Q: I plan to volunteer at the local animal shelter. I have five indoor-only cats at home, and I am very protective of their health. Their veterinarian and I have opted not to vaccinate them for feline leukemia, balancing vaccine risks and their protected indoor lifestyle. Is there anything I need to do protect my cats from any viruses or other dangers that I could possibly bring home to them from the shelter? -- W.S., via e-mail

A: What an excellent question! These days, pet vaccinations are not a one-size-fits-all annual event. Different pets, their lifestyle, their age and their health determine which vaccines need to be given, and at what intervals.

While you can and should take some general precautions, there should be no need to change what you and your veterinarian are doing to protect your own cats, according to Dr. Lila Miller of the ASPCA.

"No one needs to fear volunteering at a shelter. And with simple precautions, anyone whose heart leads them to help shelter cats needn't worry about putting their house cats at risk," she said, adding that prospective volunteers need to make sure their own pets are in good health, up to date on all preventive-care measures and free of infectious disease.

"Consult with the shelter veterinarian to find out if there are any specific disease concerns at the shelter that might affect any animals at home," she says. This information should be provided to your veterinarian to determine if any additional vaccinations or precautions may be recommended, or whether volunteer activities should be suspended temporarily until the shelter problem is resolved.

Because feline leukemia is generally spread through prolonged close contact between animals, because older animals are considered to be resistant to acquiring the infection and because the virus is not long-lived in the environment, Dr. Miller says that your veterinarian may determine that feline leukemia vaccination is still not warranted for your own cats.

General precautions to keep animals at home safe from disease transmission include: washing hands after handling shelter animals or contaminated objects, wearing separate clothing and shoes when visiting the shelter, and using separate equipment on shelter and home animals such as brushes, toys, collars, combs, etc.

Finally, if an animal at home does show any signs of disease, make certain your veterinarian is aware of your volunteer activities and any shelter issues to take into consideration when making a diagnosis.

During these tough economic times, many people cannot make the financial donations they might like to shelters and rescue groups. Donating time is an excellent way to help, and we want to encourage it!

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.