Not sure if they need them but I think it is a law around here that you have to get them just in case.

Rabies shots are required for ALL cats in our community and state.

What if you indoor only kitty manages to escape and contracts the virus in unlikely "fight"?

Vaccination is important!

If your cat bit or scratched someone, they'd probably want to undergo shots just in case. I know I wouldn't trust someone's word that the cat never went out if my life was at stake.

Another thing to consider is a bat could get in through a torn screen, chimney, or open door. This is unlikely in some areas, but very common in others, like in the mountains.

My girls get their rabies shots just in case they manage to get out, although they have never attempted this. Also, I get bats inside frequently during the summer. I'm trying to remedy the situation but I don't want to take any chances.

My new kitten , Henry, got his shot but it will be his last. Mine have all had them back in the day when they regularly got shots. Now they don't get any. I have lived here 24 years and never had anything come in my house nor do my cats ever get out and if they ever did for a minute, it's highly unlikely a rabid animal would be sitting outside the door. It can't be good for the cat. I hate to even use Frontline plus on them..

Definitely get the shot. I had a bat in the house this summer which exposed my DD new kitten which had not been given the rabies yet (too young and not heavy enough). We had agony waiting for the bat testing to come back. Fortunately, bat was negative for rabies. I cringe at what things would have been like had the bat been positive. I live in a wooded setting and have never before had a bat in the house since we moved here 20 yrs ago. After going through that scare this past summer I would never chance it. Wondering why someone wouldn't vaccinate for rabies???????

Bats aren't the only potential problem. My son lived in a second floor apartment in the middle of Pittsburgh when he was in college. One night a raccoon came up the fire escape looking for food in the trash and came through the screen door into the kitchen.

I have indoor outdoor cats so they must get their rabies shot. When I lived in the city they also got their shots just in case a mouse or rat got in.

As pointed out above, it is probably required by law and it makes sense to do it in the event the cat gets out. But the risk does need to be weighed as well - - I do believe I read somewhere that the shots can cause cancer at a somewhat alarming rate. There is lots of research out there suggesting that rabies vaccinations are effective for far longer than we are generally told. If I had indoor only cats, I would talk seriously to the vet about the possibility (and legality) of vaccinating, but doing it less often.

mercedes, your post has got me thinking. All my life, we've had indoor cats & never, ever have they had shots. It's not as though the vaccine is unaffordable as both my parents are lawyers with substantial incomes & I know they spend quite a bit regularly on vet bills for the horses. Our cats live to be at least 19 or older. A rabid animal hasn't gotten into the house & bitten a cat. I do believe that's how an animal becomes affected. I have been reading about the negative aspects of routine shots, & hope someone can offer some pros & cons about this topic. When I'm on my own, I'll probably have a cat or two, indoors only, & I don't think I'll get the shots for them.

kelly wells - you talk about your parents have money and you spend it on vet bills for your horses. Do your cats get to go to the vet for check ups and if so, how do get the vet to not insist on the rabies vaccine. I thought it was mandatory in every state here, but maybe you are not from US? If cats dont ever go to vet - what's with that?

Ok, this thread made me curious so I did a search for rabies vaccination law and this is what I found:

Here is a link that might be useful: Canine vet encyclopedia

And from the above vet encyclopedia site here is what they say about vaccines for cats:

There are two ways of looking at the rabies vaccination question. The first is the medical point of view. Do I think that giving the rabies vaccine is necessary on a yearly basis in order to prevent a cat from getting rabies? The answer to that question is no. I think that the rabies vaccinations provide a much longer duration of immunity than one year. This is probably just as true for PureVax (tm) as for other vaccinations but it hasn't been proven yet, as far as I know. If it were just a matter of medical reasoning, I doubt that I would vaccinate housecats nearly as often for rabies as we do now.
However, the problem is that there is another way to look at rabies vaccination. It is a legal requirement to have cats vaccinated yearly in some states, so in these states there isn't a lot of choice if you wish to remain a law-abiding citizen. If your state allows three year vaccination but you decide to use PureVax because of the decreased likelihood that it will cause vaccine reactions, especially vaccine associated sarcomas (cancer), then you still legally have to give it every year, because that particular vaccine is only approved for one year use. There is a chance that situation will change soon but there is no way to be sure of that at this time. It is unlikely that PureVax would have a major effect on the immune system or cause problems in conjunction with hyperthyroidism or renal failure, so it wouldn't worry me too much to vaccinate, if it was necessary. PureVax is less likely to cause local vaccine reactions and is probably less likely to cause vaccine associated cancers and being a killed vaccine it may cause less immune system response but I am not actually certain of that.
It is probably not a highly significant difference. The biggest problem with not vaccinating is that it causes complications when a pet bites someone and its rabies vaccinations are not up to date. This can trigger quarantines and in some cases even death of a pet for examination of its brain, so in this case the legal question trumps the medical one and I do think it is best to follow the rules, which
means vaccinating once a year.

