My friend has two house cats. The vet has told her they must still have their yearly jabs. Just money grabbin?

Question

The cats never go out at all. Can the diseases be transported on peoples feet and clothes?

Answer 1

Yes diseases can be transported from shoes and clothes. House cats can even still get fleas from your clothes too. They should always be vaccinated and wormed.  

Answer 2

If you lived in a house that you never went out of, you could still catch a cold.

Ok, so it's not quite the same but the principal is the same.  I have two kittens that I'm planning on keeping as housecats and I will make sure they get their jabs yearly as well as getting them microchipped.  Yes, I'm planning on keeping them indoors but sometimes kitties think they're Steve McQueen and do a "great escape" on you!

If only for peace of mind, you should have them done.

Answer 3

I'm gonna get killed for this: hardly dare say it: I've kept cats for over 50 years, I have 4 at present. They have the run of the neighbourhood, are fed well, de-fleaed and dewormed regularly, and I've never had any vaccinated...nor have any died of illness...A couple bought it on the road, but over the years, that's to be expected...They mostly live long, healthy lives...

Answer 4

No, the vet is quite correct. And anyway, the jabs aren't very expensive.

Answer 5

No, diseases cannot be transmitted to cats from peoples clothing and feet ( shoes ). I have four house cats and I do not get there shots because they don't go out side at all and are not subject to other cats that may carry some kind of disease. And yes, I do believe that these vets are just money grabbing. My mom had a cat for 25 years and she was also a house cat. She never had shots and she was healthy as h**l. She never had to go to the vet during her 25 years until her death from old age. I have 3 nine year old cats who are healthier then a horse. And I also have a 2 year old cat that is also healthy as can be. So I believe that your friends cats will be just fine without their shots. And I'd like to say to your friend GREAT job keeping your cats indoors instead of outside where they can contract diseases and kill birds, rabbits, mice, etc that were put on this earth for the eagles hawks and other predator birds. I can't believe that people still insist on putting their cats outsude. And then to make things worse most of these cats are not fixed and keep reproducing and then most of these don't find homes or end up in a shelter some place . People need to think about the cats and not themselves.  

Answer 6

   The Vet is correct in the fact that they need their shots. But... In recent studies it shows that after the first original vaccines, the yearly booster shots have little to no effect, since the animal is already immune to the diseases.

  

         Which makes sense, humans don't need to get any shots yearly why would other animals.

         Also many Vets these days use three year shots or have the shots and don't use them. I would recommend to your friend to check with the vet about three year vaccines.

       Believe what you will...

   Also in response to the other responses, keep the animals bathed regularly and some kind of flea and tick guard and there should be no problems. Also a little knowledge about Feline Leukemia, It's rare that any cat would get feline leukemia unless it comes into contact with an infected cat, it's true that humans can transfer diseases, but that specific disease only last approx. two hours out side of a host, and if the cats are secluded, there should be no problem.

  Hope this helps...

Answer 7

well i dont get this if we can have a kitten at home with out injections for a while surly they are more prone to deisese than older cats who have anitbodys right ? so i would say get there first ones done to be sure then dont have any more after that  

Answer 8

It's not money grubbing - it's fairly standard.  I think it's mainly holistic vets who question the need to vax every cat in every situation for every thing.

It's still up to your friend what she wants to do.  She may be required by law to get rabies vax but that's probably the only one.

As for the others, you can print this info for her and she can decide what she wants to do.

Answer 9

Definately!!!!!

One of the worst situations I know about is a property manager that had the best work dogs (kelpies) that never left the property. Yet they all came down with and died of a canine virus that was obviously bought onto the property via the shoes of a visitor.

The dogs weren't vaccinated because they never left the property but that also means you have to cease all outside people from entering your animal's environment!

If your cat does not have vaccination or immunity to any feline diseases, such as 'Cat Flu' , ect. then you must not allow anyone who comes in contact with the outer environment to have contact with your cats - sounds stupid, doesn't it!!!

That is why you must vaccinate even though your cat never goes outside. It is not money grabbing, just your vet giving you the advice that you pay for.

Answer 10

Get your basic shots for you cat, doctors will also keep you on a monthly visit weather something is wrong with you or not.

It keeps the cash flow.  

Answer 11

And to earn myself a whole bunch of thumbs down.

IF her cats have had their full set of kitten shots and the first year boosters.. Odds are they do NOT need more shots.

Texas A & M, the american vet association and many other university's have come to the conclusion that we are over inoculating our pets and there are consequences for this. Such as cancer and other life threatening illness's that are becoming far more prevalent then the diseases that the shots are meant to prevent.

Immunity  if given a full set of kitten shots and the first yearly booster lasts upwards of 10 years in cats. even rabies titters high enough for immunity at that point, but law in the US requires 3 year vaccinations.

Vets are afraid to inform their patients about the  side effects of the injections, and more afraid to tell them that they can safely go for 3 -9 years between sets because they feel that the owners wont bring the cat in for yearly exams if they don't feel that the Have to Have Injections.

My own cats do NOT get yearly shots.  They are healthy and quite well.  I stoped giving them when I lost two cats in 3 months to a cancer caused by the vaccinations ( necropsy was done and the CoD was listed as Sarcoma induced by injection reaction For both my girls)

people do not get yearly shots for immunity, Except for influenza  and pnumonia.  Why? because the effects of over imunizing were seen early on and society would be outraged if it continued. Yet we allow it to happen in our animals because we've been told its for the best.  Plain and simple truth.  It Is Not For The Best.

Answer 12

I had 2 house cats, and didnt get them their jabs, and one died from feline lukemia - which is different from the human kind!

Answer 13

i have a house cat who has the option to go out but just isnt bothered.

he has his lukemia jab but not the other one

Answer 14

MY CATS ARE MY LIFE THERE JUST LIKE THE KIDS AND I HAVE FIVE KIDS THAT IS, ANYWAY DONT SCRIMP WHEN IT COMES TO JABS WOULD YOU IGNORE IT IF IT WAS YOUR CHILD THE JABS ARE NOT FOR FUN THEY PROTECT YOUR CATS AND MINE ARE HOUSE CATS TO AND THEY ARE PIP AND SQUEAK AND THEY ARE SO FAITHFULL DONT LET EM DOWN.

Answer 15

Yes, I would say that the vet is money-grabbing..My mum has two cats and called the vet about their yearly shots about a week ago and the vet recommended AGAINST having the shots because they have little to no effect at all and their is no point in them..house cats can still get diseases though..Maybe your friend should call the vet and ask if there is any other treatment other than shots..if he insists there isn't, maybe your friend should try a different vet.

Answer 16

Yes, money grabbing. There were no cat inoculations 20 yrs ago, then some bright vet realised there was another untapped income stream.

I have always had cats, never had them jabbed, all die of old age rather than disease.