Question about not taking cats to vet.

In My Humble Opinion
1

Our two male cats are nine years old. When we got them at about 4 months old, immediately took them to the vet for complete checkup. Then a few months later to be fixed, and thereafter, once a year for booster shots and exam.

It turned out both had feline herpes, with symptoms of very bad eye problems and one cat is also a serial sneezer. We were warned that stress aggravated the condition and this was obvious. The medications we used for the herpes and for the eye problems eventually would help the symptoms to subside, but they tended to come back frequently.

Of course, like all cats, they thoroughly hated being put in the carrier, hated the ride, and hated everything about the vet’s office. Each trip to the vet definitely caused enough stress for a bunch of symptoms to erupt and last for a long time after the visit.

Now, these guys are total indoor cats. They have never, ever been outside. Now and then, just for kicks, we’ll open the slider to the fenced-in courtyard. They peer out, sniff, and then one will say, “Hey, you go out first,” and the other will reply, “I’m not going out first. You go out first and I’ll see what happens.”

Consequently, neither has ever gotten more than his nose out into the outdoors. My wife figures they think it is like some fourth dimension out there, and want nothing to do with it.

Furthermore, nobody has ever brought any other animals into our home, nor do we have many visitors at all.

Due to family illness a while back, I forgot all about taking them to the vet for their annual trial-and-tribulation, and months later when I realized this, we also noted that the cats were healthy and happy as could be, no stress, no herpes symptoms.

Now, under these circumstances, I can’t see why it is necessary to get annual booster shots, as don’t see how they could be exposed to anything. Also, as they are healthy as can be, exhibiting no symptoms of anything else, and also herpes symptom-free, I begin to wonder if it would not be far better to keep them home and away from the vet altogether.

I’m sure vets will have conniption fits over this, but I think it is cruel to subject them to the stress that always results in severe herpes symptoms for months afterward. They, of course, thoroughly detest taking the medicine that has to be put in their mouths via syringe and drops in their eyes several times a day, causing more stress, causing more symptoms…

They’ve been doing just fine now for a couple of years. What do y’all think about not taking them to the vet annually if they remain healthy, happy, symptom-free and full of ginger?

2

I totally understand where you are coming from on this. One of my cats is starting to show her age (she’s almost 17) and I hate the idea of taking her to the vet 'cause she stresses so much about it.

The only reason not to get the shots is that it is a legal requirement for pets to have rabies vaccinations. I know a cat that doesn’t go outside doesn’t have a chance of being exposed to rabies, but it is still a legal requirement.

Check with your vet about a house call. Explain the circumstance and the vet may be willing to make a house call even if that isn’t a regular part of the practice. If they don’t/won’t do it, check with other vets in the area.

3

I’m not a vet, but I had an indoor cat for 18 years and I think that’s an iffy idea. Sure, chances are they’ll be ok (at least for a while), but the whole point of the annual vet appointment is just like checkups for people: if trouble is brewing, you can catch it early. Plus, at 9 years old your cats are almost senior citizens, and there are all sorts of things that can creep up on older cats – even indoor ones.

You need to look for a vet who makes housecalls. I had one from '98-'04, and it was awesome. She didn’t have a bricks-and-mortar practice, she was strictly a mobile vet. I still had to take the cat in the car when she needed to go to the kitty ER/animal hospital, but having someone come to the house for those annual checkups was very cool (and she was a great doctor, too). If I ever have another pet while I’m still living in this area I’m definitely going to use that same vet.

4

Housecall vets are such a blessing! We have eleven cats and three dogs, and taking them all to the veterinarian for their shots and exams would be a major undertaking. Fortunately, we have a vet who comes to us. The cost is a bit higher, but it is well worth it to avoid the hassle and the emotional distress. The only time our critters go to the veterinary clinic is when there is a serious illness or when surgery is required.

5

It won’t be popular with posters or vets, but I’ll tell you that our cat is easily 15 or 16 years old, in good health (getting a touch gimpy in her old age, but otherwise fine) and we no longer subject her to annual vet trips. I can’t remember the last time she went, in fact.

That said, I keep a very close eye on her ins and outs (is she eating/eliminating well), pay attention to any vomiting (is it a hairball or food/fluid) and things like that. I’ve been thinking about taking her in for a geriatric check up, but right or wrong, I’m of the “if it ain’t broke don’t fit it” thought. She HATES HATES the vet so much that I feel like the stress would far outweigh the benefit unless she’s showing signs of illness. And frankly at the age she is, if she IS seriously sick, she’s going to get pain and comfort care only anyway.

FWIW, she ventures outside with us only a few times a year, is never exposed to other cats, and has never been treated for any illnesses.

6

You might discuss this with your DVM, and he/she/it might be willing to prescribe some form of feline tranquilizers, to be dosed prior to visit.

They should be getting annual visits.

7

I wouldn’t worry about it. If they get sick or start looking ‘off’, then you can take them. But with no exposure vectors at all? Nah, let 'em be. Neither you nor your wife are around a lot of other cats outside the house, are you? I don’t know how likely it is that you’d bring something virulent home with you, but it can happen in livestock.

