Do Indoor Cats Need Vaccinations?

We want our cats to stay healthy and live a long, happy life. And as our kittens mature into adult cats, do they really need annual vaccinations?

One way to think of vaccinations is how we think of how we vaccinate ourselves, our family or our kids. Do we need a booster, flu shot or even antibiotics? It depends on your health, where you live and what the side effects, risks are for the actual vaccination.

While there are no easy answers whether or not to vaccinate, the below can offer some guidelines of what to think about for your indoor cat.

Flea Medication for your cat

Many people believe that fleas are contagious and are transmitted from pet to pet. Although a flea-infested cat might spread the infestation to any cat that he comes into contact, remember that fleas, have the capacity for spreading and surviving. Fleas can roam freely and can make their way into houses under their own steam. Therefore, indoor-only cats are at risk of flea infestation even if they do not come into contact with any other animals (my indoor cat just got fleas for no explainable reason).

Of course, not every cat needs a monthly flea preventative. Cats with no skin problems and no visible flea infestation can often get by with only occasional applications of flea preventatives. So, in short, flea prevention can be considered optional for all cats, but especially for indoor cats. The good news is that there are now many flea preventatives on the market that are more holistic and don’t have side effects.

Vaccine booster shots

Indoor cats do not need booster shots every year. The importance of feline vaccination is very important in young cats. Kitten shots are the most vital and unvaccinated kittens can succumb to feline panleukopenia at high rates. Most veterinarians will recommend that all cat owners diligently have their cats vaccinated (with the so-called FVRCP) at 6-8 weeks, 10-12 weeks, and 14-16 weeks. A booster should occur at one year’s old. After that, most vets think that any cat receive subsequent boosters every three years; many owners of indoor cats elect a 5-7 year period.

The FVRCP is the most important vaccine kittens receive. There are two other vaccines that are in common use. One protects against feline leukemia, or FeLV. Indoor cats are not at risk of contracting FeLV. Therefore, as long as there is no chance of escape, indoor cats don’t need the vaccine for FeLV at all.

Rabies in cats

Rabies is a very scary disease for our cats and is spread through direct contact with infected (rabid) animals. Could an indoor cat be exposed to rabies? It is not likely but possible, especially if you have a cat that even spends a little time outdoors. It is not uncommon for an indoor cat to dash out an open door, to climb out a window. And, of course, once outside, a cat who wishes to escape will find some way to do so and any adventure outside carries with it the potential of exposure to being bitten.
When it comes to keeping your cat safe from rabies, it is better to vaccinate your cats every three years regardless of any requirements, rather than to not vaccinate him at all. There are also many other factors, including your ‘taking that chance”, local laws (which sometimes mandate rabies vaccination in cats), and a cat’s likelihood of biting people (if your cat bites someone, your life — and your cat’s life — will be much easier if your cat is vaccinated against rabies).
Then of course, you have to consider the risk of adverse vaccination flare ups in cats. Cats are at risk of cancers called injection site sarcomas. This is a spot that looks like a scab and usually happens at the injection spot on your cat. As always, this is something you need to talk about with your veterinarian.

Heartworm prevention

Heartworm disease is spread by mosquitoes, which can easily come into your home