Vaccinations.. What is your opinion?

[fizzletto]

We never got William vaccinated once in his whole life. He turned up at our door when he was about 3 years old and my parents didn't have a clue that cats needed regular vaccinations so he never had any. They never de-flead him either.

By the time I found out that cats should be vaccinated yearly and de-flead regularly (probably when I was about 13 years old?) William was already 12 years old so I just thought well he's gone this long and been OK, he's probably just a tough nut to crack. I was right too, he died at age 18 from inevitable old age complications and never once had fleas or any kind of illness that a vaccination would've prevented in his entire life. He was an outdoor cat and spent a lot of time outside the house.

I strongly suspect, however, that William was the exception, not the rule, so I decided not to choose this approach with my younger ones. Cookie gets vaccinated yearly, and we haven't even had Minka for a year yet but she's going to have the same treatment. They both get their Stronghold protection against fleas, worms, ear-mites and all number of parasites once a month, too. I'm not taking any chances with my babies... I raised them from 3 months old and I would never forgive myself if anything happened to either of them caused by something I did, or failed to do.

[CJinCA]

My kitties are indoor-only had had all their shots before I got them. I don't plan to vaccinate, although I'm not sure what the local laws say about rabies. My girls don't come into contact with other animals. I suppose there is an off-chance a mouse could get in. I've seen mice out back running across the parking lot, but no signs of them in the house or garage. The Terminex folks have bait traps in the back and the front (paid for by the HOA).

They're due for their checkup next month, so may be an interesting conversation with the vet, as I'm sure she'll notice its past time for shots.

[scottd]

Originally Posted by CJinCA

My kitties are indoor-only had had all their shots before I got them. I don't plan to vaccinate, although I'm not sure what the local laws say about rabies. My girls don't come into contact with other animals. I suppose there is an off-chance a mouse could get in. I've seen mice out back running across the parking lot, but no signs of them in the house or garage. The Terminex folks have bait traps in the back and the front (paid for by the HOA).

They're due for their checkup next month, so may be an interesting conversation with the vet, as I'm sure she'll notice its past time for shots.

What about bats?

[Pushkabounce]

That long post was very interesting!

I'm swaying more for once every 3 years after kitten vaccs.. hmm..

[CJinCA]

What about bats?

Its probably less likely my girls would come in contact with bats as they are indoor only kitties and this is a fairly new well built home. I've never seen bats in this area, but they usually come out after dark don't they....

This from the health dept web site:

In California, bats, skunks and foxes are the wild animals most likely to test positive for rabies. Coyotes, raccoons and opossums can also transmit rabies. Occasionally, domestic animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits and horses, cattle, goats and sheep can be infected with the rabies virus. Small rodents, such as squirrels, rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils and chipmunks are seldom infected with rabies.

I have seen skunks and racoons around here, not near the house, but I saw racoons in the park across the street. My husband got chased by a skunk when he lived in santa cruz. It was next to the garbage can and he was taking ot the garbage...skinned his knee running up and tripping on the deck to get away!

[scottd]

Originally Posted by CJinCA

Its probably less likely my girls would come in contact with bats as they are indoor only kitties and this is a fairly new well built home. I've never seen bats in this area, but they usually come out after dark don't they....

This from the health dept web site:

In California, bats, skunks and foxes are the wild animals most likely to test positive for rabies. Coyotes, raccoons and opossums can also transmit rabies. Occasionally, domestic animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits and horses, cattle, goats and sheep can be infected with the rabies virus. Small rodents, such as squirrels, rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils and chipmunks are seldom infected with rabies.

I have seen skunks and racoons around here, not near the house, but I saw racoons in the park across the street. My husband got chased by a skunk when he lived in santa cruz. It was next to the garbage can and he was taking ot the garbage...skinned his knee running up and tripping on the deck to get away!

Yes, they come out at night. They can get in your house. They bite too. If a human is bitten and you don't have the bat to be tested, you generally have to get post-exposure prophylaxis. If a cat isn't vaccinated, they can possibly contract rabies too and to my knowledge there are no treatment options after possible exposure in cats.