Depends on the state, I imagine. My vet wasn’t going to vaccinate mine for rabies since he’s an indoor cat, but I asked for it anyway so he could prowl the yard once in a while.

8

Also,bear in mind that many vets are going to an every-three-years schedule for many vaccines, and in some states this regime is also legal for rabies. So, it may not be necessary to o every year just to keep to the vax schedule.

9

Of course it does depend on state/local laws, but I am not aware of any state that doesn’t require it. Georgia requires it even for totally indoor cats.

10

Under Arizona statute, it is only required every three years, as long as the given vaccine is labeled as a “three-year” immunizer.

(page 8)

If your vet is not already using this product, I would suggest special ordering it, as it will greatly reduce vet visits while keeping you within the law. I do not suggest skipping rabies vax for beloved animals (or any animals, really) because if they bite anyone, ever, for any reason, and their rabies history is unknown or out of date, the pet must be quarantined in an approved facility (ie outside the home) for a minumum of 10 days. And THAT does not save your cats stress, let me tell you.

(page 9)

11

I’m with BoBettie. Our two cats (strictly indoor cats) are 14 and 10. They were both neutered and had the early tests and vaccinations, but we haven’t taken them to the vet for years. Partly because they react badly to car trips, but also because I worry about exposing them to sick animals.

The dog goes twice a year. The vet loves him and he seems to love his vet visits.

But these cranky old cats – nuh uh.

12

How much more is a house call vet than a brick-and-mortar vet?

13

A house call would of course be ideal. One of our family friends is a vet who even more fortunately lives a block and a half away, and she’s visited to give shots on occasion. If that’s not a possibility, ask your vet. It sure seems like a bad idea to me to make a cat sick taking it for shots it doesn’t actually need, being strictly indoors. Seems to me like a perfectly good idea to skip the visits if they’re causing that much trouble. But obviously your vet’s advice is best.

14

My cats are indoor cats with no interest in exploring the outdoors beyond the screened porch. I was casual about shots for this reason, including rabies. However, a bat did get into our house last year, so now I keep them up to date on their rabies vaccs in case they should catch the next bat.

(the bat went back outside, transported in a dishtowel, with no harm done.)

15

How likely are cats to get sick? I lived with someone once, and his cat was found outside as a kitten, lived there (before I moved) 4 years, and was never ever taken to a vet. And it was an outdoor cat. never saw it sick. What are the odds of that?

16

I’m just wondering how contagious feline distemper is. I know that canine distemper - a different virus and will not affect cats - is apparently contagious enough to be picked up on human clothes from the lawn of an affected dog and transmitted to a dog or ferret at your home. From what I Googled, I at least saw that senior cats only need the vaccine every other year since they aren’t as susceptible as younger cats.

17

It depends on the vet. We have a local vet who does house calls only - his fees are actually less than the full-service vet we usually use. Our full-service vet will also do house calls, but they have a surcharge for it (twice the usual cost of an office visit, IIRC), and they send a vet and a technician. I was very glad to have this service when my dog got cancer. The treatment required a lot of blood tests, and this was for a dog that would get carsick almost every time he rode in a car. The housecalls saved me a lot of time schlepping him back and forth and a lot of clean up!

18

I’d like to suggest as well you look into a vistiting vet or contact a vet who can do house calls.

As a veterinary technician I have to recommend you at least get them annual exams. As they get older any number of systems can begin to go awry. We often see cats in my hospital who haven’t seen a vet in years and suddenly, out of the blue, lose 50% of their body weight/stop eating/etc.

There are so many more reasons to go to a vet than vaccines, and that’s something that’s changing around the country. 10 years ago even vets were seen primarily as vaccinators. Now they provice dental cleanings, in-house x-rays, behavioral therapy, holistic therapy, and other full spectrum quality of life services.

Your vet should do routine bloodwork to screen for hyperthyriodism, kidney and liver disease, listen your cat’s heart rate to determine whether there is any sign of heart disease, talk to you about your pet’s apropriate weight, check her/his teeth for signs of dental disease, and at the very least give you peace of mind that there is no obvious signs of ill-health.

Trust me, if 2 years from now you notice your cat has a mass, or has stopped eating, you’ll wish you’d had some preventative care. Cats are stoic creatures, and often don’t tell their owners they are hurting until it’s almost too late. They hide their injuries and can seem okay when they are not.

Get them checked. It’s worth the stress to them, especially if you can have a house call.

19

Hmmm. Are we certain that rabies vaccinations are mandated for cats? When I took my newly-adopted feral to the vet for her first checkup that I paid for, he said that it was up to me. At the time, I was questioning whether she’d be inside-only or able to wander once in awhile. Doc told me that if there was a possibility that she’d get outside that she should get the shot. I imagined that yes, it would be possible that she could escape and it would be in everyone’s best interest for her to be protected. But he in no way said it was mandatory.

20

I can’t imagine any state that wouldn’t require rabies vax for all pets.