# Do you vaccinate your cats?



## Honey08 (26 September 2013)

Just wondering.  Have never bothered in the past.  Cats will never go in a cattery and are in a rural area where they don't come into contact with many other cats (two at most)...


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (26 September 2013)

Yes ours get done for anything and everything that they possibly can.

We are out in the sticks but do get a lot of other cats poking their noses in; so get them done every year.

But the main reason is that basically IMO I think it shows good faith in the vets; for example if (god forbid) we have to take one of the cats in for an emergency, the vet will have seen the animal, know that its been seen regularly by the practice and therefore know its history. Plus, yes, actually, we DON'T want them picking something up that could easily be avoided.


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## dogatemysalad (26 September 2013)

No, I never have in over 50 years of owning cats. Only time they ever saw a vet was to be neutered, they've been hardy and healthy, touch wood.


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## Moomin1 (26 September 2013)

Definately vaccinate.  I see far too many cats harbouring disease and spreading it around (even if just in contact with one or two, it's still one or two, not none) and the picture isn't pretty or a good outcome for many. :-(


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## GlamourPuss86 (26 September 2013)

Yup he's a walking disaster area!


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## NinjaPony (26 September 2013)

Yes, I adore my cat and want to protect him from everything I can. He used to be a "fit and healthy" cat for about 6 years before becoming diabetic, now the poor sod is glucose tested most weeks at the vet and has nearly died twice. Luckily he is a fighter! So after everything I'm not about to stop something as simple as a vaccination.


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## Moomin1 (26 September 2013)

dogatemysalad said:



			No, I never have in over 50 years of owning cats. Only time they ever saw a vet was to be neutered, they've been hardy and healthy, touch wood.
		
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I find it truly remarkable that in 50 years of cat owning, not one of your cats has fallen ill, required a vet exam, meds, a dental, or euthanasia! ;-)


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## cptrayes (26 September 2013)

dogatemysalad said:



			No, I never have in over 50 years of owning cats. Only time they ever saw a vet was to be neutered, they've been hardy and healthy, touch wood.
		
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Honey08 said:



			Just wondering.  Have never bothered in the past.  Cats will never go in a cattery and are in a rural area where they don't come into contact with many other cats (two at most)...
		
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Only 30 years for me, but same.


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## SusieT (26 September 2013)

yes, particularly with outdoor cats it's extremely important, they are no less prone to the diseases you vaccinate against than dogs (for their respective diseases) and in fact as they tend to roam more and other cats roam nearby they are probably more likely. They are very nasty diseases and it costs about 20-25 quid to vaccinate yearly, stupid and irresponsible not to.


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## cptrayes (27 September 2013)

SusieT said:



			yes, particularly with outdoor cats it's extremely important, they are no less prone to the diseases you vaccinate against than dogs (for their respective diseases) and in fact as they tend to roam more and other cats roam nearby they are probably more likely. They are very nasty diseases and it costs about 20-25 quid to vaccinate yearly, stupid and irresponsible not to.
		
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Dammit I've been stupid and irresponsible ever since I've lived in a property with no other houses within half a  mile. 60 cat years with no issues.

It's more dangerous for my cats to go to the vets than go without vaccination


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## ILuvCowparsely (27 September 2013)

Yes I have and always will vaccinate for flu though to leukemia.

 The only cats which they don't do is when they are 15 then they normally stop the leukemia.

 Also a very oldie who wont be re homed also does not get vaccinated.

 With all the cat diseases out there I think its imperative they are protected.


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## Blackwijet (27 September 2013)

yes - even though mine are basically house cats I get them vaccinated just in case I ever had to put them in a cattery.  It's about the only time they see the vet so they get "mot'd" whilst they are there  (much to their disgust!)


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## ILuvCowparsely (27 September 2013)

Honey08 said:



			Just wondering.  Have never bothered in the past.  Cats will never go in a cattery and are in a rural area where they don't come into contact with many other cats (two at most)...
		
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So because they don't go into a cattery you think its not important? 

  You can't say they don't come into more than 2 cats, you don't know if there is ferral cats around which harbour diseases.  Its not just other cats you need to worry about, they can be bitten or scratched by any other infested animal
 bitten by a fox get abscesses etc 

cat Flu* 	

Panleucopaenia* 	


Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) 	Cause Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)

Chlamydia 	Cause Chlamydophila felis (formally C.psittaci)

Bordetella 	Cause Bordetella bronchiseptica


 cat flu is  a killer and can leave permanent damage to the eyes and recurring flu symptoms throughout life.

 Sorry but I vaccinate
 My horses  are vaccinated for flu, so I wont short change my cats of this procedure.


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## jenniaddams (27 September 2013)

Nope, neither for cats or dogs. They obviously get their initial lot but they don't get boosters. Never going into an cattery/kennels. Don't like dosing everything up constantly either. The dogs recently had a booster for the first time because one had a bit of a dodgy gut and there was parvo on the go locally so they got it while they were in anyway.


