Why does my cat need vaccines if they're only going to stay indoors?

Some are public health concerns. Rabies. I know that your cat is only going to get rabies by being exposed to a rabid animal. It's probably not going to happen indoors, but what happens if your window pops open, or your window is open and the screen pops out and your cat wants to take off? You can't afford to risk those types of things. A disease like rabies, for example, is a human threat. If, by some chance, your cat gets out, gets bitten by a rabid animal, and comes back home, they will likely act fine for quite a while. But then on about day 9 or 10, your cat is not acting quite so fine. You see where I'm going with that? There's no point in allowing that to even be a possibility.

So for certain public health concerns, there's that. And again, even other viruses that I didn't mention in that scenario could involve the same exact thing happening. Say your cat's indoors and you think to yourself, "Oh, I don't want to do feline leukemia." What happens if he gets out? What happens if it's a pretty fall day and there's another cat that comes nose to nose with him at the screen. They didn't even come into direct contact, but can it be transmitted that way? You bet it can. So that's the reason why it's still important.

They do because viruses and bacteria are microscopic, and even if your kitten is not going anywhere, you are. If you have dogs, they're going places, and viruses and bacteria can live on our skin from everything we touch and on our shoes. You can infect your kitten even if they aren't going anywhere. So it's super important that even indoor-only kitty cats that aren't going anywhere have their vaccines to help them stay healthy.

Yes, even indoor kittens need to be vaccinated to protect them from upper respiratory infections and rabies. It's essential to discuss the importance of vaccinating your indoor cat with your veterinarian.

Yes, it is highly recommended to administer all vaccines for kittens, even if they are going to be indoor cats. Situations can change over time, and it is better to prevent potential viruses and bacterial infections if the kitten were to get outside or become an outdoor cat later in life.

Yes. We do want to vaccinate them for basic protection against any viruses that we have vaccines for. Also, kittens and cats can sometimes escape outdoors, where they may come in contact with other cats. We want to make sure that they're protected. So we do recommend boosting those vaccines, even through adulthood. Additionally, if they ever go to boarding facilities or a groomer, they will need those vaccines to be protected.