Does my senior cat still need to be vaccinated?

Yes and no, as that really depends on lifestyle. The number one vaccine that I recommend for any age in any lifestyle would be the rabies vaccine. Here in Maine, we're in a rabies-endemic area, meaning rabies is always around. In our particular area, we have had an uptick in rabies cases in the last few years, so we need to be extra cautious. The rabies vaccine's super safe, and we give it every three years. And it's just an excellent way to keep not only your pet safe but your family as well, as rabies is a fatal disease, and it’s not always apparent when your cat has had an interaction with a rabid animal like a bat, even if they're indoors. So, that's my soapbox issue—rabies vaccines are for all cats and pets.

In terms of distemper for kitties that are indoors and have a really low risk, I usually stop doing that between nine and 10 years of age. You may see some variation among vets about how comfortable they are with that, but that's my general opinion. I don't think indoor kitties need leukemia vaccines. For kitties going outside but are pretty much sticking close to the house, I believe that we can stop vaccines as they get older. For those kitties that are scrappy and kind of the bully of the neighborhood, it's worth continuing them.

That’s a conversation to have with your veterinarian. Depending on some of my patient's lifestyles, we'll do a rabies vaccine because that one's required by law. And, of course, rabies can be transmitted to humans from pets. If they have a very active outdoor lifestyle, sometimes we'll keep them going on all of their core vaccines. It's a case-by-case situation, but you can have that conversation with your veterinarian.

We strongly recommend keeping your pets vaccinated or at least ensuring that their antibodies are at protective levels. Age is not a disease, but with aging comes an increased risk of disease. Vaccinations can protect against severe life-threatening diseases. We use the safest vaccines and offer vaccine titers. If your pet has been regularly vaccinated, you can check their titers to see if they still have the necessary protective levels of antibodies.