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## cptrayes (27 September 2013)

Leviathan said:



			So because they don't go into a cattery you think its not important?
		
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Because they don't go into a cattery,  there is no requirement for them to be vaccinated imposed on me by outsiders.

It used to be said to be case that routine vaccination of cats could cause cancer because of the 'alert' nature of their immune system.  Has this been disproved ?


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## ILuvCowparsely (27 September 2013)

cptrayes said:



			Because they don't go into a cattery,  there is no requirement for them to be vaccinated imposed on me by outsiders.

It used to be said to be case that routine vaccination of cats could cause cancer because of the 'alert' nature of their immune system.  Has this been disproved ?
		
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 There maybe no requirement, but there are still infections and illnesses they can catch unless they are 100% house cats. 


My cats are vaccinated always will be.  They go out a lot almost 23 hours a day, they come into contact with other cats, badgers,foxes ,rabbits and more.

If they go into pens that is different as
 all vaccines must be up to day and cats free of nasal discharge  problems diarrhea and more.  Though I don't have to go through this procedure  of checking vaccines etc when they go into pens.


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## Amymay (27 September 2013)

Nope.

They had all their injections as kittens and up until two years old.  After that their immune system is quite up to the job of looking after them.


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## cloverleaf1985 (27 September 2013)

No, because mine are essentially house cats, bar a small enclosure outside the back door, so don't come into contact with other cats, and I also get concerned about the effects vaccinations can have re cancer etc.


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## MerrySherryRider (27 September 2013)

Never had mine done and I've owned cats all my life, as has my mother, grandmother and probably beyond. Can't recall having had a sick cat that needed a vet apart from euthanasia in old age. 

Oops, no, Tabitha got cancer when she was 17 yrs old and saw a vet then back in 1968, I think. 

Perhaps being common moggy's from farms, who live outdoors except when the weather starts to get cold, has kept them hale and hearty with a tough immune system.


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## Meowy Catkin (27 September 2013)

Mine is vaccinated. We are in a rural area, but we have a lot of ferals about. Plus people tend to dump their ill pets here too. It makes me so cross - they don't want to pay the vet's bills so they drive out to a quiet area and dump them. I don't know if anyone remembers the cat with the eye infection that I caught, that ended up being PTS because the infection had tracked along the optic nerve? She was definitely a ex-pet cat.


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## ester (27 September 2013)

No, he's never had any, I suppose in part because I was brought up with farm moggies and not vaccinating (he is one such moggy). He has seen the vet a fair bit for check ups though as he has  heart disease which should have killed him about 4 years back... apparently noone told him though.

(horserider ours lives outside whatever the weather- he graduates to a horse rug if it snow, I really thought he would struggle since he was diagnosed and a hard winter would probably call it a day but apparently not!)

I suppose, much as we have ended up loving him we deemed him a free farm moggy who we had for a purpose rather than as a pet, and that if he did catch any of the diseases you vaccinate against we would PTS.


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## MerrySherryRider (27 September 2013)

Ester, they're not daft, are they ?  We had one that would lie in the hay with the guinea pigs when it was cold. The old yard cat sleeps in the horses backs in winter, she has her favourite horses on which she bestows her favours.


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## Sussexbythesea (27 September 2013)

I had both my girls vaccinated for Flu & Enteritis until they were 13 and then after one was ill after the vac I read up more about it and the risks.  I decided that due to their age and routine vaccs they would likely be covered now anyway and as they spend most of their time sleeping and rarely go out now they are unlikely to be exposed to any disease. So I no longer have them vaccinated.


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## Honey08 (27 September 2013)

Thanks everyone for your input.  

We've never had any of our cats done in the 40 years we've had cats.  All of them have lived to the ripe old age of at least 17, some of them to their 20s.  Only two of them have ever seen a vet (car accidents) until the day they were put down at home.  None of them have ever seen kennels.  TBH we have never done the dogs either in the past, its just that I've gone down the insurance route for the first time with them (having always had healthy mongrels in the past and now having two labs and hearing far too many stories of hip dispaysia etc)  and I think they have to have their jabs because of that.  Also we take the dogs out and camp at Bramham and Burghley etc, where there are thousands of other dogs at a time..



amymay said:



			Nope.

They had all their injections as kittens and up until two years old.  After that their immune system is quite up to the job of looking after them.
		
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Amymay that's interesting.  These two cats had their initial courses of jabs and were neutered at a year old before we took them.  They are now just over two.

The vet is coming tomorrow to the house to do the dogs on his way home (fab fab vet, doesn't even charge for visiting) so we will see what he thinks.  I have a lot of respect for him.


