Wanted: opinions on vaccinations

I was just wondering how everyone here felt about getting your animals vaccinated. I've been reading up on it and am sitting on the fence at the moment. I have always had Moe vaccinated and Artemis had his series of kitten shots. I take them in yearly for checkups and bring them in to the vet as soon as I see signs of a problem. Both of them are mainly indoor animals and only go outside on a harness under supervision.

Are there certain vaccinations that you don't get for your cats?

 

I just noticed a topic about this in the dog forum too. Weird. Maybe that's why I started thinking about it.... ? Or maybe because I'm bored out of my mind at work.

 

I would just get the basics. FvRCPC, Rabies, and deworming. Regular kitten shots. Feline AIDs and things like that isn't something an indoor cat really needs to worry about. I dont worry about it with my outdoor cats either.

 

My cats get a rabies and FVR-CP every 3yrs. I don't feel they really need anything other than the rabies since they are indoors only except for Tiddy who sometimes goes out on a harness but its always only in the front or back of my home. Everytime one of them is due I consider telling the vet that I only want rabies and nothing else but I have'nt done so yet. I hate the thought of them getting vaccines that they really don't need.

 

I used to get fvrcp about a month before they were in boarding kennels, I kept them inside (one would occasionally manage to get out), they never got rabies, FeLV, or FIP vaccines. (They did when I first had cats but after reading some info, especially about FeLV I stopped giving them). My dogs, after puppy vaccines were done got vaccines about once ever 3 or 4 years....rabies they had every 3 years due to State laws. Except one dog that got kennel cough a couple of times a year, she ended up on Bordatella 2-3 times a year.

 

since I foster I have to be diligent about vaccines but I have cut back.
Rabies always - too many things can happen like bats in the house. I have a friend who was late in getting her cat its rabies booster and the cat was playing with a bat that got into the house. Cindy was able to get the bat outside but touched it and her cat. She had to have the rabies shot series and her cat had to be quarantined - so I never miss rabies.
Feline leuk I've cut back on and also distemper.
I'm considering having my cats' titres checked rather than vaccinate each and every time they are due.
I figure children don't need to be vaccinated every year - why should animals

 

I stumbled across a very long, but interesting article on vaccinations:

http://www.blakkatz.com/vaccination.html

A little one-sided, but informative, nonetheless.

 

Milo is our only outdoor/indoor cat so he gets all the recommended vaccinations. Pumkin, Monty, and Rene are indoors only, had their initial vacs and do not need any additional vacs except for the Rabies which is required by the NYS law. Our vet agrees with our decision and so far all kitties are healthy and happy.