Do you really need to take your Cat for annual check if they're indoor cats???

Question

Anyone that has cats.....

Did you really need to take them for annual check up for vaccinations every year??? or is it just money making???

I have two cats and they are both indoor cats never go and mix with other cats cos i live in a high rise flat.

Thanks....

Answer 1

Yes! Your cats need their vaccinations, weather they are indoor or outdoor cats. Other animals and even humans can carry contagious diseases in to them. Also bacteria that can make them sick if they do not have their shots. I have 2 cats who never go out. But I always take them for their annual check up, and vaccinations.

Answer 2

safer to do a once a year visit than wish you'd done so while your cat is sick from something that was preventable!!

The cats need a once a yr tuneup and check for dental health as well as shots and general health issues.

The vaccines- discuss that w your vet what is neccesary and what isn't. If you ever have to board the cats they need those shots! Some cities require rabies vaccines no matter where you keep your pets.
Keep at least an annual checkup no matter what the vet and you decide about the vaccines! It's better than looking at a picture and crying, wishing you'd done so

Answer 3

I am a Veterinary Nurse and do not believe vaccinations to be a waste of time, especially when I have had to nurse those with these nasty viruses. Your cats may not go out at present, but you could potentially bring something into your home from another that owns cats, although the risks are much lower.

As well as receiving a booster vaccination, they will also recieve a health check where the vet can check ears, eyes, nails, teeth etc etc. Vets do not force vaccinations upon you, it is ultimately your decision.

What do you do with your cats if you want to go away? If you wish to place them into a cattery, vaccinations are essential, and if your cats go for a lenghty period without vaccination and if you move and they do have access to go outside, you will need to re-start the course to boost immunity.

The choice is yours

Answer 4

I have older cats now and they have always gone to the vet for annual checks. My cats usually need their teeth checked and some need to have a cleaning every year. When cats are over ten years old they should have a blood panel. That is a wonderful diagnostic tool and detect things like diabetes, hyperthryroidism, how kidneys are functioning etc. Since my 14 year old had slightly elevated kidney values this year I am giving him more wet food and I even add filtered water to that to give him more moisture in his diet to enhance kidney function. He will be checked again in January.

I have not vaccinated my cats for anything for the last seven years. Many vets feel that annual vaccinations are not necessary for "protected" cats such as yours and mine.

Answer 5

I only ever take my cat to the vet's when she's ill. She's now 9 yrs old and got sick for the first time last year. I had a male cat before and he went quite a few times but that was because he had a malfunctioning immune system.

All that vaccination crap really annoys me, my cat's far healthier than most humans, to start with cats don't eat sugar, burgers or deep fat fried food. They get plenty of exercise during their crazy half hour and have loads of pampering.

Unless you have money coming out of your ears I wouldn't bother taking your cat to the vet's unless you're worried about his health. It costs a blooming fortune and you always seem to come home with a big bag of "special croquettes" that cost £10 a bag!

Answer 6

I have two indoor cats that have never even been outside and they are 16,and 17 years old and have never had any kind of problems with them, they only had thier first vaccinations as kittens and they have never been back since and they are in great health!

Answer 7

Taking them to the vet for regular check-ups will help them live longer. If you want them to live longer, you will take them to the vet for their annual shots. For two of them it'd be about $100 a year or something, their life is worth that isn't it?

I just adopted a 4 yr old cat a couple of months ago from the SPCA. She is adorable and I love her to death. I will do anything to help her live longer since I missed the first 4 years of her life.

Answer 8

My cat is nearly 20 yrs old, very healthy and only went to the vets once after she had kittens. She had vaccinations when she was a kitten but that is all.

She has always gone outside and mixed with other cats.

I may have been just lucky but as long as you get pet insurance and look after them well I can't see the problem.

Answer 9

Yes all animals need regular check ups. Even thouh your cats are indoor cats and stay there you dont. Every time you go out you could come in contact with someone or something that has been in contact with other animals. You risk bringing something home with you. So uoy see regular check ups for your cats is important to their health and well being. It also shows them you love them.

Answer 10

Lions and tigers in zoos get the vet to go to them for their check ups and jabs; those in the wild die from feline influenza. You can't walk a lion or tiger into the waiting room on a leash. The other clients would object. Plus zoos spend a bit of money so their animals can see the vet a bit more often than once a year. Some even have vets on staff.

You can carry disease in to your pets. And all pets carry a burden of worms. Worming may not get all of them in one go, and they can re-infect each other. Fleas on your carpet can transmite tapeworm.
Plus your pets teeth still decay, and they still get all the other non-infectious diseases.