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This whole experience with Panther has really made me question the need for vaccinations. I was discussing this with my vet and she said I can elect to not have my cats vaccinated but if they should bite someone my cats will have to be hospitalized for 10 days. :( I don't know what to do. I still have 2 others cats that are due soon for their exams. What are some of your thoughts on this subject?
The vaccinations do help their health and well being. We do the rabies (required by law here in KY) and boosters. Feline L we dont do since they are indoors only.
I take the risk for their continued good health.
www.avma.org (American Veterinary Medical Association) has lots of info on vaccination. In particular, they recommend that each pet parent work with their vet on appropriate vaccinations and frequency.
Locally (upstate New York), three-year rabies and FVCRP ("distemper") shots are becoming more common. Some vets will stagger the shots so the cat gets no more than one shot a year. There is some evidence that the feline leukemia shot may be higher risk than the other ones.
For an opposing opinion, there are groups that are quite aggressive against excessive vaccinations; I can't think of the name off hand but they show up at cat shows.
Vaccines are drugs, and unfortunately like all drugs, sometimes cause problems. I'm sorry that something that is intended to save lives (and indeed is highly successful at this) occasionally causes very bad cancer.
Each time I take a cat in for annual exam and shots, I ask the vet about this. There is always new information.
I always get the rabies shot because A. it is required by law here and B. if I didn't get it and then the cat bit someone, the cat goes in to quarantine for 6 months here! I normally get the distemper booster for about the same reason; if something happens, well, the risks outweigh the chance of the sarcoma, in my mind.
So I think you need to find out what the laws are where you live, and learn from your vet what the pros and cons are for each shot.
By the way, my cats have never bitten anyone except ME! Amber (Mr. Amber Cat, RIP) bit me on 2 different occassions to the point I needed medical care. The first time, I was treated as an outpatient, and the Animal Control Officer came to visit. He asked all kinds of questions and ended up telling me to keep the cat in for 10 days (he was already an indoor cat.) Thing is, no way they were able to give Amber his thyroid meds twice per day, ha ha. The second time Amber bit me, I ended up in hospital for 10 days on round the clock antibiotic IV. Good thing Amber's shots were all up to date, or I would have lost him and had him euthanized that time.
So it also depends on the cat. If the cat has medical issues which require constant pills, or subq fluids or such, the chances of the cat biting you increase, so the need to show the shots are all up to date should also be considered.