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## SusieT (27 September 2013)

the Felv PART (can be given separately) of the vaccine has a very small risk of inducing a specific type of cancer. This is not relevant to the main three part vaccine which is often given separately. Additionally the risk of cancer is smaller than the risk of Felv. The theories of doing it when kittens then once or twice more have no basis, only that people decide that they cba doing the yearly trip-as an example dog vaccines are not always given every year, but this is due to studies done to support this. If you think it's not necessary to vaccinate after two/three years you can of course titre test( but expensive so a lot of effort for those who have 'decided' that their cats only need two vaccines/etc) 
ps=half a mile is nothing to cats. Both yours and others.


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## SusieT (27 September 2013)

''
Perhaps being common moggy's from farms, who live outdoors except when the weather starts to get cold, has kept them hale and hearty with a tough immune system. '  how does that theory then explain the multiple scraggy, thin, riddled with cat flu etc. cats most farms with uncontrolled populations have?


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## dogatemysalad (27 September 2013)

SusieT said:



			''
Perhaps being common moggy's from farms, who live outdoors except when the weather starts to get cold, has kept them hale and hearty with a tough immune system. '  how does that theory then explain the multiple scraggy, thin, riddled with cat flu etc. cats most farms with uncontrolled populations have?
		
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Probably because my cats are neutered and well fed. They're not left to breed season after season as that wouldn't leave many cats in good condition.

Why would not being vaccinated mean a cat was scraggy and riddled with cat flu ? 

Never, ever had a cat riddled with flu or any other disease.


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## SusieT (27 September 2013)

I was pointing out your theory of being 'robust outdoor cats' doesn't actually work for cat population generally as they come down with disease quite well in those conditions. To answer your question - dats who are immunosuppressed/running disease tend to be skinny calici and herpesvirus tend to show as what people know as 'cat flu' and tend to go a while, then reappear, then go away, then reappear (if they haven't killed the cat yet). Hence-unvaccinated outdoor cats from 'robust farm stock' or living on farms with no vaccs can be quite stereotypical.


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## dogatemysalad (27 September 2013)

I think you are confusing feral and semi feral cats with pet/working cats. Many farm cats are well looked after and don't bred indiscriminately. 
 Whether or not the cats are vaccinated has little to do with being well cared for.


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## SusieT (27 September 2013)

no I'm afraid not-I think you're missing my point-that well fed does not necessarily mean well cared for. Many 'outdoor' cats are fairly healthy, but without vaccines, if you have a colony (regardless of how well fed they are) disease will run rampant due to the nature of the virus'. If you see outdoor cats that aren't vaccinated with their chronic problems you would understand. Neutering will help but vaccinating is the answer.


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## cptrayes (28 September 2013)

SusieT said:



			no I'm afraid not-I think you're missing my point-that well fed does not necessarily mean well cared for. Many 'outdoor' cats are fairly healthy, but without vaccines, if you have a colony (regardless of how well fed they are) disease will run rampant due to the nature of the virus'. If you see outdoor cats that aren't vaccinated with their chronic problems you would understand. Neutering will help but vaccinating is the answer.
		
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Susie I think you are missing our point that many of us with isolated (indoor or country) cats have had no problem for decades.

I've had cats here for 22 years, three most of the time. In that time I have had the sum total of the following issues:

- cystitis in a male kitten.
- rotten tooth in a fifteen year old
- after effects of flu in a cat which had flu before I owned it


Aside from those my cats have seen a vet to be neutered and then to be put down. One died on the road, one had a stroke at twelve, the flu weakened cat lived to thirteen and the others made at least sixteen years, healthy to the end until kidney failure or hyperactive thyroid took them out by making them thin.

And no, I didn't have the kidney failure or thyroid treated because none of my free range cats would thank me for prolonging their lives by regular trips to a vet.


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## dogatemysalad (28 September 2013)

I don't understand. My outdoor cats have never had chronic problems. If a cat has a glossy coat, bright alert eyes, good appetite and is fit and athletic, which disease would they have ?


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## SusieT (28 September 2013)

You may have had healthy cats, by not vaccinating your cat will not automatically get the disease (it is not a case of all vaccinated are healthy and all unvaccinated are not-but please don't portray an unvaccinated cat to be at no more risk of disease than a vaccinated cat which is what you are trying to so), but for the sake of 20quid a year, why not vaccinate... I would guess your country cats are less isolated than you think. All it takes is one diseased cat to turn up/be abandoned. That's the point I am making. You have been lucky, and that is not an argument to ignore the possibility of not being so lucky.


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## cptrayes (28 September 2013)

SusieT said:



			but for the sake of 20quid a year, why not vaccinate...
		
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Because my cats are more at risk in a veterinary surgery waiting room than they are anywhere else.


