Are there mosquitoes some parts of the year? My cats are like Angel - they scratch sometimes but there is no evidence of fleas and hardly any way they could be exposed to same here in the Austin apartment...but my building is on a hillside above a runoff-water-processing tank and a wooded creek: except for a few weeks in dead of winter, we DO have mosquitoes. The vet I was taking my kitties to suggested Revolution instead of the other, better known, brands. However, I am at odds with this vet over some slipshod treatment Pinto received last year, so everything this woman told me is now suspect and I too would like an opinion: what about the 3-in-one meds for fleas, ticks and heartworm prevention for strictly indoor cats?
Re vaccinations: TX now allows cats 3 years between rabies shots; last I heard LA still does not but my wonderful vet in New Orleans has long tried to get that extension. As Traci says, ask what the rules are in NY. I do not like giving adult, especially aging, indoor cats shots every year, unless they have to be boarded/hospitalized, or an untested cat comes into the household or whatever... I get the impression most protection lasts a lot longer than authorities admit, but will stand corrected if people here disagree.
meds for Angel
Re: meds for Angel
It's not about admittance on the part of authorities, there isn't enough research/data to prove exactly how long duration of immunity lasts for some vaccines, therefore, it is best to use them as the manufacturers recommend (i.e., some are only licensed for a year, others for 3 years). At most, only one or two studies were done for duration of immunity, but those studies were somewhat flawed, not enough in the control group, and some in the vet community do not want to rely on such a study to confirm. It has to be individualized and tailored for the individual pet, per risk factors, health status, history, etc.
All healthy kittens and adult cats should receive initial boosters, and their first "annual" vaccines. After that, the Rabies and FVRCP vaccines can generally be regarded as immunity for up to 3 years (depending on the type of vaccine and manufacturer's recommendation). FELV vaccines should be given annually for those cats at risk. FIV and FIP vaccines should never be given unless there is a clear risk, or for cats known to be exposed (i.e., catteries, breeding facilities, etc)
As for heartworm preventative, only my opinion, but I feel they should be seperate, i.e., Heartgard for Cats in chewable tablets. I'm not opposed to Revolution per se, but I think there is better effectiveness with separate treatment and I think it's overkill to use Revolution injectables on a monthly basis (except for those at risk such as outdoor cats). The less a cat is subjected to injections of any kind, the better.
All healthy kittens and adult cats should receive initial boosters, and their first "annual" vaccines. After that, the Rabies and FVRCP vaccines can generally be regarded as immunity for up to 3 years (depending on the type of vaccine and manufacturer's recommendation). FELV vaccines should be given annually for those cats at risk. FIV and FIP vaccines should never be given unless there is a clear risk, or for cats known to be exposed (i.e., catteries, breeding facilities, etc)
As for heartworm preventative, only my opinion, but I feel they should be seperate, i.e., Heartgard for Cats in chewable tablets. I'm not opposed to Revolution per se, but I think there is better effectiveness with separate treatment and I think it's overkill to use Revolution injectables on a monthly basis (except for those at risk such as outdoor cats). The less a cat is subjected to injections of any kind, the better.
..........Traci