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

[lookingforshoes]

Please note: I vaccinate my cat, and I am very happy to continue to vaccinate my cat. She is doted upon and I take far better care of her than I do myself tbh! So please don’t come after me.

That said, I am wondering, hypothetically, how necessary annual vaccinations really are for cats? Would they not build up a good level of immunity after the first few jabs and thereafter need a booster every few years?

I always do as my vet advises, but just thinking about it, it would be in the interests of veterinary pharmaceutical companies to recommend regular vaccination wouldn’t it, so long as it didn’t actually do any harm. But is there really any benefit?

If you want them to stay in catteries then it is a must, although having said that my two have never been in a cattery. I'm not sure, maybe they get to a certain age and have immunity but probably not from the FIV

Your post isn't clear. Is your cat an indoor cat who never goes to the CATTERY and doesn't have contact with other cats ?

I’m asking a general question, not about my cat specifically.

Wondering if such regular vaccinations are really necessary for cats’ health.

I mentioned outdoor cats in my title as I do know that some indoor cat owners forego vaccinations as their cats never meet other cats.

I have had cats my whole life - living rurally. Beyond their kitten jabs my cats never go to the vets unless they are injured. My past cats lived to 19, 2 (got run over), 23 and 22 and my current ones are 13/14.

They were all outdoor cats

Had cats all my life. They have the kitten jabs but that’s it. All have been long lived and healthy. Only one or two have ever had to see a vet for an injury, most sadly to be PTS as they got very old and thinks like strokes got them.

All have been outdoor cats, rurally and in towns.

My cat does not have annual jabs. She had her kitten one and ones after we brought her home from the rescue. Other than that she has never been to the vet. She is 12. I have pet insurance and i will take her if she is ill. I do flea and tick at home from Amazon.

I asked the vet about that as my cat was indoor due to a long term health condition and it seemed cruel to me to drag him to vet for unnecessary appointments.

Vet advised that they would still recommend the usual vaccines/flea treatment etc as us humans can bring the virus/fleas eggs into the home on our shoes.

She is outdoorish as in she goes out but chooses not to go anywhere other than our gardens.

Perhaps you should have posted in the Litter Box section? You might get more responses there.

Never jabbed my cats apart from the kitten ones. They’re indoor though and don’t come in to contact with any other animals. MILs cat is about 18 too, also indoor and hasn’t had any jabs other than the kitten ones. I wouldn’t bother with it personally.

Well, they always will, they are selling them to you.

Our vet said he would never bother to vaccinate his own cats

I've not had a cat for many years now but I had my beautiful girl for 14 years
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I used to get her vaccinated so that she could go to the cattery occasionally.

And even after I no longer ever used a cattery I continued with the vaccinations because she was always an outdoor cat and she came into contact with a lot of other cats because of that. Including at one place I lived where there was a large feral colony nearby.

To add it is recommended policy by all cat organisations that cats who mix with others are vaccinated. To not do so is to endanger other cats. It's like anti vaxxers with children.

You can choose to vaccinate based on risk. Indoor cats have much lower risk of Feline Leukaemia virus (Spread in saliva) so you can choose not to have that.

In the UK only cat flu vaccine is given yearly (Calici and herpes viruses). FeLV and Panleucopaenia is given every three years.

You need flu and panleukopenia vaccine for most catteries are they spread by sneezing and poo respectively.

If people choose not to vaccinate pets, I would strongly recommend a health check once a year anyway. We often see people who say "oh they've never been to the vets" and we discover the pet has lost/gained significant weight, has a heart murmur, has a "lump" or most frequently has advanced dental disease.

So by this thinking we shouldn't immunise babies or children or even adults?

You could titre test to see if they have built up enough antibodies and don’t need the vaccinations anymore. Without titre testing it’s impossible to know so you vaccinate to be on the safe side - not because they necessarily need it.

They're not given all the vaccines every year. There's only 1 they need yearly, the other 2 are given every 3 years nowadays. The yearly booster appointments are about more than a vaccine, they're a health check for your pets who age a lot quicker than us. Problems like sore mouths etc which can often go unnoticed by owners are often picked up at these appointments.

Interesting question.

I also wonder about the 3-monthly flea/tick/worm treatments. I'm sure they are good protection for the cat as my (city) garden includes loads of cats and other mammals (badgers, foxes, squirrels). And my cat has actually had a tick once. However I read an article saying that these strong pet insecticides are getting into the ecosystem and damaging the natural balance of insect life. This makes me feel sad/guilty.

He doesn't sound like a very responsible vet. The below is from a specific vaccination statement.

" We have a legal and moral responsibility to protect the animals in our care from pain, suffering and disease "

My last 2 cats had annual vaccinations because when I got them from the rescue I got Vets4Pets Vac for Life - you pay one amount and then have free boosters for life as long as you don't forget one year! I don't know if they still offer it though. Before that I have to admit I just had the kitten ones and then took them in if I needed them to go to a cattery. Mine have only lived to about 16 years though, annual vaccinations or not - not the twenty odd years you hear about.

If you have pet insurance, that usually requires you to keep vaccinations up to date.

How would you know when they don't need it? When they catch something and get ill or die?

I stopped annual vaccinations for my cat many years ago as she was never reliable enough to appear on the day I booked the appointment and I didn’t went to keep her trapped in a room the night before just to ensure she was still there. She’s 17 now and looks super healthy still.