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## HashRouge (28 September 2013)

Yes, always. The cat we had when I was born had always been vaccinated and we carried it on with the two that we have now (one is 13, the other 7). We do live in a village with lots of cats though, so it's definitely best for us to be on the safe side. That said, I would always get any cat I owned vaccinated as I owned a cat with feline leukemia when I lived in Spain and I just wouldn't feel comfortable not taking all the precautions that I could. This was a street cat from a city, so obviously far more likely to come into contact with diseases, but I'd still rather be on the safe side! My Spanish cat was very lucky, and now lives at amazing sanctuary in Madrid where they specialize in cats with FeLV and FIV - in a way I feel like I owe it to that charity to make sure my cats are vaccinated, if that makes sense.


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## Crugeran Celt (28 September 2013)

My two had their jabs as kittens but nothing since, they will be fourteen next month. One of them has been to the vet once in that time as he had an infected tail from a bite from his brother!! They obviously saw the vet when they were neutered. Also had two labradors that only had jabs as pups and both were very healthy until they died at about the age of thirteen or fourteen. I do have my two springers injected annually now but only because they come on holiday with us and meet lots of other dogs. The labradors only ever met the farm dogs up the road.


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## swm1hb (28 September 2013)

Hi,

I have had cats for most of my life (i'm 51 now) and have always vaccinated. Two years ago we took on two rescue cats, they had had all their jabs and we have kept them up to date. A few months ago one of the pair had some slight nodules under the skin around the shoulder blades. We took him to the vet and this was diagnosed as vaccination site sarcoma. An operation was offered, but the treatment is harsh and the prognosis not so good. We have decided to let him enjoy his life whilst he can and then PTS when needed. After this I think we will allow his brothers annual jabs to lapse. I think that when we have kittens again we willhave the initial janb done, but I don't think we will race to do it every year.


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## SusieT (28 September 2013)

swm1hb-you could just get the trio of jabs rather than the 4th one, as the trio has no association with cancer. Also-re: dogs, one of their jabs (the yearly one) is leptospirosis-which rats carry in their pee so not affected by meeting other dogs or  not. Causes organ failure. Not pretty.


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## SusieT (28 September 2013)

' Because my cats are more at risk in a veterinary surgery waiting room than they are anywhere else. ' rubbish. You can get home visit if that worries you (but obviously costs more..) . If your cat is in its carrier, and does not interact with other cats it is at an extremely low risk or catching anything, more risk of getting the diseases the should be vaccinated against.


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## swm1hb (28 September 2013)

Hi,

Thanks for the information, we will definitely bear it in mind. I have always had kittens in the past. We got the current boys at age 6 on the rebound from the death of a much loved 20 year old lilac point Siamese. The new boys (Ike and Otis named by previous musical owner) are pedigree Devon Rex. TBH, I had never heard of this cancer until we had the diagnosis. As you can imagine there was much soul searching about what to do. I am not sure that we should give treatments to animals just because someone has worked out how to. We decided to give Otis the best life that he can have until the cancer make tht impossible then we will have him PTS. I hope that if I get in to a similar situation my OH can make the same decision


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## Moomin1 (28 September 2013)

cptrayes said:



			Susie I think you are missing our point that many of us with isolated (indoor or country) cats have had no problem for decades.

I've had cats here for 22 years, three most of the time. In that time I have had the sum total of the following issues:

- cystitis in a male kitten.
- rotten tooth in a fifteen year old
- after effects of flu in a cat which had flu before I owned it


Aside from those my cats have seen a vet to be neutered and then to be put down. One died on the road, one had a stroke at twelve, the flu weakened cat lived to thirteen and the others made at least sixteen years, healthy to the end until kidney failure or hyperactive thyroid took them out by making them thin.

And no, I didn't have the kidney failure or thyroid treated because none of my free range cats would thank me for prolonging their lives by regular trips to a vet.
		
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You wouldn't have had to have taken them regularly to the vets to treat hyperthyroidism. It is treated by oral tablets which you get on repeat prescription. When on these meds, majority of cats reach a fairly healthy weight again, and live long lives thankfully.


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## Crugeran Celt (28 September 2013)

Moomin1 said:



			You wouldn't have had to have taken them regularly to the vets to treat hyperthyroidism. It is treated by oral tablets which you get on repeat prescription. When on these meds, majority of cats reach a fairly healthy weight again, and live long lives thankfully. 

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Sorry to go off on a tangent here but just wondering if you could answer something for me, my MIL cat is very thin but eating well but seems frequently distressed, she is at least 16 years old but could be older. MIL has had blood tests done but nothing showing. If she had hyperthyroidism I assume that would have shown up in bloods? Again sorry to hijack.


