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Thanks so much for all of the replies. Everyone has basically summed up how I feel about the situation. I really see no need to vaccinate an indoor cat that never steps outside and I'm afraid of a bad reaction to the vaccine. This same cat had an allergic reaction to the feline leukemia vaccine and I spent hundreds of dollars at the emergency vet because of it. Never again. I feel like the vet is pressuring me into it by threatening a $250 fine. I know in the past, the rabies thing has not been enforced unless your animal actually bites someone. However, with towns and cities trying to drum up revenue, maybe they are now forcing vets to report and will be actively fining people that do not keep the vaccine up-to-date. This vet was located on the Apex/Cary line, so maybe it's the town that is doing this. I have no way of knowing if the vet was telling the truth or just trying to scare me, but I do not plan to get my cat vaccinated unless I'm forced to do so. I don't want to take a chance on a bad reaction to the vaccine.
I lost my golden to cancer last yr and I'm convinced that her last vaccination series a few months prior contributed to her immune system issues. Learning what I did after her passing, pets don't need to be vaccinated every year--the titers last much longer!
And now with my cat, who is indoor only, she got her kitty vaccines and then her 1 yr booster vaccines (incl rabies) and that's it. She doesn't need anything more no matter what the law or the local vet says.
If she's in danger of catching something from laying on the living room couch sunning herself, then so am I! So we'll just have to live dangerously.
One thing I know for sure is that when there is big money to be made someone is going to be on the take to make you buy it. Remember the so called Avian flu epidemic? Our state and federal government is extremely corrupt. I should not have to give.my cats drugs just because some big pharma says a bat can fly in my house and bite my indoor cat!! Wake up people!
My cats are indoors only and we still get them their rabies vaccine. We don't bother with the others. Although your cats are indoors only, they could still escape one day. If they're picked up by animal control and not current on rabies, that's a big headache for you. If worse they're attacked while out, that's quarantine time or getting put down. Even if they don't get out, there's nothing from stopping a rabid bat from getting inside your house. It happens all the time.
One thing I know for sure is that when there is big money to be made someone is going to be on the take to make you buy it. Remember the so called Avian flu epidemic? Our state and federal government is extremely corrupt. I should not have to give.my cats drugs just because some big pharma says a bat can fly in my house and bite my indoor cat!! Wake up people!
I can assure you there's no "big conspiracy" when it comes to rabies. Unfortunately in this area rabies is still a big problem and a terrible disease. I think people forget this with human transmission being less common as people spend less time outdoors with wildlife. You probably won't be telling people to "wake up" if one day the health department needs to test your pet for rabies because they're not current on the vaccine. That consists of decapitation for spinal cord tissue testing. This really is just a case of a law for the public good.
I can assure you there's no "big conspiracy" when it comes to rabies. Unfortunately in this area rabies is still a big problem and a terrible disease. I think people forget this with human transmission being less common as people spend less time outdoors with wildlife. You probably won't be telling people to "wake up" if one day the health department needs to test your pet for rabies because they're not current on the vaccine. That consists of decapitation for spinal cord tissue testing. This really is just a case of a law for the public good.
My indoor only cat escaped outdoors right before we left for vacation and we didn't realize it. We told our pet sitter she may never see this cat because she was so shy.... so she didn't worry when she didn't. We came home to find her under the house with a horrible bite wound on her back. She was not current on her rabies vaccine and we have young children. We chose to euthanize her because of the lack of rabies vaccine and the potential risk. NEVER AGAIN will I overlook this vaccine. Hard lesson to learn.
My indoor only cat escaped outdoors right before we left for vacation and we didn't realize it.
Yikes. And your petsitter never noticed that the litter hadn't been used and the food had stayed untouched during his/her visits? I'd say the petsitter either never came over OR you managed to have an unobservant petsitter who never once thought, "heyyyy how come this indoor-only cat is not eating or using the litter box???" Either way, aside from the fact your cat escaped out the door before vacation, not good.
Yikes. And your petsitter never noticed that the litter hadn't been used and the food had stayed untouched during his/her visits? I'd say the petsitter either never came over OR you managed to have an unobservant petsitter who never once thought, "heyyyy how come this indoor-only cat is not eating or using the litter box???" Either way, aside from the fact your cat escaped out the door before vacation, not good.
We had more than one cat.... Impossible to know who was eating or using litter The cat escaped because we had house guests the night before (friends who were taking our dogs home for the week) and in the ensuing goodbyes and last minute stuff, she escaped and we did not realize it. The cat sitter had been used previously and called mid week to say she had not seen this particular cat. It was normal for her to hide.
I appreciate your concern, but there was no fault here, except for my neglect of keeping her current on her rabies vaccine. And that really is the topic of this thread and the only reason I shared this story.
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The cat escaped because we had house guests the night before (friends who were taking our dogs home for the week) and in the ensuing goodbyes and last minute stuff, she escaped and we did not realize it. The cat sitter had been used previously and called mid week to say she had not seen this particular cat. It was normal for her to hide.
