The Truth Behind That Vaccine Reminder Card

Most indoor cats already have long-term protection. Here’s what your reminder card doesn’t explain.

Hey Whisker Crew,

The other day, I pulled up Niko and Milo’s vaccine records and remembered something Dr. Jeff Grognet told me during our latest podcast chat that completely changed how I look at those little reminder postcards from the vet.

You know the ones.
📬 “Your cat’s vaccines are due! Call to schedule.”

We get them, we feel responsible, and we book the appointment—often without really asking: Does my cat still need this?

Well… according to Dr. Jeff, maybe not.

You can listen to a brief clip of my interview with Dr. Jeff here…

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💉 The reminder card isn’t always telling the full story

Dr. Jeff has been practicing veterinary medicine for over 40 years—and teaching for most of that time. In this week’s podcast, we talked about why so many vets still follow outdated vaccine schedules, and how that leads many cat parents to over-vaccinate their perfectly healthy, protected cats.

Here’s what he shared:

• Roughly 40% of conventional vets still recommend yearly boosters

• Others follow a three-year schedule, which became common in the 1990s as awareness of vaccine side effects grew

• But many holistic vets—like Dr. Jeff—now believe that the core vaccines given in kittenhood often provide lifelong immunity

So when that card arrives, it doesn’t mean your cat’s immunity has expired. In fact, there’s a good chance your cat is still completely protected.

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🧠 What’s really protecting your cat? Immune memory.

Dr. Jeff explained something called immune memory—something every vet learns in school, but not all apply in practice.

Here’s how it works:

When a cat gets vaccinated, their immune system creates memory cells that know how to recognize and respond to the disease if it ever shows up again.

And those memory cells?
They stick around. For years.
Sometimes for life.

Dr. Jeff compared it to human vaccines like polio. Most of us got that vaccine once as kids, and we’re still protected today. We don’t get a polio booster every year—and your cat probably doesn’t need annual core vaccines either.

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😺 These are kitten diseases, not adult cat threats

One of the most eye-opening things in our conversation was this:

“Panleukopenia is devastating to a kitten when it's six weeks old… but if they get it at one and a half years old, they often shrug it off.”

That core FVRCP combo vaccine protects against viruses that hit kittens the hardest. Once a cat reaches adulthood, their immune system and age give them a natural advantage—even if they were exposed, they’re far less likely to get seriously sick.

So if your cat had two rounds of FVRCP as a kitten and is now a healthy adult—especially if they live indoors—the risk of them needing another shot is incredibly low.

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🧪 What about titer testing?

Titer tests measure the antibodies in your cat’s blood to see if they’re still protected. But here’s something I didn’t know until Dr. Jeff said it:

“If you've already proven that the immune system has come on board… technically, we don’t need to do another titer.”

In other words, if you run a titer a month after the kitten vaccines and it shows a good immune response, you’re done.
No more titers.
No more boosters.
Just peace of mind.

Well that’s good news!

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✅ Dr. Jeff’s Action Steps for Cat Parents

1. Pause before booking that booster
   Don’t assume your cat needs another shot just because a postcard says so.

2. Check your cat’s vaccine records
   If they had their full FVRCP series as a kitten, they’re probably still protected.

3. Consider a one-time titer test
   If you want confirmation, ask your vet to test for immunity about a month after the kitten series—not years later.

4. Know your vet’s perspective
   Ask: “Are you following current immunity research or manufacturer timelines?” It’s okay to advocate for your cat.

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🧡 What I’m reflecting on this week:

I haven’t done any additional shots for Niko and Milo since their adoption, and after this conversation with Dr. Jeff, I feel even more confident in that choice. I may still do a titer test just to confirm their immune response—but for now, I'm reminded that sometimes doing less is actually doing more.

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🐾 This Week’s Cattitude Prompt:

When was the last time you questioned a “routine” cat care decision?

Maybe it’s a vaccine.
Maybe it’s food.
Maybe it’s something your cat seems to tolerate—but doesn’t love.

Ask yourself: Is this still the best choice for them? And if you’re not sure… ask someone who truly sees cats for who they are.

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🎧 Listen to this week’s episode:

"Why Most Indoor Cats Never Need Another Vaccine" with Dr. Jeff Grognet
👉 Click here to listen now or search Golden Whiskers wherever you get your podcasts.

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Thanks for reading, thanks for loving your cats, and thanks for being part of the Golden Whiskers family.

Until next time,
💛 Scott | Golden Whiskers 🐾