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## Moomin1 (28 September 2013)

Crugeran Celt said:



			Sorry to go off on a tangent here but just wondering if you could answer something for me, my MIL cat is very thin but eating well but seems frequently distressed, she is at least 16 years old but could be older. MIL has had blood tests done but nothing showing. If she had hyperthyroidism I assume that would have shown up in bloods? Again sorry to hijack.
		
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Depends what type of test she had done, there are different blood profiling tests for different illnesses etc, so best to ask the vet who did the tests.  I would imagine though that if she was blood tested because she was thin, then the vet would have automatically tested for hyperthyroidism.  Have her teeth been checked thoroughly? There could be a possibility of a rotten tooth causing her the distress and also perhaps lack of being able to chew properly could be hindering her digestion?

One common symptom of hyperthyroidism is drinking excessively so that's something to look out for. 

It may also simply be just down to extreme old age, if she could be older. I have come across 22 year old cats which are extremely emaciated, fed very well, but negative for hyperthyroidism or any other illness.

ETA, with regards teeth - sounds horrid, but you will be able to smell the rotting if you get close enough to the cat's mouth - it's a putrid smell. :-(


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## Crugeran Celt (28 September 2013)

Thankyou, her teeth are not in great shape but vet has suggested this is due to her age, to be honest MIL is less worried about her thinness than her seeming to be distressed, she mews constantly and is very rarely quiet whilst awake although she does sleep a lot. She inherited the cat and has only a vague idea of it's age but knowing how long the original owner had her, she has to be sixteen plus. She is the most pampered cat I know and wants for nothing but still seems a very sad soul. My poor MIL who is in her 70's worries so much about her. I will ask her to ask the vet if the bloods were checked for hyperthyroidism.


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## CLM (29 September 2013)

Crugeran Celt- has the vet suggested that the cat may have dementia?

Regarding the vaccinations, mine have had the initial kitten doses, but I don't really want to give the annual boosters.  The problem is, my vets will not prescribe the flea treatments that work unless they have seen the cat within the year.  So I have to take them anyway, needlessly,  and this will stress them out completely.  There has to be a better way!


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## suestowford (29 September 2013)

I think my elderly cat has dementia. She often yowls and it sounds awful yet she doesn't look unhappy when she does it.


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## Janah (29 September 2013)

Interesting post.  I have just made the decision not to vaccinate my cats again.  They have had their kitten jabs and the first annual booster.  I have also from last year not vaccinated my dogs.  They are aged 6 & 8 years old.  We live outside of a village and the cat population is small.  More dogs about, but in the USA they don't vaccinate nearly as often as we do. I don't think we need to vaccinate as often as vets would have us believe.


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## SusieT (29 September 2013)

Janah-I assume you will titre test instead with dogs in particular to ensure they are protected or just hope no parvo comes into the local dog population? And no local rats have leptospirosis.


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## cptrayes (29 September 2013)

CLM said:



			Crugeran Celt- has the vet suggested that the cat may have dementia?

Regarding the vaccinations, mine have had the initial kitten doses, but I don't really want to give the annual boosters.  The problem is, my vets will not prescribe the flea treatments that work unless they have seen the cat within the year.  So I have to take them anyway, needlessly,  and this will stress them out completely.  There has to be a better way!
		
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Google a bit, you can get Stronghold without prescription even though they aren't supposed to.


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## Amymay (29 September 2013)

cptrayes said:



			Google a bit, you can get Stronghold without prescription even though they aren't supposed to.
		
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I've never had a prescription for stronghold. I just pick a packet up from the vets when im passing.


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## Crugeran Celt (30 September 2013)

CLM said:



			Crugeran Celt- has the vet suggested that the cat may have dementia?

My MIL thought this herself as when she had the cat originally she was 'normal'. She has never been the most affectionate cat but has definitely deteriorated. She pulls her hair out sometimes to such an extent that she has sore bald patches on her back. MIL did mention dementia to the vet and he agreed it could well be the case. The funny thing with her is that she loves my 15 year old son and she will jump onto his lap as soon as he sits down and settle straight away, stops mewing and just lays in his lap, she will also play with him leaping on his hands if he moves them along the floor. It's as if she forgets whatever is troubling her for a short time. Very strange creature.
		
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## ribbons (30 September 2013)

For me its, Dogs and cats. Initial course of jabs then the booster at 1 year. That's it. 
Nothing to do with cost or trip to vets. I believe them to be unnecessary and potentially cause more problems than they prevent. 
I know there are loads of you who disagree and I won't be arguing my point. We all must do what we think is best for our own animals. 
I am however, part of a growing number of people who are now questioning the need for all these injections V  problems caused by them.

