Cats and vaccinations

zerosugarbuzz

I've had many cats and take them to the vets when ill and always use flea and worm treatment. I've never gone down the vaccine route, What do you get your cat vaccinated for and why?

Wesser

I do whatever the vet tells me to do and whatever she recommends to give the cat I give her because she has a college degree in veterinary medicine and i want to protect my cat from illnesses.

zerosugarbuzz

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

I've had many cats and take them to the vets when ill and always use flea and worm treatment. I've never gone down the vaccine route, What do you get your cat vaccinated for and why?

The vet sends me a card every year saying the cats vaccinations are due. I bring the cat along, get the vaccination and the vaccination book updated. According to the vaccine record, she gets Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus and FeLV. I think there is another vaccine that is given every few years as well. Have always had cats and have always had them vaccinated. Same with our dog.

PsychoPete

I got my cats vaccinated for the sake of the cats health, they aren't expensive and it's only once a year

zerosugarbuzz

Interesting. My current cat is 12 and has never had an illness. I used to get all the vet suggested done including tests for Feline HIV several times which always came back negative so I stopped. Those tests were over €100 a pop so I would consider them expensive. How old are all your cats. I am a bit suspicious that a lot of these treatments are unnecessary and probably ineffective, no reflection on your decisions of course.

boomerang

Lots of info out there on viral diseases in cats and the very good reasons for vaccinating against them.

Of all of the viruses we can vaccinate against, Feline Leukaemia is the most devastating - and it's ultimately fatal.

It should be given to kittens as part of their primary vaccs, then boosted twelve months after the second kitten vacc. After that, you can tailor the vaccination schedule for FeLV according to lifestyle risk.

It's transmitted principally through bite wounds from infected cats, but can also be transmitted when mating, from mother to kittens, and through close social contact with an infected cat.

irish_goat

You'll need the cats vaccinated if you ever want to leave them in a cattery while you go on holiday too, fyi.

I get what vaccines my vet recommends. Granted I have seen cats live to ripe old ages having never had a vaccine, but I have also see a case of cat AIDS which was not pretty at all. Then cat flu which ripped through our small rural colony of 4 semi-ferals, killing two of them. Just because some cats don't get sick is no reason to assume my current cats wouldn't.

My kitten last year had a reaction to the Feline Leukemia vaccine so it was agreed that in her case, it was safer to leave it out and take our chances. Unfortunately no vaccines in the world offer protection against fast moving vechiles so that little problem sorted itself out...

Graces7

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

Interesting. My current cat is 12 and has never had an illness. I used to get all the vet suggested done including tests for Feline HIV several times which always came back negative so I stopped. Those tests were over €100 a pop so I would consider them expensive. How old are all your cats. I am a bit suspicious that a lot of these treatments are unnecessary and probably ineffective, no reflection on your decisions of course.

The vaccinations vets advise are to protect against infections from other cats. eg enteritis, feline leukaemia. Serious infections.

Many years ago in a different place I used to vaccinate; yes it is expensive for many of us. eg pensioners

Then the vet opined that as my cats were mostly indoors and then as I lived in isolated places, it was and is unnecessary. Out here I have every island cat in my care- all 7 of them and they are all free from infection and no risk.

Before here I was in isolated place where there was little risk. The only time any cat of mine has caught FelEnteritis was in a city suburb in times when very few vaccinated. He was kept in, but he got out … He did survive but it is a horrible illness.

It is a personal decision as you say. The only time it will be essential is if your cat has to go into care for any reason eg holidays when the cattery rightly insists on vaccination against the main infections. I am blessed with neighbours who when I was rushed into hospital cared for mine and would again.

As far ages; my oldest is 16 and in robust health. But when I took him and his 2 littermates in at 3 months they all had feline enteritis caught in the rescue place. A horrible illness and it was sheer hell getting them through it My current 3 street strays are 3-4 and were vaccinated when I took them in by the original rescuer, . The others in between Actually we don't have a regular vet and these have never been near a vet. There is one I can call at need but there has never been any need here.

Foweva Awone

My cats strictly indoor only so I didn't keep them up, I defo would if I'd an outdoor cat though.

My last cat lived to 18.

I got her vaccinated because she liked to go outdoors and so regularly came into contact with other cats who may have had transmittable diseases, so i did it to protect her.

With the exception of the last six months of her life when she developed hyperthyroidism, the only time she ever had to go to the vet outside of annual check up (including dental) was for an eye infection, once. €

(eta) Family member recently got a kitten. First shot was €68, including leukemia, second shot a couple of weeks later was €47. So first set of shots are expensive.

Annual booster given as part of annual check up including dental is €25 per year, which is reasonable enough, imo.

.

Graces7

Deleted User wrote: »

I get what vaccines my vet recommends. Granted I have seen cats live to ripe old ages having never had a vaccine, but I have also see a case of cat AIDS which was not pretty at all. Then cat flu which ripped through our small rural colony of 4 semi-ferals, killing two of them. Just because some cats don't get sick is no reason to assume my current cats wouldn't.

My kitten last year had a reaction to the Feline Leukemia vaccine so it was agreed that in her case, it was safer to leave it out and take our chances. Unfortunately no vaccines in the world offer protection against fast moving vechiles so that little problem sorted itself out...