In our state the pet gets the first vaccine that lasts for one year. The shots are then repeated every three years thereafter.

iluvcats, I guess my post gave you the impression I'm a spoiled rich kid. This is not the case at all. Our cats do go to the vet regularly for needles, checkups, teeth cleaning, ailments, tests etc., whenever needed. My point was that for whatever reason, rabie shots have never been given to the indoor cats, as the vet doesn't think they are needed & my parents trust her. Any stray or feral cats in the barn do get "trapped" & vaccinated regularly. Not an easy task. As for the horses, they are cast-offs, no longer useful (I think much like those beautiful greyhounds) so we take them in & provide a loving home to them. The only point I was trying to make was that the shot wasn't given merely due to the cost. I have many friends who get a "free" kitten or puppy & don't realize that free really isn't. Pets are expensive & almost a luxury when you consider the cost of good quality food & proper vet care which many people, though they don't love their pets any less, just can't afford.

Fogot to say that all ferals, strays, abandoned cats get a microchip in their neck & are spayed/neutered.

Do the outside cats get rabies vaccines and do any of the above posts make you want to vaccinate your indoor cats? I can't belive your vet doesn't recommend a rabies shot which is required by law to your indoor cats? I know some of the country vets that come to the house don't usually have to follow all the rules but if the vet has a shingle out front and is keeping records, I certainly think the State might think differently about her opinions regarding vaccinations. I am not attacking you (tho I know it probably sounds it), but your vet is irresponsible. Your vet doesn't know that some rabid animal won't get down your chimney or perhaps one of your indoor cats gets out under some crazy circumstance. That vet is operating on the assumption of a perfect scenario which we all know is never the case JMHO.

You want your pet to be immune from rabies. And it is the law in most areas to get shots for all your pets.

No one has mentioned the titers that can be done to check for immunity. Instead of vaccinating every year, blood work can be done to check the immunity levels in the pet to see if a vaccine is needed. Typically a titer test that indicates immunity can be substituted for a vaccine. Its more expensive than a vaccine.

Titers are more expensive but IMO are worth every penny. Our cats are indoor only and they will not ever be without their rabies shot it they require it. Number one reason is that the vets will not treat them without it and number 2 is that I love them way to much to have them at risk. If they were to bite someone, no matter how remote that chance, I am not putting them at risk.

Our state requires a rabies shot for domestic animals -- both cat and dog. There is a good reason too.

2 years ago, when I worked at the local shelter, I got a call from the local elementary school. Someone had dropped off a box of kittens at the school door. Awwwwww.

Well guess what? Those kittens tested positive for Rabies. All those kids (over 200) had to get shots. Geeze, someone just thought they were being kind and giving away kittens to kids.

RABIES IS NOT DEAD. Not by a long shot. Many countries will not let animals from the US to enter without a rabies quarantine. WHY? BECAUSE THE US is the ONLY country who still has rabies!!!!

Don't ever discount the posibility.

i am torn between getting the rabies shot for my 18 year old small cat. she is pretty thin and i don't give her frontline because she's so slight, though we used to. does she need the shot if she's only inside and we don't get bats around here because she's just in the apartment with me and no other pets.

The USA is absolutely NOT the only country that still has rabies. Most countries have it. Even the United Kingdom has experienced one case, in a bat.

www.rabies.net/cont_10.epidemiology.php

Our 3 1/2 yr old cats have had one PureVax shot, three years ago. In another year or two they'll have another. They're indoor cats, but do go out on our deck, which can only be entered and exited from the house, so they're safe from racoons, etc. But I do worry about bats, although we've never seen one here. Our vet is going along with us on this, because she knows that we lost a cat to vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma and are terrified of ever seeing this disease again. But - rabies is much worse. And one can never be sure of a pet's safety. A fire, hurricane, earthquake, flood, or a door accidentally left open, can put an animal into a situation never anticipated.

