professor of feline medicine but I don’t remember the details. I suspect this is something vets are not that keen to publicise, like the concerns about environmental contamination from flea treatments.

eurochick · 15/03/2026 09:25

We don’t. They are indoor cats so no contact with other cats. We did it when they were younger and planned to let them out sometimes but they have no interest in the outdoors so we don’t. One is very nervous and the vet thought she had a heart problem as she was so stressed when we took her for spaying it is not worth it.

we have a cat sitter for holidays.

We would do it if they were outdoor cats

Janey90 · 15/03/2026 09:27

EverardDeTroyes · 15/03/2026 09:17

The single most traumatic experience of my life was watching my beloved childhood companion die of cat flu (in the days before vaccination) so yes, I always have my cats vaccinated every year. I am not so hot on fleaing and worming and I never take them for the free 6 monthly check up as just the act of going to the vet stresses them too much, but the annual booster is non negotiable.

My previous cat had a really bad dose of cat flu, despite being vaccinated, and nearly died. We made him a bed in the airing cupboard, my local vet very kindly did a few house-calls as he was so poorly. He was less than a year old at the time and maybe this helped him survive. He lived to be 17!

BigButtons · 15/03/2026 09:29

dastardlydani · 15/03/2026 09:21

@BigButtons its pointless asking on MNs as you will just get responses from those that do.

I don't have any pets now & my cat was insured, boosted etc but I know its not the norm.

I did wonder this- I am trying to find cheaper options because that kind of money is ridiculous.

OP posts:
han6729 · 15/03/2026 09:29

BigButtons · 15/03/2026 09:18

I think you are right. The vet wants £228 to do my three and that is with a discount.

One of the reasons we don’t have 3! That’s a good price for 3. Of course we vaccinate. We pay into the monthly pet plan at the vet’s.

LauraNorda · 15/03/2026 09:37

We haven't injected any of our cats, ever. The ones we get from the rescue centre have probably been vaccinated but once they come to us, thats it.

We have had well over a dozen cats in the last 30 years and all bar one have lived until their mid to late teens.

BigButtons · 15/03/2026 09:37

han6729 · 15/03/2026 09:29

One of the reasons we don’t have 3! That’s a good price for 3. Of course we vaccinate. We pay into the monthly pet plan at the vet’s.

I had 2 from the litter originally but took another in when his adoption didn’t work out.

OP posts:
Miskast · 15/03/2026 09:37

BigButtons · 15/03/2026 09:18

I think you are right. The vet wants £228 to do my three and that is with a discount.

I don't think £75 per cat is bad, including the vet's time and health check. It's just X3 adds so much.

WonderingWanda · 15/03/2026 09:39

We do, we pay a monthly fee of about £15 and for that get flea and worming treatment, vaccines and health checks (6 monthly telling off about his weight and that he bites the vet). We are surrounded by fields and ticks so have to keep up the flea treatments and have the one which kills ticks as well because trying to remove them on a daily basis from our cat is no fun for anyone. Also the cattery requires vaccines....and the one time we forgot the flea treatment he came back from the cattery with fleas.

likelysuspect · 15/03/2026 09:42

We did this year but dont normally, I dont think its that necessary. We never did it years ago, these are bog standard moggies

We had to with one of our cats one year because we were adopting a second cat from RSPCA and they wanted evidence that our current cat was vaccinated so of she had to go to get it done

We have never insured any of our pets, we pay as we go.

It wasnt a thing years ago.

BigButtons · 15/03/2026 09:50

Good to get a variety of views. None of my friends do boosters. My partner think I should suck it up this year because they are 16 months old and still relatively young. But not to bother after that.
Am enquiring with a local vets for pets in the hope they might be cheaper.
i used to be eligible for the PDSA- sadly no longer meet the criteria but am not exactly rolling in money.

OP posts:
BigButtons · 15/03/2026 09:52

LauraNorda · 15/03/2026 09:37

We haven't injected any of our cats, ever. The ones we get from the rescue centre have probably been vaccinated but once they come to us, thats it.

We have had well over a dozen cats in the last 30 years and all bar one have lived until their mid to late teens.

Amazing. We had loads of cats growing up and I don’t think any of them had boosters. All lived to a good age.

OP posts:
leaflikebrew · 15/03/2026 09:57

Nope - not vaccinated or insured.

But treated with vet prescribed flea and worming stuff.

2 cats who don't ever go to a cattery.

Wolfiefan · 15/03/2026 09:58

If you can’t afford the basics for your cats then you can’t afford to keep all three. Hoping they are at least neutered and chipped.

BigButtons · 15/03/2026 09:58

Wolfiefan · 15/03/2026 09:58

If you can’t afford the basics for your cats then you can’t afford to keep all three. Hoping they are at least neutered and chipped.

Not everyone sees yearly boosters as basics though

OP posts:
loriat · 15/03/2026 10:00

Ours is an indoor cat, but we always have the annual vaccinations. He sometimes goes to a cattery and they wouldn’t accept him without them. Last time he went to the cattery he came home with cat flu, he was quite unwell even with the vaccine so I guess he would has been even worse without it.

Ithinkofawittyusernamethenforgetit · 15/03/2026 10:04

BigButtons · 15/03/2026 09:50

Good to get a variety of views. None of my friends do boosters. My partner think I should suck it up this year because they are 16 months old and still relatively young. But not to bother after that.
Am enquiring with a local vets for pets in the hope they might be cheaper.
i used to be eligible for the PDSA- sadly no longer meet the criteria but am not exactly rolling in money.

Edited

It’s an annual check, with booster. They do get quite a comprehensive examination - if I were you I’d definitely do it this year. I appreciate about having 3 (that’s why people shouldn’t judge until they hear your full story) I was having one of my friend’s kittens and another person pulled out, had to think really carefully but managed to budget for two! Love them ❤️

Wolfiefan · 15/03/2026 10:08

No. Some people are idiots. I’m guessing they aren’t chipped and neutered either then.

Trampoline · 15/03/2026 10:12

My pet insurance is now v pricey but I've had such high vet bills that I'd never risk not having it. I also had a cat needing radioidine treatment which cost thousands. @Chemenger - haven't met anyone else who had it before!
Even blood tests and scans (which in cats usually requires a general anaesthetic) costs several hundred pounds. Elderly cats = vet fees.

BigButtons · 15/03/2026 10:19

Wolfiefan · 15/03/2026 10:08

No. Some people are idiots. I’m guessing they aren’t chipped and neutered either then.

Stop making things up

OP posts:
Sunshineandrainbow · 15/03/2026 10:22

No we don't, our cat is 7.

Last cat died at age 21 and never went to the vets apart from to have a tooth out and then to be PTS.

MasculineProviderEnergy · 15/03/2026 10:23

My 15 year old cat doesn't have boosters anymore. He's chipped, neutered and insured. Recently the insurers paid for his heart scans after an "event", and his dental work. He has yearly check-ups.