Question:
You wrote that it might be unnecessary, perhaps even dangerous, for cats to be vaccinated yearly for certain diseases, but I don't recall your mentioning feline leukemia.Also, since I have both indoor and outdoor cats, could you advise me as to what vaccination routine I should follow for the always-indoor cats, the indoor-outdoor cats, and/or all the cats, if they can all be given the same protection.
D.B., Port Huron, MI Jan 30, 2005
Answer:
Since you have a "mixed" cat family (with some who go outdoors and others who do not), the come-and-go cats are putting the stay-at-home cats at risk. Exposure to diseased cats outdoors could mean that even immunized cats can pick up a virulent virus and pass it on to non-immunized cats in the family.Your come-and-go cats are also putting your stay-at-home felines at risk from possible adverse reactions to vaccinations, fleas and ticks, and a host of other diseases, some contracted from wildlife. That's why I'm an advocate of inside-only cats. Yours will have to have the same vaccinations as their free-roaming housemates, which your veterinarian will prescribe, and be routinely checked for fleas, ticks, ringworm and various internal parasites.
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