Ah so sorry. I knew a small colony o f ferals in Donegal way back and an infection ripped through them. One sweet lady came in through my bathroom window so I cared for her in total isolation until she died.

And almost no traffic out here. The occasional tractor

Ms2011

My last cat I got vaccinated up until she was about 8 but then stopped (can't remember why), she lived until 19.

I have a one year old cat who I haven't vaccinated yet but will soon as we have to board her in the summer and they required all cats to be vaccinated.

Graces7

Graces7 wrote: »

Ah so sorry. I knew a small colony o f ferals in Donegal way back and an infection ripped through them. One sweet lady came in through my bathroom window so I cared for her in total isolation until she died.

And almost no traffic out here. The occasional tractor

These lads were four toms who we kept fed and sheltered, until the cat flu hit them, they were too sick to put up a fight anymore and we had a proper cat A&E going on. Three of the four caught it, though only two of them died. One actually recovered, then got sick again, and appeared to die of a heart attack one afternoon. Just stood up and fell down dead.

I've seen what it can do, and could never leave my pet cats unvaccinated.

Nody

Ms2011 wrote: »

My last cat I got vaccinated up until she was about 8 but then stopped (can't remember why), she lived until 19.

I have a one year old cat who I haven't vaccinated yet but will soon as we have to board her in the summer and they required all cats to be vaccinated.

My house has never burned down but I still got a fire insurance for it. Vaccination is not something you wait and see "Oh my cat got this deadly disease so I'll vaccinate my next cat"; it's something you do proactively to reduce the impact if they do get something rather than watch them die horribly from it.

Graces7

Nody wrote: »

My house has never burned down but I still got a fire insurance for it. Vaccination is not something you wait and see "Oh my cat got this deadly disease so I'll vaccinate my next cat"; it's something you do proactively to reduce the impact if they do get something rather than watch them die horribly from it.

If a cat, like mine, or an indoor cat, has no contact with other cats then there is no need to vaccinate. That was my advice from a vet. It would be/ have been totally needless to vaccinate. Vaccines have their own dangers.

Of course if they are outdoor and there are others eg ferals around of course.

My three actually all survived enteritis.

Fire insurance? Bad comparison. No risk to eg my cats.

But as was said way back entirely your choice, taken responsibly in your circumstances for your cats. Not mandatory.

Ms2011

Nody wrote: »

My house has never burned down but I still got a fire insurance for it. Vaccination is not something you wait and see "Oh my cat got this deadly disease so I'll vaccinate my next cat"; it's something you do proactively to reduce the impact if they do get something rather than watch them die horribly from it.

Really cos that wasn't what the lady from the SPCA ( where I adopted my new cat) told me when I asked about vaccinating. She said I can vaccinate if there were alot of other cats and my cat was outside but she certainly didn't push vaccinations like they were "Insurance in case your house burned down".

boomerang

I'm very disappointed that someone in cat rescue would hand out a cat un-vaccinated, and advise the owner that it's optional.

The viruses we group together as "cat flu" can cause life-long respiratory and ocular issues.

Panleukopaenia - while most dangerous to kittens, elderly and debilitated cats, that's as aggressive and life-threatening as canine parvovirus.

Feline Leukaemia - this one is fatal. Even if your cat doesn't mix with other local cats (that you know of) all it takes is one bite from an infected cat. That could be a neighbour's pet, a stray or feral.

Graces7

boomerang wrote: »

I'm very disappointed that someone in cat rescue would hand out a cat un-vaccinated, and advise the owner that it's optional.

The viruses we group together as "cat flu" can cause life-long respiratory and ocular issues.

Panleukopaenia - while most dangerous to kittens, elderly and debilitated cats, that's as aggressive and life-threatening as canine parvovirus.

Feline Leukaemia - this one is fatal. Even if your cat doesn't mix with other local cats (that you know of) all it takes is one bite from an infected cat. That could be a neighbour's pet, a stray or feral.

Does anyone have any stats etc re the actual prevalence of these illnesses? eg in rural, urban areas. ?

No one is downplaying the seriousness. I have actually never vaccinated in the 20 years in Ireland; always in rural /isolated areas. Had I lived in a town my cats would never have been allowed out anyways. And never an issue.

zerosugarbuzz

boomerang wrote: »

I'm very disappointed that someone in cat rescue would hand out a cat un-vaccinated, and advise the owner that it's optional.

The viruses we group together as "cat flu" can cause life-long respiratory and ocular issues.

Panleukopaenia - while most dangerous to kittens, elderly and debilitated cats, that's as aggressive and life-threatening as canine parvovirus.

Feline Leukaemia - this one is fatal. Even if your cat doesn't mix with other local cats (that you know of) all it takes is one bite from an infected cat. That could be a neighbour's pet, a stray or feral.

I may be missing something but how can you vaccinate against feline leukaemia? Is leukaemia not cancer?

zerosugarbuzz

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

I may be missing something but how can you vaccinate against feline leukaemia? Is leukaemia not cancer?

In cats it is caused by a virus.

zerosugarbuzz

Deleted User wrote: »

In cats it is caused by a virus.

Is that the only cancer causing virus known to man or are there others? I find it curious that we can vaccinate cats against aids and leukaemia for many years but not humans, maybe someone can explain.

Wesser

We vaccinate humans against hpv which is a virus that causes cancer