Which vaccines does an indoor cat need?
Most indoor cats need the core vaccines: rabies, which Virginia requires for every cat, and the combined vaccine for feline distemper and two common respiratory viruses. Other vaccines depend on lifestyle. A cat that never goes outside and lives with no outdoor cats usually does not need the feline leukemia vaccine after kittenhood; a cat that goes out, boards or meets new cats may.
Indoor cats still meet germs. Viruses travel in on shoes and clothing, bats and mice sometimes get into homes, and an indoor cat can slip out a door. The core vaccines are chosen because the diseases they prevent are serious and the risk is never zero.
Core and lifestyle vaccines
Required for every cat in Virginia. Given as a kitten, at one year, then on a one- or three-year schedule.
One combined vaccine, boosted as a kitten, at one year, then every three years.
Recommended for all kittens, then for cats that go outside or live with cats that do.
How we decide for your cat
We ask where your cat goes and who it meets.
We review past records and any reactions.
You get a short list with a reason beside each vaccine.
We text you before each booster is due.
Reactions to vaccines are uncommon and usually mild: a quiet evening or a tender patch where the needle went in. Let us know if your cat has had a reaction in the past. We can space vaccines out, change the site or skip a lifestyle vaccine that is not needed.
The right vaccine list depends on the cat in front of us, not a one-size chart on the wall.
Questions owners ask
Does an indoor cat really need rabies?
How often are boosters given?
My cat had a reaction last time. What now?
Can my senior cat stop having vaccines?
Keep reading
- Seven quiet changes in an older dog that are worth a checkup sooner than the next yearly visit
- A carrier routine that makes the vet visit calmer
- Brushing a puppy's teeth in thirty seconds a night
General information for pet owners, not a diagnosis. Call your veterinarian about your own pet.