Q: Why does my cat need a rabies vaccine? Missy never leaves the house, never sees other animals and doesn't go to a boarding place when I'm out of town.

A: South Florida counties only require that dogs and cats be vaccinated against rabies every three years as long as the vaccine is approved by the FDA to provide three years of immunity.

This interval is now the norm for most ``core'' vaccines.

As to your cat's isolation, that's a little trickier. While a cat that truly never has any interaction with other animals is theoretically 100 percent safe from exposure to diseases like rabies, total safety from the outdoors can never be guaranteed. Imagine if every pet owner argued the same case.

Would you trust the word of the owner of a dog that bit you at a park? Or would you want proof of rabies vaccination for your personal safety?

South Florida has seen numerous rabies cases in recent years. In the United States, 6,841 cases were identified last year. Of these, 294 were cats, a 12 percent increase in feline infection from the year before. And yes, even humans were infected -- two of them.

As long as rabies remains uniformly fatal for all species and as long as the disease remains prevalent in the United States, it's only fair to require that your cat be vaccinated routinely.

Dr. Patty Khuly has a veterinary practice in South Miami and blogs at www.dolittler.com. Send questions to khulyp@bellsouth.net, or Dr. Dolittler, Tropical Life, The Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132.

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