Do Cats Need Rabies Shots In Pa

On social media recently i followed a heated discussion as to whether indoor only cats need to be vaccinated against rabies.

Do cats need rabies shots in pa. If your cat has never had a rabies vaccine before and if your state requires cats to have rabies shots then you must repeat the vaccine within the 12th month after the first shot. After that rabies vaccines are good for however long the label on the vaccine states. By pa law dogs and cats shall be vaccinated against rabies within 4 weeks after the date the dog or cat attains 12 weeks of age and maintain a current rabies immunity as prescribed by rabies vaccine manufacturers. Since rabies is such a serious fatal disease and vaccination is the only way to keep you and your pet safe rabies vaccination is required by law for every pet in the united states.

Originally this vaccine was only released as a one year vaccine. Check the laws in your state and in your municipality to determine what laws apply to your pet. The simplest answer is that rabies vaccines are required by law for all cats and dogs over the age of six months in new york state and many other states have similar requirements. Unlike the rabies vaccine for dogs which is required in every state feline vaccines against rabies are not administered as frequently as the canine vaccine.

If the first vaccination was given prior to one year of age then the dogs and cats must be vaccinated again one year. That meant that starting at the age of 12 weeks a cat would need to receive the vaccine annually to ensure protection from the disease. Unless you allow his rabies protection to lapse then you and your cat are home free for another three years. Licensed veterinarians a dog cat or ferret is exempt from vaccination against rabies if a licensed veterinarian has examined the animal and has certified in writing that at the time vaccination would endanger the animal s health because of its age infirmity disability illness or other medical considerations.

Dogs and cats must receive their next rabies vaccine 12 14 months after the initial one. In pa all dogs and cats over 3 months of agemust be vaccinated for rabies. For most of the currently marketed rabies vaccines this means 3 years. Without a current rabies vaccination your pet may need to be quarantined or even euthanized for biting someone or being bitten by a potentially rabid animal.

Most veterinarians have now changed to the non adjuvanted form of the rabies vaccine for cats. Dogs and cats must be vaccinated for rabies between 12 and 16 weeks of age. Do not handle wildlife.