Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
How in the world are they going to even know that you have a pet cat, especially if you take in a stray and not adopted at a shelter? The warden will see that they don't have their collar and tags when you are outside walking them?
A cat is not a dog. No way to enforce these laws on cats. I moved to a state that has this law on the books. The state does not know that I have indoor only cats.
The vet who treats the animal will know, and vets do have the right to refuse to treat animals that are not up to date on rabies vaccinations unless there is a medical exemption on file.
Also, if your pet bites someone and they end up in the hospital, that gets reported to animal control. That means the animal may have to be quarantined outside it's home at the owner's expense.
How in the world are they going to even know that you have a pet cat, especially if you take in a stray and not adopted at a shelter? The warden will see that they don't have their collar and tags when you are outside walking them?
A cat is not a dog. No way to enforce these laws on cats. I moved to a state that has this law on the books. The state does not know that I have indoor only cats.
Same here. Our cats are strictly indoor cats, and the only time we have had them vaccinated is when the Vet would not see them for a checkup unless he vaccinated them at the same time. We have seen them be a little not feeling well after those shots, so we try to avoid them completely.
My 3 year old cats are vaccinated. I work in shelter around sometimes very sick cats, and I foster kittens. Plus they go outside on harness.
Cats in my city are required to be licenced, and vaccinated for rabies. People generally only get busted if the cat gets loose and someone picks it up, just like dogs. Then the owner could be fined 20 years worth of licencing fees. So I get mine licenced. It's not a big deal ($15 each cat), and the money goes towards grants that fund low cost spay and neuter programs. I'm very much for those, so I'm more than happy to pay.
My last cat, who died a few years ago at 17, I didn't vaccinate, and he was indoor/outdoor for most of his life. He had been a wee feral kitten, and the visit to the vet was extremely stressful on him. We rolled the dice, and were lucky. Now I know better, having seen cats sick and/or dead from vaccine preventable diseases.
No. I keep mine vaccinated because if I travel or have to go to the hospital, they would have to be either boarded or pet-sit and either scenario requires up-to-date vaccinations. None of my cats ever go out of the house or mingle with other cats.
Good reminder about vaccinations being required for boarding. Sure wish we had a neighbor who could house-sit or at least come by to feed.
How in the world are they going to even know that you have a pet cat, especially if you take in a stray and not adopted at a shelter? The warden will see that they don't have their collar and tags when you are outside walking them?
I volunteer with an animal rescue as an adoption counselor. We have to check vet records on all pets in the home, past and present. So if I see a cat on your application but the vet has no record that the cat exists, that would be a red flag. (FWIW as per my rescue, an indoor only cat does not have to be vaccinated, but should be taken for checkups).
If your cat is having reactions, I'd stop. Ask your vet to put a note on the file indicating that the cat is reactive to vaccines.
ITA! Two of ours had rather severe reactions, and one required a trip to the ER because he wouldn't stop vomiting and had diarrhea.
For the younger cat (now 5), I asked my vet to log a reaction with the manufacturer. He had stopped eating and had joint pain (he'd cry out if you tried to pick him up).
My 3 year old cats are vaccinated. I work in shelter around sometimes very sick cats, and I foster kittens. Plus they go outside on harness.
Cats in my city are required to be licenced, and vaccinated for rabies. People generally only get busted if the cat gets loose and someone picks it up, just like dogs. Then the owner could be fined 20 years worth of licencing fees. So I get mine licenced. It's not a big deal ($15 each cat), and the money goes towards grants that fund low cost spay and neuter programs. I'm very much for those, so I'm more than happy to pay.
My last cat, who died a few years ago at 17, I didn't vaccinate, and he was indoor/outdoor for most of his life. He had been a wee feral kitten, and the visit to the vet was extremely stressful on him. We rolled the dice, and were lucky. Now I know better, having seen cats sick and/or dead from vaccine preventable diseases.
Years ago we had a 22 year old indoor only cat. He never got out all those years. When he got very, very sick we took him to a Vet for the first time since we adopted him as a kitten. The Vet Techs refused to give him an initial exam without a record of his rabies vaccination. From 22 years ago at a shelter 1,000 miles away in a different state? I couldn't remember the name of that shelter, let alone know if they were still in business.
The Vet overheard this conservation and she said she would examine him without giving him a rabies shot then and there. "Do you want to kill this poor old man?" She also said he was the oldest cat she had ever seen in her practice. She nixed surgery on him as well because his heart could not take it. He would have a heart attack on the operating table.
Rocky lived a very nice long life. He was only a few years younger than my children at the time. Coincidence? All the cats I have had (strays and shelter) for the past 50 years have lived into their teenage years as indoor only cats. After their vaccinations as kittens, they never got anymore, or went for check ups by Vets.
I have an 11 year old and a 5 year old cat that are strictly indoors. They got their kitten shots and that is it. I had a titer test done on the older cat, but my holistic vet did not think it was necessary to do frequently. I do not think vaccines are necessary in my situation.
After their vaccinations as kittens, they never got anymore, or went for check ups by Vets.
You never brought your cats in for yearly wellness visits? Speaking as someone with a cat who's had ongoing dental issues (FORL) that require yearly dental exams/cleanings and 12 extractions, I think that's idiotic. There are lots of health issues that can't be detected just through observation.
My cat would be in severe pain if I didn't take her to have her dental issues taken care of, and FORL is not a preventable ailment. Unfortunately, it's quite common in cats.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
