An additional thought might be to increase the use of rabies titer testing. Each animal has differing immune response to vaccines and may have immunity for extended periods of time; in some cases many years past the 1 year or 3 year recommendation. this is similar to titer testing in vaccinated animal handlers..
Great point, Melissa! Rabies titer testing can be useful in assessing immune response, and it’s already used for vaccinated animal handlers. However, current laws don’t recognize titers as a substitute for vaccination in pets, even if immunity lasts beyond the standard 1- or 3-year schedule. Since no titer threshold is officially accepted as proof of protection, authorities prioritize vaccination for public health reasons. It would be interesting to see more discussion on whether titer testing could play a larger role in future rabies policies. Thanks for sharing your insight!
This is certainly a pet peeve of mine. I view vaccinations of any kind to be a medical procedure, meaning, there are risks and benefits. Why perform a medical procedure when there are zero benefits, but significant risks. Vaccine induced sarcomas in cats are a BIG deal and can be life ending. So I say absolutely NO to rabies vaccines for strictly (emphasizing strictly here) indoor cats.
I hear you! Vaccinations should always be a risk-benefit decision, and for strictly indoor cats with zero exposure risk, it’s understandable to question the necessity. Vaccine-induced sarcomas are a serious concern, though thankfully rare. It would be great if policies allowed more flexibility, especially when there’s truly no risk of exposure. Appreciate you adding your voice to the discussion!
Just terrific ... Thank you for your speedy response. I will be sharing this research with my pet connected friends. Everyone should have Animal Politics and this Q & A feature as a source for reliable information.
Thank you, Rosemary! I’m glad you found the information helpful. I appreciate you sharing it with your friends—it’s great to spread reliable info to the pet community. Thanks for the kind words about Animal Politics and the Q&A feature!
Thanks for this post. My two indoor cats (4), who (rarely) go on our first-floor balcony while supervised, and one of our dogs (also 4) are vaccinated. I believe it’s the law here in Illinois. Our other dog (13) has an exemption because he has steroid-responsive meningitis arteritis. Thankfully, his daycare interacts with him individually so he’s away from other dogs.
Thanks for sharing, Barb! It sounds like you’ve found a thoughtful balance between following the law and prioritizing your pets’ individual health needs. It’s great that Illinois allows exemptions for medical conditions like your senior dog’s, and it’s even better that his daycare accommodates him safely. Sounds like your crew is well cared for!
There’s a solution for preventing beloved pet cats from sadly going missing, or stuck up a tree for days in the mid-winter cold: If making your feline an indoors-only pet is simply not doable, always keep it on a chest-harness leash during walks. If you won’t do it for the vulnerable wildlife potentially killed by your roaming cat, then (please) do it for your also-very-vulnerable cat’s sake.
Another great benefit to this is that the average lifespan of indoor felines is about three times that of outdoor felines, not to mention the notable absence of outdoor-related injury. Of course, completely denying one's pet cat outdoors access should be compensated by giving it additional attention/affection. I did so with my indoors-only feline of 15 years, until losing him to illness a few weeks ago.
I grew up around cats and sometimes their kittens, including feral/stray felines, and developed a life-long appreciation and affection for cats in general. As a young boy, finding them slaughtered the first thing in the morning was quite traumatizing. They were lost to larger predators — perhaps even a cat-hating human.
Meanwhile, cats offer reciprocally healthy relationships — many cat lovers describe them as somewhat symbiotic — particularly for those suffering physical and/or mental illness. It’s the pet's many qualities, especially its non-humanly innocence, that makes losing it someday such a heartbreaking experience.
Yet, human apathy, the throwaway mentality/culture and even some societal hostility toward cats often result in population explosions thus their inevitable homelessness, neglect and suffering, including severe illness and hunger. As such, the mindset of feline disposability likely goes: ‘Oh, there’s a lot more whence they came’.
Due to general human mentality, it’s likely that only when their over-populations are greatly reduced in number through consistent publicly-funded spay/neuter programs, might these beautiful animals’ potentially soothing, even therapeutic, presence be truly appreciated rather than taken for granted or even resented. Until then, cats likely will remain beautiful yet often misunderstood, prejudged and unjustly despised animals.