Some researchers and vets contend that vaccines work for longer periods of time than is advertised. What is certain is that our pets are way over-vaccinated. Hence the reasoning that one need not follow the protocols, but can space out the injections. And PureVax is not a guarantee against VAS. Purevax injected kitties have been showing up with VAS in their right hind legs. Not many, but it is a danger. No vaccine is completely safe. A bad reaction is simply the result of injecting a toxin into a body whose genetics are unknown.

Rabies is still around. A roofer near us died earlier this year from it. He was bitten by a bat in an attic (I read that at the time he thought it was a bee sting).

Our cat does not get any vaccinations, but she has a medical exemption (she has FIP). One drawback with not vaccinating is that you likely will not be able to board your cat.

I have a 12 yr. old Persian and when we first got Simba, we had him vaccinated...He almost lost him and we along with the vet, said no more...He has never been outside except to go to the groomers..Our 3 other cats (all born feral) were vet checked as babies and vaccinated when the time came, but have gotten no more..Our cats are inside, run and hide when you open a door..A few years ago, I read an article regarding too many shots for dogs/cats and were they really necessary...I also read where there is only 1 type of bat that might carry rabies and the chance of being bitten by a rabid animal is very slim...

Bats are not the biggest vectors of rabies. But it is a deadly disease, and I believe it is the law in most states, for safety's sake, to keep pets innoculated.

My friend had 2 indoor cats who were not innoculated. A stray cat tore through her screen door and attacked her cats. The town insisted she euthanize her pets because they were not innoculated, and they suspected the attacing cat was rabid. True story. Very sad.

You do not want to mess with rabies. There might me nasal innoculations.

There's been an upswing of rabid bats in my area...I think this year was the highest we've seen. I did get my house bat-proofed in the spring- it was the best investment I've ever made, practically!

Oh brother... bats are not the likely means of transmission. More often it's HOUSEHOLD pets who've not be vaccinated!

You should be more worried about racoons, skunks, and foxes/coyotes. Jeez, give bats a break, willya?!

I agree it's other pets that are the more likely means of transmission. Bit for people who say their cats never see other pets, there is still the risk of bats, even if slight. The guy near us who died is evidence of that. He wasn't even aware he'd been bitten.

People should do more to encourage bats to their property. I have a bat house but don't think it's ever been used. Other animals are far more likely to carry rabies and bats are so beneficial.They eat thousands and thousands of insects which cause diseases like West Nile virus , Lyme disease, and others which are far more prevalent than rabies...

It's the law around here that pets must have rabies shots -- dogs and cats, anyway. We have a rabbit, and I checked with the vet, but they don't need them.

My cat (the one that's left, now) is an indoor cat, but I do take her out on a leash sometimes, and she comes in contact with grass where wild animals have walked and grazed. Mainly just wild turkeys, though, once we had a crazed-looking fox around here (I took his picture!).

Very recently, I had a shocking, traumatic experience with my other sweet little cat, and she had to be euthanized. She went 'nuts' and attacked me, which wasn't really the only reason we had to put her down, but that kind of summarizes things.

Anyway -- before it was all over, she'd even slightly bitten the police officer who assisted us (believe me, it was all quite a scene!).

I was glad that I was able to assure the officer -- and myself -- that the cat was all up-to-date on her vaccinations. Ultimately, when after a few days I realized that I didn't have much options except to have the cat euthanized, for several reasons that I won't bother to list, we did in fact have a rabies test done.

The rabies tests are not cheap -- but, this cat had been quarantined by the animal control officer (different officer from the police officer), so by law it was required -- I could have waited the 10 days by law and then the state would have done (and paid for) the test IF the cat had died, I think, but, I'm not sure if they do the test if the animal lives after the 10 days are up.

Anyway, my cat was so miserable, and I could see that there was no hope. So, I couldn't wait-out the ten days -- I was going nuts. We brought the cat to be euthanized, brought along the quarantine order, and paid for the test ourselves, then passed on the results to everyone.

She didn't, as I had expected, have rabies. But, either way, she was very bad off.