Do indoor cats need to be vaccinated?

[Plumkettle]

She is a Burmie. We live in a maisonette with a courtyard and after a few attempts with a fancy but hugely complicated route to the great outside, she hasn't ventured beyond the patio in four years.

Anyway, I was chatting to a fellow cat loving friend who was concerned that she hasn't been vaccinated since she was 2.

I'm mortified! I love my baby kittie (yes, she's still a baby to me!) and would never do anything to hurt her.

I guess I just thought that since she doesn't go outside and have contact with other cats she wouldn't be at risk and therefore doesn't need vaccinating.

Whenever she's had her jabs in the past she's been really quiet for a few days and so I thought I was doing the right thing.

Yes all cats both indoor and outdoor need to be vaccinated. People/other pets can bring germs in from the outside which could make your cat very poorly if she's not protected.

Yes, but not as many vacs as outdoor cats.

diodati is correct in that indoor cats can get away with fewer vaccinations, I still got mine completely vaccinated as they did occasionally go out. One got locked out of the house one night and spent the night in the back yard so I was glad she was vaccinated.

One of my cats tested negative for FIV and then tested positive a few years later so it is possible for indoor cats to pick up diseases even with limited access to other people and animals.

Yes all cats should be vaccinated. Indoor cats have been known to escape.

Also no cattery will take an unvaccinated cat and I don't think the vets would be happy to have one in their care.

Mine are both vaccinated religiously every year. But lax on the flea and worm treatment I must admit.

Our cats are indoor cars and our wonderful vet doesn't recommend vaccination. He's also not a fan of annual vaccinations, as research has shown that protection lasts longer than 12 months.

He cites the risk of injection site sarcoma as a reason for caution.

It's worth checking your insurance, as that may well be invalidated if the cat isn't regularly vaccinated.

I am paranoid as mine are my PFCs so I intend to get them vaccinated once a year, and de-flea and worm at the same time so it's all on a routine - obviously I'll watch out for flea & worm signs anyway, as I visit homes with cats that go out.

Mine was indoor til relatively recently and I kept her vaccinations up to date mainly as she goes to a cattery a few times a year when I go away for longer than a weekend. Also flea treatments - I live in an old house and so there's a risk of catching fleas from other, um, uninvited residents! I'd take the advice of your bet - the posts above show it isn't completely cut and dried.

Depending on your policy, insurance isn't invalidated. However, they won't cover your for any sickness which could have been prevented by vaccination.

One of mine is vaccinated as we adopted him as a 2yo, the other isn't and I have no intentions of doing so. Both are given regular flea and worm treatments, but they are both in good health and our vet hasn't made a big deal out of it - just said it's our choice as they don't go out.

Mine don't go to catteries and get looked after by relatives if we go away, so I've never seen it to be necessary.

Ours are house cats with access to safe outdoor spaces (but we don't have any visiting cats) and don't vaccinate every year now. Having had a cat with injection site sarcoma I'd much rather vaccinate less frequently than jab them every year regardless.