Humans do not have annual boosters for anything, and after wondering for a long time why my horse needs tet jabs every two years while I only needed them every ten. I have recently discovered that as I've had at least five in my life (including childhood course) I am now covered for tetanus for life. Yet my horses need them for ever.
Is there any relevance that human vaccinations are given via NHS (cost free) and animal vacs are an earning routine. 
As an old crone, I remember vets who treated animals only in a necessary manner.
Sadly, today a vetinerary surgery is first and foremost a business. 
Having seen the dragged out unnecessary and ultimately useless treatment of insured horses and dogs I no longer insure any of mine. The first question most vets ask is, do you have veterinary insurance.

Before any of you leap on me with links to this and that evidence, I'm not lazy, mean or irresponsible, neither am I stupid. I've probably read any studies you can put my way and plenty that you haven't.
I will do things my way, and everyone one else must do things as they see fit.
Emotional scare mongering has many many many owners doing the unnecessary for their beloved pets in order to generate money for some professional or other. 
I don't have a major problem with that, IF its just unnecessary. 
It's when it actually becomes detrimental to the animals health I get cross. I'm not talking specifically vacs here, but a multitude of treatments that leave animals with an awful quality of life but, hey, they're alive, and that's the important thing. Maybe to the vet and the owner it is, but I doubt the animal feels the same.

Slightly wandered away from Specific topic sorry, but I think that the general veterinary recommendations we receive are very often flawed, with the emphasis on generated business.


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## ester (30 September 2013)

Moomin1 said:



			You wouldn't have had to have taken them regularly to the vets to treat hyperthyroidism. It is treated by oral tablets which you get on repeat prescription. When on these meds, majority of cats reach a fairly healthy weight again, and live long lives thankfully. 

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My cat's heart condition is treated with oral tablets on repeat prescription- he still has to go to the vets every few months as the vet will not do non-ending repeats without a basic check.



amymay said:



			I've never had a prescription for stronghold. I just pick a packet up from the vets when im passing.
		
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If you're collecting from the vets they are producing a script (it is POM) and then dispensing to you. Some vets are more iffy about doing this if not seen the pet than others.


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## Crugeran Celt (30 September 2013)

ribbons said:



			For me its, Dogs and cats. Initial course of jabs then the booster at 1 year. That's it. 
Nothing to do with cost or trip to vets. I believe them to be unnecessary and potentially cause more problems than they prevent. 
I know there are loads of you who disagree and I won't be arguing my point. We all must do what we think is best for our own animals. 
I am however, part of a growing number of people who are now questioning the need for all these injections V  problems caused by them.

Humans do not have annual boosters for anything, and after wondering for a long time why my horse needs tet jabs every two years while I only needed them every ten. I have recently discovered that as I've had at least five in my life (including childhood course) I am now covered for tetanus for life. Yet my horses need them for ever.
Is there any relevance that human vaccinations are given via NHS (cost free) and animal vacs are an earning routine. 
As an old crone, I remember vets who treated animals only in a necessary manner.
Sadly, today a vetinerary surgery is first and foremost a business. 
Having seen the dragged out unnecessary and ultimately useless treatment of insured horses and dogs I no longer insure any of mine. The first question most vets ask is, do you have veterinary insurance.

Before any of you leap on me with links to this and that evidence, I'm not lazy, mean or irresponsible, neither am I stupid. I've probably read any studies you can put my way and plenty that you haven't.
I will do things my way, and everyone one else must do things as they see fit.
Emotional scare mongering has many many many owners doing the unnecessary for their beloved pets in order to generate money for some professional or other. 
I don't have a major problem with that, IF its just unnecessary. 
It's when it actually becomes detrimental to the animals health I get cross. I'm not talking specifically vacs here, but a multitude of treatments that leave animals with an awful quality of life but, hey, they're alive, and that's the important thing. Maybe to the vet and the owner it is, but I doubt the animal feels the same.

Slightly wandered away from Specific topic sorry, but I think that the general veterinary recommendations we receive are very often flawed, with the emphasis on generated business.
		
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I agree with you here.


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## MerrySherryRider (30 September 2013)

Crugeran Celt said:





CLM said:



			Crugeran Celt- has the vet suggested that the cat may have dementia?

My MIL thought this herself as when she had the cat originally she was 'normal'. She has never been the most affectionate cat but has definitely deteriorated. She pulls her hair out sometimes to such an extent that she has sore bald patches on her back. MIL did mention dementia to the vet and he agreed it could well be the case. The funny thing with her is that she loves my 15 year old son and she will jump onto his lap as soon as he sits down and settle straight away, stops mewing and just lays in his lap, she will also play with him leaping on his hands if he moves them along the floor. It's as if she forgets whatever is troubling her for a short time. Very strange creature.
		
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My oldie behaved like that when she had dementia. She'd howl and although she'd always been an outdoor, independent cat, she would settle on my lap, feel reassured and stop being distressed. I had nothing but admiration for her in her final years with the non-pitying way she coped with her confusion and disorientation. She became a very sweet, cuddly little cat who seemed to appreciate every thing we did to make life less stressful.
		
