What Vaccines do Indoor Cats Need?

Some cat owners who do not have a lot of experience might be under the impression that as long as they keep their cats indoors, their cats do not need to be vaccinated. However, this is certainly not the case. It is true that indoor cats will be less likely to experience various medical problems in comparison with stray cats. You can get rid of stray cats using cat deterrent, but how about your pet cat? This is one of the reasons why it is so important to keep cats indoors in the first place.

However, there are various vaccinations that are absolutely necessary for all cats, regardless of their specific lifestyles. Even people who use a cat stain vacuum cleaner all the time and who are sure to make their homes spotless will not be able to protect their cats from disease unless they get their animals vaccinated.

Rabies

Cats absolutely need to be vaccinated for rabies. It is true that indoor cats will be less likely to get rabies than outdoor cats. However, they could still come in contact with infected cats that act as carriers for the terrible virus. It only takes one encounter with a raccoon to change everything for a healthy cat as well, since raccoons are infamous for carrying rabies. Given how dangerous rabies is, all animals need to be vaccinated for it. Preparing for accidents makes sense when the preparation is relatively painless and the problem itself is so terrible.

Cats cannot spread many of their diseases to their owners, which is positive. However, rabies is very potent and it is just as dangerous for humans as it is for cats. People should never believe that something like this cannot happen to them. They should be aware of the risks associated with rabies while preparing to get their cats vaccinated.

Feline Leukemia

People do not usually think of leukemia as something that is transmitted through a retrovirus. This is the case with feline leukemia, however. This is a terrible disease that can be transmitted through all bodily fluids from one cat to another. Given the severity of feline leukemia, it is essential to get all cats vaccinated for it. People who have multiple cats need to make sure that all of their cats are protected from this condition. Of course, there are no guarantees that cats will not come in contact with one another. Even if a particular cat is an only cat, a lot can happen over the course of a cat’s lifetime. Feline leukemia vaccines are absolutely essential. Sharing a cat bed is enough to get a cat a terrible case of feline leukemia.

Vaccination and Age

A lot of cat owners will hear about the need to get kittens vaccinated, and they might assume that this means that they will need to continue with a similar schedule throughout the course of their cats’ entire lives. However, kittens will need to be vaccinated more thoroughly than adult cats. In some cases, cats will only need to receive a certain vaccine once. From there, they will be set for life when it comes to protection from that particular disease.

Kittens should be vaccinated at the age of six to eight weeks. This might seem like it is too soon. However, cats age so quickly that a few weeks will be more substantial to them than a few weeks ever will to humans. Kittens should be vaccinated again at the age of ten to twelve weeks. Then, they will need additional vaccinations at the age of fourteen to sixteen weeks. They won’t need to get all of the same vaccinations on all of those dates, but the FVRCP vaccine that is famous in feline medical circles needs to be administered according to that general cycle.

From there, cats will need a booster shot when they are a year old. From that point onward, cats will usually only need to get their booster shots every three years or so. It really does not get a lot more complicated than that.

Cats tend to have short lifespans in general. People will not have to worry about vaccinating their cats all that often throughout their lives. Three years means a lot for a cat, and it will pass quickly for owners. Getting a cat vaccinated is not like getting cat food.