Thank you, Frank, for sharing your heartfelt thoughts and experiences with cats. It's clear that you have a deep affection for them and understand the importance of providing a safe environment. Keeping cats indoors or using a chest-harness leash during walks can indeed significantly improve their safety and lifespan, as indoor cats generally live much longer than those exposed to outdoor dangers. Your point about the need for spay/neuter programs to address cat overpopulation is also well-taken. It's crucial to appreciate the value and companionship cats offer, especially for those who benefit from their therapeutic presence. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved feline companion, and I hope your memories of him bring you comfort. Thank you for contributing to this important conversation!
Along w titer testing, another consideration for indoor kitties is rabies' vectors access to indoors.
I've had a few indoor kitties quarantined due to their exposure to bats. It's unclear how the bats got inside. Sadly the kitties had their way w the bats before I could intervene. I called AR who, in turn, handed them to County Health.
Of course, not all bats have rabies, it's just that when rabies is noted in my area, it's usually bats.
While waiting for results, kitties were ordered to be isolated in a room (red quarantine sign and all). The County Health vet asked numerous questions per occurrence. Quarantine proved no rabies for two. A third they could not get results from, so our quarantine was longer. Each time, county did not demand my cats get vaxxed (they were 16, 17 and 20 yrs old).
I still feel bad for the bats.
Not sure if this info is helpful. 'Just sharing in case it hits a chord for someone.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Kathy! It’s a great real-world example of how even strictly indoor cats can have unexpected exposure to rabies vectors like bats. The quarantine process sounds stressful, but it’s interesting that the county didn’t require vaccinations for your senior cats. Definitely helpful insight for anyone weighing the risks. And I hear you on the bats—it’s always tough when wildlife gets caught in the middle. Appreciate you adding to the discussion!
There is no such thing as a cat without risk of contracting rabies, confined indoors or not. I have had occasion over the years to report about many cat fatalities due to rabies that resulted from rabid bats finding their way into homes, & being dispatched by cats without the cats' owners having been aware that the cats were bitten. In a couple of cases children and even one adult then were bitten by their cats. In one of those cases, near Saratoga, New York, in 1993, a little girl died from the silver-haired bat strain of rabies, but the only injury found on her body was a cat bite. (Bat bites, to be sure, can be very hard to detect.) While most people tend to believe their homes are bat-proof, a bat expert can find tiny matchbook-sized bats roosting under the eaves, in the vents, in the attics, beneath the cornices, etc. of practically any home, quietly coming and going entirely by night, thereby avoiding any human notice––but not necessarily evading cat notice, especially when a bat is ill and comes low enough to be vulnerable to a cat. Then there is also the risk of a cat escaping outdoors, coming into contact with a rabid raccoon, skunk, or fox. The one rabid cat who turned up in any of the eight target areas for the experimental neuter/vaccinate/return project I helped to coordinate in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut in 1991-1992 was a "strictly indoor" cat who escaped to fight with a rabid raccoon on the owner's front porch. People are only deluding themselves when they believe there is a safe alternative to anti-rabies vaccination for either cats or dogs, and incidentally are not paying attention when fearing "injection site carcinoma" in cats from injection with modern multi-year vaccines. "Injection site carcinoma" was a very rare phenomenon among older cats back when they were vaccinated in the same place year after year for 10 years or more. These days cats typically need only two or three boosters in a lifetime, and are not injected in the same place every time, so even finding a vet younger than about age 60 who has ever seen "injection site carcinoma" is rare.
Merritt, thanks for sharing your knowledge on this issue. I did some additional research and found that the risk of rabid bats entering homes is a valid concern, and while rare, it has resulted in tragic outcomes. In 2021, there were 216 reported cases of rabies in cats, accounting for 5.9% of all animal rabies cases that year. Historically, the number of rabid cats reported annually has ranged between 241 and 319. However, there is no comprehensive data indicating how many of these cases involved strictly indoor cats.
Your insights highlight why rabies vaccination laws prioritize public safety, even for indoor cats. The point about injection site carcinomas being less common with modern vaccine protocols is also important context for those concerned about risks. Appreciate you adding to the discussion!
An additional thought might be to increase the use of rabies titer testing. Each animal has differing immune response to vaccines and may have immunity for extended periods of time; in some cases many years past the 1 year or 3 year recommendation. this is similar to titer testing in vaccinated animal handlers..
