Cat owners

[Princess16]

Do you get your cat vaccinated every year? I ask because I get my cat done every year but a couple of friends have said they don't bother as their cat never goes to Cattery (one friend's cat is 21 this year!) I always thought you got them vaccinated if they went out because of picking up diseases. Interested to hear what others think as it's not cheap I know.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Yes, every year. We have loads of ferals in the area and my cat will make friends with them, so it's the right thing for my cat.

 

[npage123]

Oh yes, every year without fail

 

[hackneylass2]

Every year, although mine are all indoor cats. You never know what cat owning friends may bring in the house, or you may need them to go into a cattery in an emergency.
Its peace of mind for me.

 

[Honey08]

No. Our vet says they don't need them really after the first three years. I trust his judgement, he's a good vet. We've never had a cat that's had them, and they've all lived to good ages. I can't imagine ever putting them in kennels, I'm more likely to have a house sitter for my bunch.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Every year, as boarding you have too and to protect them againts fiv and felv and leukaemia and cat flu


All the above are too easy to catch if your cat is out vacinated and apart from Cats Protection, the other charities pts if they have them.

Would not with hold vacines from my cat(s)

 

[SusieT]

honey 08- you might want to change vets...
Yes every year.

 

[EmmaC78]

I vaccinate both of mine, one is an indoor cat and one is an outdoor cat.

 

[PorkChop]

I don't anymore, but she is 18

 

[JillA]

I do but I am aware of new research relating to dogs which fund that routine boosters last far longer than it was originally thought. I can only assume it might well relate to cats too.

 

[SusieT]

ljr- interested to hear why you think your 18 year old no longer needs boosters - what is this based on?

 

[Honey08]

honey 08- you might want to change vets...
Yes every year.

No I don't. He is the best small animal vet I've ever come across. By miles. He's done some really fantastic work on our animals, charges half of what other vets charge, calls at our house for free and really knows his stuff.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Many vets wont do leukaemia after the age of 15

 

[AmyMay]

No. Once they reach a certain age I stop.

 

[Leo Walker]

No I don't. He is the best small animal vet I've ever come across. By miles. He's done some really fantastic work on our animals, charges half of what other vets charge, calls at our house for free and really knows his stuff.

Hes also right, based on the most current research Mine aren't done every year either, and neither are the dogs

 

[SusieT]

you might want to ask him on what he bases the age of three for stopping their vaccinations... Him being half the price tells me all I need to know tbh - given the number of cats infected with vaccinateable diseases I find it fascinating that people take an arbitary number and decide that (despite deeply loving their cats and providing them with everything otherwise) this is the number that they 'probably' have good immunity with no knowledge to back it up.
Him being half the price tells me all I need to know tbh

 

[SusieT]

ps- not every vaccine needs done every year but some do .

 

[Honey08]

you might want to ask him on what he bases the age of three for stopping their vaccinations... Him being half the price tells me all I need to know tbh - given the number of cats infected with vaccinateable diseases I find it fascinating that people take an arbitary number and decide that (despite deeply loving their cats and providing them with everything otherwise) this is the number that they 'probably' have good immunity with no knowledge to back it up.
Him being half the price tells me all I need to know tbh

It tells me he doesn't rip you off and treat/charge when he doesn't need to. He has found things and treated them when the previous vets, who charged three times as much, missed them, so your cost theory is pants! He took my run over cat, rebuilt it's legs and pelvis with pins and plates, kept him at his own house over Xmas while I was on a six day work trip and dropped him to and from the surgery in his own car several time or did house visits. The cost was £300. I have several friends that have moved to him lately as their expensive vets weren't getting to the bottom of issues. He has found the problem every time. My only complaint is that he doesn't do horses and I have to use the expensive vet for them!

But if you're happy because your vet is expensive and that reassures you SusieT whoopiedoo for you.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Old cat who used to go outside we stopped at about age 12. 2 current ones are house cats though are allowed into the garden under supervision have them yearly one is 8 and the other 14 as there are a lot of strange cats that come into the garden nowadays.

 

[HashRouge]

We do, largely because there are a lot of cats in this area and our male cat is always out and about and comes into contact with lots of other cats. Our girl cat probably wouldn't need them if she was our only cat as she doesn't go out much and is very shy of other cats, but as we have the male cat she gets done too. I don't know if they definitely need doing every year or not, but I think we'd be too scared to take the risk because we absolutely adore our cats. Until someone shows me definitive evidence that they definitely don't need doing every year, they'll keep having their annual vaccines just in case.

Although I took them for their vaccinations last week and it was so horrendous I'd happily never show my face at the vets again haha! Our female cat was sick in the car AND had a poo, so first thing I had to do on arrival was sort that out, then she looked so pitiful and had covered herself in dribble and had some sick on her paws that I'm sure the vet thought she we didn't look after her at all. While she was being examined our male cat was hiding under a cupboard after escaping while being weighed and wouldn't come out . He then managed to climb inside the cupboard (which for some inexplicable reason had a hole in the bottom) and wedged himself between two computer monitors. Took us ages to get him out! He was then so violent towards the vet that a nurse with elbow length gloves on had to come and put him in a crush cage so he could have his jabs . I don't think the vet believed me when I said at home he is the biggest softest, cuddliest cat ever! He really is though, I wasn't lying! Still, I figure the annual horror show is worth it if it keeps them healthy.

 

[hackneylass2]

I'm not up on the latest research, but I would have thought the older a cat gets, the more he would probably need protection from protectable diseases.

Vaccination boosters are not expensive when you think of the peace of mind they offer, I would not be able to live with myself if I thought I'd saved a good few quid in the past but one of my cats got a preventable by vaccination disease. My cats are indoor/outdoor in garden on a leash, but who knows what can be brought in underfoot or from visitors who cats? I won't risk it.

As for 'cheap but great' vets. I used to have one and miss him terribly after he retired. He said to me once, 'I like to think I am a good vet, but I know I am a very poor businessman'. He was passionate about cats and horses. He used to request latest papers from Liverpool and read all the latest research and consulted with experts in Europe when one of my cats very sadly got FIP in the early 80's. All 'legwork' no charge. he often told me pay when you can, and when he looked after my very old mare he charged drug costs only. He never once charged for euthanasia even tho it was always carried out at my home. Why? he told me he could not possibly bill anyone when they had just lost a friend. I doubt I will ever find a gem like him again, but I'm sure there are more like him around. Not everyone is just out for profit.

 

[Emma_H]

Having seen my brother's cat die from Feline Leukemia I don't hesitate to vaccinate.

My old girl in her last year didn't go out at all so that was the only time I didn't.

 

[MagicMelon]

I do, even though my two cats only go out into my fenced back patio and never meet other cats. Better to be careful in my opinion, I'd be gutted if they got ill from something I could have avoided.