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Some establishments, such as the grooming salons in major chain pet stores, require all animals to have a recent rabies vaccine. Is this actually necessary?
In the case of cats, there are some reasons to be skeptical about repeated rabies vaccinations.
When I was taking Candy cat regularly to the vet (every 3-5 months for bloodwork to manage her hyperthyroidism and the amount of medicine I needed to give her daily for the condition) the vet was not insisting on vaccinations for her. As an elderly indoors cat, she was not considered at risk. I asked the vets about my other cats, and the vet didn't have any concern there either. The important thing is that all my cats have all gotten all the appropriate vaccinations when they were young. Many studies show this is all that is needed. Their bodies don't forget how to fight what they are vaccinated against.
According to the City of Berkeley Animal Shelter:
- "As they are not a natural vector for rabies, cats pose a very low risk for contracting and spreading this disease. In 1998, only three cats tested positive for rabies in all of California. There are no known cases of a human ever contracting rabies from a cat in the state of California." http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=9714
And Dr. Karen Becker says:
- "If your cat lives entirely indoors, I highly recommend she not be vaccinated again after a full set of kitten shots in her first year of life. Her indoor-only lifestyle virtually eliminates her risk of exposure to infectious diseases. It is my belief over-vaccination is one of the primary reasons the general health of housecats is deteriorating. Keep unvaccinated indoor cats from interacting with any other cats and your pet’s risk is virtually none." http://www.greendogpetsupply.com/blog/?p=511
I have read a bunch of pages from several veterinarians sharing their experience that vaccinations actually are a source of problems in cats. Especially worrisome is an increased risk of seizures, anemia, allergies, diarrhea, and cancers from the injections. Also there is increased risk to the cats by taking them to the vet, a place where sick animals congregate! How many times have you heard about hospital borne illness? Similar things can happen at the vets office.
I finally lost Candy cat to cancer at about 16 years of age. The vet was very compassionate, she had just seen Candy less than 6 months before the cancer developed, she was shocked and saddened by how rapidly it developed. She didn't want to do any aggressive treatment of it, she felt that would be us being selfish to put her through a lot of pain for very little return. She lived another few weeks, and Candy was able to be active and happy up until her final 24 hours. When her time came, we took her to the vet to be put to sleep, and then we buried her on Dr. Norm's farm. Several people have told me that final trip to the vet was unnecessarily stressful to her, she was quiet at home, but she was aware enough that I was taking her back to that doctor's office she didn't like. I should have just kept her at home where she was comfortable, and she would have passed away peacefully within an hour or so anyhow.
And as for cat baths, here is what a veterinarian says on that: "Don't". http://blog.catsexclusive.com/2011/01/should-you-bathe-your-cat.html
- "Cats are fastidiously clean animals, frequently spending much of their day grooming and bathing themselves. A good part of the time that they are awake is focused on this important task.... There are many good reasons not to bathe cats. Often people notice that their cat has dander and want to give them a bath to help get them clean. Bathing actually removes essential oils on their skin and will dry it out, usually making dander worse. Better options in this circumstance would be frequent brushing, a wet food diet, and perhaps a little fish oil added to their meals... Cats have a reputation for hating water, and while this isn't true of every cat, a bath can still be a traumatic event causing unnecessary stress. When scared, a cat may scratch or bite, putting you at risk as well. Additionally, even with well-warmed water, cats are small and it can be difficult to maintain their body temperature both while in the bath and afterwards while they are drying off."
Also, cats should not be shaved!
- "Don’t think you’re doing cats a favor by shaving them in the summer! Cats have sweat glands in their tongues and the pads of their feet, not all over their bodies like humans do. In the heat of summer their coats helps block harmful UV radiation. Their skin does not tan, it burns."
Now since mine don't go outside, that isn't an issue. But
With Bear, the cat some might think of as matted, that is actually the curly style of her fur. The breeder actually warned me against overgrooming, as it can reduce the curl in the fur. Her particular breed can actually be overgroomed! She dont like to be held or carried or moved around, but she and I have learned to enjoy grooming, and she will come and ask me for it. She doesn't cooperate so well with other people who she doesn't know well. I have the special combs for helping her get the loose hairs out of her undercoat.
For cats, about the only regular testing that can be done is a blood test for kidney and thyroid function, and dental exam. I have had enough cats that I know when to recognize most problems.
Still, it seems sensible to me that when a cat passes 11 or 12 years of age, it is probably a good idea to get them a vet visit to check on dental issues, and to do some blood work to establish baselines for future tests.