# Do cats need distemper shots after 2 years of age?



## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

The girls had their series of distemper shots as kittens, and they had a booster right before we adopted them last October. (They're two and a half years old now.) Is this a shot they continue to get every so often for the rest of their lives, or is this one they only get as kittens? They're getting rabies shots next week, so I want to make sure I'm getting them what they need.


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## Jack&Harley (Nov 2, 2008)

Do cats need any shots? I think its personal preference, talking with your vet and research.

My indoor pets only receive initial vaccines as kittens and then yearly rabies--as its required by law.

My outdoor pets do receive yearly vaccines, because they come into contact with other animals they may or may not be vaccinated etc. and also yearly rabies.

My indoor pets don't come into contact with my outdoor pets or any other pets and dont' feel the need to additionally vaccine them.

Leslie


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

Neko is five and had only had kitten shots (hadn't been to vet since). Today he went to the vet and they gave him rabies and distemper vaccines. They gave him the new rabies one though, it only lasts one year but is less likely to cause injection site sarcomas.


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

The general protocol now is once they have received their kitten boosters and a booster at one year, they should have FVRCP, FeLV and Rabies every 3 years. FIV vaccine (yearly booster) is pretty controversial so you'd need to make an educated decision. That's for outdoor cats. Indoor cats, as long as they are not in contact with unknown cats, should get their FVRCP and Rabies (if it's required by your state).
That being said, my cats are strictly indoors and only got their FVRCP kitten shots and 1 year booster and no Rabies. They won't get anymore unless they are going to travel or _maybe_ if I bring a new kitten into the house. 
Here's some good info to help you decide:
https://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/vmthold/in ... nproto.htm
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=57604
http://www.critteradvocacy.org/Feline%2 ... dlines.htm


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

Thanks Nanook, those sites have some good info. I think I'll just stick with the rabies since the girls are indoor-only kitties.


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

The rabies shot actually lasts up to 10 years. The ONLY reason to do it annually or every 3 years is the law, and the simple fact is that no one is ever going to pound on your door to fine you b/c your indoor cats (who are never going to be exposed to rabies anyway) aren't vaccinated. The ONLY time this would come up would be if your cat bit someone hard enough for them to report it to the police. If that were done, in most places the cat would be quarantined for the amount of time designated (and in some places the cat can even be quarantined in your HOUSE). None of this is likely to happen with protected indoor cats.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

The problem would come up if your cat bit someone and they needed medical attention. The doctor/hospital is required to report it. I've known of several situations where this has happened, the pet was up to date on the rabies vaccine and the quarantine was done at home. I don't know what would have happened if the vaccine was not up to date.


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

doodlebug said:


> The problem would come up if your cat bit someone and they needed medical attention. The doctor/hospital is required to report it. I've known of several situations where this has happened, the pet was up to date on the rabies vaccine and the quarantine was done at home. I don't know what would have happened if the vaccine was not up to date.


In most localities, the same thing, or the animal would be q-tined at animal control. Only strays w/out known owners are euthanized after a bite.


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

Since I have two-year-old twins coming over regularly to visit their 'cat cousins' I think it's a good idea for me to keep up to date on rabies shots. The girls are incredibly good with the kids, but at two years old, who knows what the kids might suddenly do that could cause a bite. Fergie has tolerated having her tail pulled, being whacked on the head with a stick, and even being sat on, but even the nicest cat has a breaking point! The kids are very good about listening when I tell them what NOT to do, but they're always thinking of something new that requires me to tell them no!


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Well, check your local laws. MOST places now have a 3-year requirement instead of 1-year, which is preferable. Little known fact: The "3-year" vaccine and the "1-year" vaccine are IDENTICAL. Only diff is the label. So if you're vaccinating annually you are having the 3-year vaccine given anyway. It's a waste or money, immune-response, risk of VAS, etc. 

Even if the law is 1 year where you live, you can still do it every 3 years. Your cats and anyone who might be bitten will be covered, and if the bitees are your relatives, hopefully they wouldn't turn you in.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

hoofmaiden said:


> if the bitees are your relatives, hopefully they wouldn't turn you in.


As I indicated previously, in most places it's not whether the bitee turns you in, it's whether they need medical attention. A puncture wound to a child would certainly need medical attention and at that point the medical staff is obligated to report it. Just like a gun shot wound. 

My neighbor's daughter was bitten by another neighbor's dog and required stitches on her face. The hospital reported it and the police were here to investigate before they got home from the hospital. If that's the law in "Live Free or Die" NH, I imagine it's pretty similar everywhere else.


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

doodlebug said:


> As I indicated previously, in most places it's not whether the bitee turns you in, it's whether they need medical attention. A puncture wound to a child would certainly need medical attention and at that point the medical staff is obligated to report it. Just like a gun shot wound.


Not necessarily true - at least not here. A friend of mine has a wonderful dog--the moronic husband of someone she knows grabbed him by the face and put his face in the dog's face and got bitten (well duh <sigh>). My friend told them the dog was up to date on the rabies vaccine and she paid their dr. bill, but although the dr. knew it was a dog bite, it wasn't reported b/c the bitee said not to bother. 

Again, it's up to each person to assess the risks. Personally, I don't let kids -- even my nieces -- interact w/ my animals other than under careful supervision (even though my nieces are good w/ critters and even though my critters are good w/ kids), so I feel my risk is minimal.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I just posted this on another thread, but....

My girls have to be up to date on their rabies shots because if something should happen with my family and I have to go home in an emergency, I'd have to drive across state lines and the Border Patrol won't let you through with pets without proof of current rabies shots.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

There's border patrol between states out there? I never heard of that....


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Between Arizona and California. Yup. And between lots of places in California. When I drive to Temecula, an hour away, there's a Border Patrol stop before I get there.


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## Bethany (Jul 19, 2006)

Yup, it happened to a forum member here, didn't it? Her cat bit her mother, the bite got infected, her mother had to go to the doctor, the shots weren't up to date, BOOM quarantine. From what I read, in many places if you get a kind of wildlife that is prone to rabies in your house and you call Animal Control to remove it, your cat's vaccinations status will also be checked.

As I mentioned on the other thread, I think laws about quarantines vary from place to place: some places it can be in-home, some places it's Animal Control, some places it's in a vet's office at the owner expense.

There few humans have surviving rabies once symptoms had appeared (Wikipedia claims 6), and most of those had severe brain damage. I personally prefer not to mess around with a disease with essentially a 100% fatality rate once symptoms are shown.


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