Great point, Melissa! Rabies titer testing can be useful in assessing immune response, and it’s already used for vaccinated animal handlers. However, current laws don’t recognize titers as a substitute for vaccination in pets, even if immunity lasts beyond the standard 1- or 3-year schedule. Since no titer threshold is officially accepted as proof of protection, authorities prioritize vaccination for public health reasons. It would be interesting to see more discussion on whether titer testing could play a larger role in future rabies policies. Thanks for sharing your insight!
This is certainly a pet peeve of mine. I view vaccinations of any kind to be a medical procedure, meaning, there are risks and benefits. Why perform a medical procedure when there are zero benefits, but significant risks. Vaccine induced sarcomas in cats are a BIG deal and can be life ending. So I say absolutely NO to rabies vaccines for strictly (emphasizing strictly here) indoor cats.
I hear you! Vaccinations should always be a risk-benefit decision, and for strictly indoor cats with zero exposure risk, it’s understandable to question the necessity. Vaccine-induced sarcomas are a serious concern, though thankfully rare. It would be great if policies allowed more flexibility, especially when there’s truly no risk of exposure. Appreciate you adding your voice to the discussion!
Just terrific ... Thank you for your speedy response. I will be sharing this research with my pet connected friends. Everyone should have Animal Politics and this Q & A feature as a source for reliable information.
Thank you, Rosemary! I’m glad you found the information helpful. I appreciate you sharing it with your friends—it’s great to spread reliable info to the pet community. Thanks for the kind words about Animal Politics and the Q&A feature!
Thanks for this post. My two indoor cats (4), who (rarely) go on our first-floor balcony while supervised, and one of our dogs (also 4) are vaccinated. I believe it’s the law here in Illinois. Our other dog (13) has an exemption because he has steroid-responsive meningitis arteritis. Thankfully, his daycare interacts with him individually so he’s away from other dogs.
Thanks for sharing, Barb! It sounds like you’ve found a thoughtful balance between following the law and prioritizing your pets’ individual health needs. It’s great that Illinois allows exemptions for medical conditions like your senior dog’s, and it’s even better that his daycare accommodates him safely. Sounds like your crew is well cared for!
Thank you!
There’s a solution for preventing beloved pet cats from sadly going missing, or stuck up a tree for days in the mid-winter cold: If making your feline an indoors-only pet is simply not doable, always keep it on a chest-harness leash during walks. If you won’t do it for the vulnerable wildlife potentially killed by your roaming cat, then (please) do it for your also-very-vulnerable cat’s sake.
Another great benefit to this is that the average lifespan of indoor felines is about three times that of outdoor felines, not to mention the notable absence of outdoor-related injury. Of course, completely denying one's pet cat outdoors access should be compensated by giving it additional attention/affection. I did so with my indoors-only feline of 15 years, until losing him to illness a few weeks ago.
I grew up around cats and sometimes their kittens, including feral/stray felines, and developed a life-long appreciation and affection for cats in general. As a young boy, finding them slaughtered the first thing in the morning was quite traumatizing. They were lost to larger predators — perhaps even a cat-hating human.
Meanwhile, cats offer reciprocally healthy relationships — many cat lovers describe them as somewhat symbiotic — particularly for those suffering physical and/or mental illness. It’s the pet's many qualities, especially its non-humanly innocence, that makes losing it someday such a heartbreaking experience.
Yet, human apathy, the throwaway mentality/culture and even some societal hostility toward cats often result in population explosions thus their inevitable homelessness, neglect and suffering, including severe illness and hunger. As such, the mindset of feline disposability likely goes: ‘Oh, there’s a lot more whence they came’.
Due to general human mentality, it’s likely that only when their over-populations are greatly reduced in number through consistent publicly-funded spay/neuter programs, might these beautiful animals’ potentially soothing, even therapeutic, presence be truly appreciated rather than taken for granted or even resented. Until then, cats likely will remain beautiful yet often misunderstood, prejudged and unjustly despised animals.