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## pines of rome (30 September 2013)

I totally agree with Ribbons, as I also get very annoyed when I am straight away asked if the animal is insured? It does seem to me that if this is the case , vets will suggest all sorts of treatment, usually very expensive and I do not feel this always benefits the animal,especially when they are very old!


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## Leo Walker (30 September 2013)

I'm the same as ribbons. Puppy/kitten course, first booster then thats it


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## Honey08 (30 September 2013)

Just to conclude my bit of this debate..  The vet came to vaccinate the dogs yesterday and although I was away on a trip, hubby asked about the cats.  He said the same as Amymay, that you're better vaccinating for the first two or three years and they should be fine after that.  He said that dogs need to be vaccinated every year as they pick more things up easier.  This is a vet that I highly admire, perhaps the best one I've ever met (wish he did horses too, but he doesn't), so I will be following his advice and keeping the vacs up for another year or so.


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## cptrayes (30 September 2013)

ester said:



			My cat's heart condition is treated with oral tablets on repeat prescription- he still has to go to the vets every few months as the vet will not do non-ending repeats without a basic check.



If you're collecting from the vets they are producing a script (it is POM) and then dispensing to you. Some vets are more iffy about doing this if not seen the pet than others.
		
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Exactly Ester, my vet won't prescribe unless the cat has recently been seen.

It's also the case that the vet would sell me three pipettes for three cats. I can buy one medium dog pipette and treat all three cats from it for well under half the price.

Safety margin on Stronghold is 100 times overdose for a cat and the chemical is identical for cats and dogs.


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## ILuvCowparsely (30 September 2013)

its personal choice whether you do vaccinate or not. 


 Charity cats are always done unless they are elderly and will be living their days out in a foster house.

 For my personal cats I do NOT want to take the risk and not vacinate.

 Yes they could go all their live with no illness but then there is a risk of  FELV or FIV , Leukemia or Enteritis.

 For the sake of a few £ per year like the horses, they are vaccinated.


IMO feel (for my animals)  why vaccinate the horses but not the cats


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## cptrayes (30 September 2013)

Leviathan said:



			IMO feel (for my animals)  why vaccinate the horses but not the cats

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Because my horses travel and my cats don't.  If i had stay at home horses I would vaccinate only for tetanus.


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## awilliams (1 October 2013)

cptrayes said:



			Because my horses travel and my cats don't.  If i had stay at home horses I would vaccinate only for tetanus.
		
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agreed!


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## ILuvCowparsely (1 October 2013)

cptrayes said:



			Because my horses travel and my cats don't.  If i had stay at home horses I would vaccinate only for tetanus.
		
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As I stated  *



			(for my animals) why vaccinate the horses but not the cats
		
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* Felv and Fiv and leukemia can affect any cat.  I deal with the former two diseases all the time. Only takes one scratch one bite.  Same like we keep human hygiene to avoid contracting AIDS I will give my cats the same courtesy.   


 I will not force or diss anyone for what they do with their cats. Many cat owners who feel like you do, never get their cats a vaccine, then their circumstances change and they need to re home the cat, who many end up going to a charity  like the RSPCA and they will blood test as one of the first things, as soon as the bloods come back and they test positive,  they are pts. Such a shame

 I want to insure my cats are fully vaccinated so if anything ever happens to me and they go to charity, who do a health check will find them healthy and ready to re home.


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## cptrayes (1 October 2013)

Leviathan said:



			As I stated  
 Felv and Fiv and leukemia can affect any cat.  I deal with the former two diseases all the time. Only takes one scratch one bite.  Same like we keep human hygiene to avoid contracting AIDS I will give my cats the same courtesy.   


 I will not force or diss anyone for what they do with their cats. Many cat owners who feel like you do, never get their cats a vaccine, then their circumstances change and they need to re home the cat, who many end up going to a charity  like the RSPCA and they will blood test as one of the first things, as soon as the bloods come back and they test positive,  they are pts. Such a shame

 I want to insure my cats are fully vaccinated so if anything ever happens to me and they go to charity, who do a health check will find them healthy and ready to re home.
		
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I have farm homes with friends already set up for my cats if we die Leviathan.

It may only take one scratch but it does actually have to be from an infected cat.  There's more chance my cats will get Vaccine Associated Cancer than being bitten or scratched by a cat with FIV or FIL.


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## Leo Walker (1 October 2013)

my point is, that my cat IS covered after the intial course and first booster. I'm not playing the odds. They have enough vaccines to make sure they are covered and then we stop as they dont need them, and there can be unpleasant side effects


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## ribbons (1 October 2013)

Exactly right frankieCob.
While some are banging on about our cats/dogs not being protected, I believe theirs are being subjected to unnecessary and potentialially dangerous boosters.
All medicine and vaccines will carry some risk. I am prepared to take that risk to immunise them against nasty preventable diseases. I'm NOT prepared to hugely increase that risk by giving unnecessary boosters.


