Cat injections? Do you all bother with them?

[meaningofnight]

Are the annual booster injections really necessary? I ask because one of my cats just refuses to get in a carrying box and so it's really hard to get her to the vet's.

Last time my husband and son spent ages trying to put her in and they got really peed off and royally scratched and bitten.

I tried again with a new bigger box and lots of food treats but she just won't have it at any price.

So she has missed her booster. She goes outside, but not far (a bit lazy).

Does it matter is she remains un boostered?

My cat is the same, so I've taken to taking her in the car on a harness (works as long as someone else is driving) - I sit her on my lap and keep a tight hold on the lead so she can't jump on the driver etc. If you think your cat would be able to sit still on your lap this might work (my cat has never tried to get up and move around the car, might not work if yours did...)

My cats are indoors cats. I don't need to get them vacinated do I? They can't get outside and don't come into contact with any other animal, so we're ok aren't we?

No but she is a housecat and once had an extreme allergic reaction to her boosters and almost died.

I am only saying this so that if anyone else's cat seems very unwell after the jags dont be fobbed off like we were. We were told it was normal : it wasnt. Ended up going for 2nd opinion and needing anti inflammatries, antibiotics, painkillers etc and she couldnt move or walk and we had to squeeze water from a sponge against her lips so keep her hydrated.

Like I say boosters are v important for most cats but keep an eye on them after they've had them.

Silverymoon I've never had any indoor cats but my mum has two, and she gets them done every year just incase (but she also puts them in the cattery once a year, so it's mandatory for that). But if you don't have a big stray problem in your area (i.e you don't get lots of strays in your garden or on your doorstep) and they don't go outside at all, you should be absolutely fine

The problem is when you have unprotected cats that go outside, as it only takes a quick scrap with an infected cat to pass on an illness (and some don't even need that much, as they're passed on in the environment). And believe me, it costs a lot more to cure the illness than to get the boosters. We rescued our two cats from a farm when they were 6 weeks old, where they had been left for dead. They had severe cat flu and the vet said if we hadn't taken them, they'd have been dead within a day or so. It was touch and go for a while (as well as the cat flu they also had worms, fleas, mites and ulcers in their mouths and throats), so they spent the first week in the vets and were on antibiotic injections for weeks afterwards. They weren't well enough to have their vaccinations until they were 4 months old. It cost us hundreds to get them better (but they were worth every penny ), and because the virus stays in their system once they've been infected, it can flare up again any time their immune system is a bit low. It isn't covered by our insurance either, as it was a pre-existing condition

Our cat is terrible to get into cat box - even with a towel . she is coming up to 19 and hasn't had a booster/annual jabs in a good few years. She is still going strong and has had very few things wrong with her unlike her brother who had thyroids out and daily tablets for kidney problem for the last 4 yrs of his life.

The vet said every 18 months or so or injections as they got older as they dont go out as much.

Ok just had devil cat vaccinated. Cost £91. Got her in the new larger box with the aid of a towel (thanks for that tip). She wailed from our house to the vet's and then - once on the vet's table- became all docile and sweet. Now she's sitting on my lap purring, so all OK.
I find it interesting that those amongst you who do not bother with an annual booster for whatever reason have not had cats who developed illnesses. Perhaps just a coincidence? However there is a school of thought that says it is actually harmful to inject them every year. I am not brave enough to go with that (hence the struggling to get to the vet) but it makes 'yer think don't it?
Anyway thanks to all of you for the wise words.

lol @ the devil cat turning into an angel at the vets, they're such clever wee buggers! I think their sole aim in life is to make us feel like neurotic loons!

I tend to think of the vaccinations like choosing whether or not to have safe sex - yes there's a chance little timmy won't catch anything, but it only takes one dirty pussy

i had a cat when i was younger, the only time i can remember her ever going to the vet was when she was taken at the grand age of 21 to be pts
she had never had any jabs and we lived in a very built up area and she had no problems health wise, ever.

i don't have my cats done as i am sceptical, just like your dh OP

Even if the injection was a waste of £91 at least it gave the chance for the vet to weigh the evil one and find that she is far too fat. Glad DH wasn't there because he always says she is a fat lazy greed monster and I always say no she's not she's just heavy.

Now she's got to go on a diet - not easy when she steals the other cat's food all the time. No kidding in the morning she wails for food at the top of her voice and climbs up my legs to scream in my face.

Apparently she is too fat to wash her own back and I am .

Bloody expensive weigh-in though!

I don't think there's anything to be sceptical about - these diseases do exist and there is a chance of catching them if unvaccinated, simple facts. Some areas are more prone to disease than others, and some cats aren't the sociable type so aren't likely to come into direct contact with infected cats, so yes some cats will be healthy all their lives without any vaccines. But all this means is that they are lucky. I could go to a tropical country ten times without having my jabs, and chances are I wouldn't catch anything, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. And at least if I choose not to have my jabs and I caught something, I'd only cause suffering to myself. An animal can't get it's own vaccinations, or choose to be wormed or have flea treatment, so I do these things for my pets to keep them healthy and safe. I would never forgive myself if one of my animals got ill because I didn't bother with preventative measures. I would rather be 100% sure they wouldn't catch something than have a 1% risk that they would.

I'm glad most people do vaccinate their animals - really this is the first time I've realised some people choose not to, and to be honest I'm a bit shocked by it! I guess if you're lucky enough to never have seen an animal suffering from one of these illnesses, the vaccinations might not seem as important But I'm happier to pay for peace of mind.

She must do this while you're out

Ha ha yes I think she must!

She's got a gut like a rugby ball.

We took on my dh's family cats, and I was under the naive impression that jabs for cats were like those for humans (ie done in childhood and then never again). Six months later one of them got cat flu. He struggled on for a bit with antibiotics and then died. My dh was incredibly upset, and it was totally avoidable. So then we always had our cats done for flu. A few years later all the cats around us got FIV (the leukemia one) and one after another they died. Our vet had set there wasn't much of it around our way and not to worry about it, but the there was obviously a bit of an outbreak. Both our cats died within a few months of each other after being really very ill (and one of them was only about 7). They were lovely cats and I was incredibly upset.

Now we get every jab available.