Thank you, Frank, for sharing your heartfelt thoughts and experiences with cats. It's clear that you have a deep affection for them and understand the importance of providing a safe environment. Keeping cats indoors or using a chest-harness leash during walks can indeed significantly improve their safety and lifespan, as indoor cats generally live much longer than those exposed to outdoor dangers. Your point about the need for spay/neuter programs to address cat overpopulation is also well-taken. It's crucial to appreciate the value and companionship cats offer, especially for those who benefit from their therapeutic presence. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved feline companion, and I hope your memories of him bring you comfort. Thank you for contributing to this important conversation!
Along w titer testing, another consideration for indoor kitties is rabies' vectors access to indoors.
I've had a few indoor kitties quarantined due to their exposure to bats. It's unclear how the bats got inside. Sadly the kitties had their way w the bats before I could intervene. I called AR who, in turn, handed them to County Health.
Of course, not all bats have rabies, it's just that when rabies is noted in my area, it's usually bats.
While waiting for results, kitties were ordered to be isolated in a room (red quarantine sign and all). The County Health vet asked numerous questions per occurrence. Quarantine proved no rabies for two. A third they could not get results from, so our quarantine was longer. Each time, county did not demand my cats get vaxxed (they were 16, 17 and 20 yrs old).
I still feel bad for the bats.
Not sure if this info is helpful. 'Just sharing in case it hits a chord for someone.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Kathy! It’s a great real-world example of how even strictly indoor cats can have unexpected exposure to rabies vectors like bats. The quarantine process sounds stressful, but it’s interesting that the county didn’t require vaccinations for your senior cats. Definitely helpful insight for anyone weighing the risks. And I hear you on the bats—it’s always tough when wildlife gets caught in the middle. Appreciate you adding to the discussion!
Thanks Ed. Perhaps the sign is an ebay novelty?
Yes, I was happy they didn't push it.
There was mention of me getting injections if
the bats were positive. 'So glad that didn't happen.
They did come to be sure we complied w
the quarantine.
The vet was quite nice and very thorough.
There is no such thing as a cat without risk of contracting rabies, confined indoors or not. I have had occasion over the years to report about many cat fatalities due to rabies that resulted from rabid bats finding their way into homes, & being dispatched by cats without the cats' owners having been aware that the cats were bitten. In a couple of cases children and even one adult then were bitten by their cats. In one of those cases, near Saratoga, New York, in 1993, a little girl died from the silver-haired bat strain of rabies, but the only injury found on her body was a cat bite. (Bat bites, to be sure, can be very hard to detect.) While most people tend to believe their homes are bat-proof, a bat expert can find tiny matchbook-sized bats roosting under the eaves, in the vents, in the attics, beneath the cornices, etc. of practically any home, quietly coming and going entirely by night, thereby avoiding any human notice––but not necessarily evading cat notice, especially when a bat is ill and comes low enough to be vulnerable to a cat. Then there is also the risk of a cat escaping outdoors, coming into contact with a rabid raccoon, skunk, or fox. The one rabid cat who turned up in any of the eight target areas for the experimental neuter/vaccinate/return project I helped to coordinate in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut in 1991-1992 was a "strictly indoor" cat who escaped to fight with a rabid raccoon on the owner's front porch. People are only deluding themselves when they believe there is a safe alternative to anti-rabies vaccination for either cats or dogs, and incidentally are not paying attention when fearing "injection site carcinoma" in cats from injection with modern multi-year vaccines. "Injection site carcinoma" was a very rare phenomenon among older cats back when they were vaccinated in the same place year after year for 10 years or more. These days cats typically need only two or three boosters in a lifetime, and are not injected in the same place every time, so even finding a vet younger than about age 60 who has ever seen "injection site carcinoma" is rare.
Merritt, thanks for sharing your knowledge on this issue. I did some additional research and found that the risk of rabid bats entering homes is a valid concern, and while rare, it has resulted in tragic outcomes. In 2021, there were 216 reported cases of rabies in cats, accounting for 5.9% of all animal rabies cases that year. Historically, the number of rabid cats reported annually has ranged between 241 and 319. However, there is no comprehensive data indicating how many of these cases involved strictly indoor cats.
Your insights highlight why rabies vaccination laws prioritize public safety, even for indoor cats. The point about injection site carcinomas being less common with modern vaccine protocols is also important context for those concerned about risks. Appreciate you adding to the discussion!