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## dogatemysalad (1 October 2013)

Leviathan said:



			I will not force or diss anyone for what they do with their cats. Many cat owners who feel like you do, never get their cats a vaccine, then their circumstances change and they need to re home the cat, who many end up going to a charity  like the RSPCA and they will blood test as one of the first things, as soon as the bloods come back and they test positive,  they are pts. Such a shame

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If a positive test result is the criteria for euthanasia then the vaccinated cat will test positive for feline 'aids' and be PTS. At least the unvaccinated cat has a pretty good chance of testing negative. 

Vets have known for years that cats are being over vaccinated and yet they continue to take the money for yearly jabs, knowing that it is causing more harm than good. 

If we had a free health system for pets like the NHS, we'd quickly find that routine frequent vaccination was similar to programmes for humans. 

When, as an adult were you last vaccinated ?


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## suestowford (1 October 2013)

Like an earlier poster, I have had five tetanus jabs over the years and thought I was protected for life. That was the latest thinking about ten years ago.
A couple of years ago I was bitten by a dog and went to A&E to get sewn back together. I told them the 'I've had five jabs' line and they said I still needed another tetanus jab.

I still give my cat a booster every year, even though she is old and it probably isn't strictly necessary. I've been indoctrinated! But if I didn't, and she got Leukemia or AIDS, I would never get over the guilt I'd feel.


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## ILuvCowparsely (1 October 2013)

dogatemysalad said:



			If a positive test result is the criteria for euthanasia then the vaccinated cat will test positive for feline 'aids' and be PTS. At least the unvaccinated cat has a pretty good chance of testing negative. 

Vets have known for years that cats are being over vaccinated and yet they continue to take the money for yearly jabs, knowing that it is causing more harm than good. 

If we had a free health system for pets like the NHS, we'd quickly find that routine frequent vaccination was similar to programmes for humans. 

When, as an adult were you last vaccinated ?
		
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FYI  I have had my booster  always do.



Well this is all very well those anti boosters.  But I see more and more cats being FIV + most are male cats owners wont neuter or take up reduced  or vouchers for neutering.  The end results is the cat gets infected,  also queens who don't get neutered get infected when Tom's grab them. (One particular person  I am thinking of doesn't deserve to have the cat)

  Sad thing is no obvious signs of a cat being infected show till the disease is a long way down the tract.
  The message is loud and clear that there are pro people and con.  The vets we use are more for boosters than no
 (thank god).
  To think of my cats ending their lives in pain or illness is to hard to think of.  We have had cats over 45 years all have lead lives to 20 - 24.  I hope my cats now do the same,  Only a few charities pts when they have FIV.  This is so sad when there is an alternative should a cat have the misfortune to have the disease.  These in my experience are the result of cats who have been family cats  and then just dumped or abandoned when the owners move or cannot afford them.  Some areas actually are known for cat dumping.


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## Honey08 (1 October 2013)

cptrayes said:



			Because my horses travel and my cats don't.  If i had stay at home horses I would vaccinate only for tetanus.
		
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Yes this from me too.  Because they have to for teams, otherwise I would probably not bother, or at least take the vet's advice.

I don't have flu jabs every year despite travelling to other countries and coming into contact with lots of people from all over the world with colds and germs.  I'm still surviving..

The biggest factor in my decision to not vaccinate the cats every year is my vet's opinion.


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## peaceandquiet1 (7 October 2013)

Interesting thread-and each to their own-BUT I too stopped vaccinating an older cat as he rarely went out and he contracted a horrible preventable virus-I so regretted stopping his vaccs. I have 6 cats now-all vaccinated and neutered living in a rural home but with plenty farm cats passing through.


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## Alexart (7 October 2013)

I've never vaccinated mine in 35yrs of owning them, and have had them live into their 20's.  My 16 furballs are all wild caught adult ferals though, the majority toms, and have had a few tested in the past which came up with all sorts, they've all had cat flu at some point or other too, so the vet said not to worry as they probably have or have come into contact with most things so not much point in vaccinating!  Our oldest feral is at least 16yrs old and was a huge bruiser of a tom who was covered in scars and abscesses when I caught him 14yrs ago, and he just went for his first trip to the vet since having his nuts off when we first caught him for a dental, he's back patrolling the garden again now!  We do live on a farm though in the middle of nowhere and since neutering pretty much most of the local cat population, around 40 odd so far, we rarely see outside cats now as the message seems to have got round most of the surrounding farms to catch and neuter so it's not something I'm worried about.  I would be if I bought a cat that had never been outside or in contact with others and I was going to let it outside, like a show or house cat, then I'd probably get a course of jabs as their immune system would be pretty immature so wouldn't risk it.


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