The most important cat vaccinations
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| Cat vaccinations |
Each kitten receives antibodies against diseases through its mother's milk. As soon as this resistance disappears (between 6 and 16 weeks of age), the kitten can build up resistance itself. Vaccination is intended to build resistance without actually getting sick. To maintain this resistance in the cat, cat vaccinations must be repeated. In the case of cat flu, this is annual. For cat disease, once every 3 years is sufficient.
As we have previously talked in MY pet twin site about dog vaccinations, our discussion in this article will be about all cat vaccinations and kitten vaccination, and answer some of your questions on this subject, such as:
What vaccinations are required for cats?
How many times should a cat be vaccinated?
What if you don't vaccinate your cat?
How much does it cost to vaccinate your cat?
What vaccines do indoor cats need?
What age cat to vaccinate?
How long is the cat vaccination valid for?
What is the FVRCP vaccination?
What is the cat vaccination schedule?
What is the 3 in 1 vaccine for cats?
Is it ever too late to vaccinate my cat?
Can I keep cat without vaccine?
Finally,Side effects of cat vaccinations.
It is also possible to use blood tests (titer determinations) to investigate whether repeating a vaccination is advisable. This way you prevent unnecessary vaccination. This method is more expensive than grafting according to a fixed schedule.
Side effects of cat vaccinations (Damage that may affect cats as a result of cats getting vaccinated)
There are many warnings on the internet about the side effects of vaccination. It is indeed possible that your cat will experience side effects after a vaccination.
The most common side effects are a thickness at the injection site and an allergic reaction. In exceptional cases, this can lead to the death of your pet. The chance of all these side effects is very small.
An uncommon, but serious, the side effect of injections is Injection Site Sarcoma. This is a malignant tumor that causes a lot of damage where it is located. For this reason, we do not recommend giving cat injections between the shoulder blades. Injection on the flank, hind leg, or tail is better.
Vaccine manufacturers are always improving their products. Most modern vaccines are (still) safer than the older products.
What should you pay attention to before a vaccination?
Although the damage to health caused by vaccination is of course dwarfed by the actual disease and although by having your cat vaccinated you are helping to protect the entire population of cats against the disease in question, there is always some risk of a chance of side effects. Because you are not obliged to have your pets vaccinated, you can make that choice yourself.
Even if only temporarily, vaccinations burden the body and still limit the functioning of the immune system. Therefore, make sure that your cat is (core) healthy before the vaccination. This also means that they must be parasite-free and well-fed. This is the only way the vaccination can do something and it will not weaken your cat more than necessary. If your cat is already weak or even downright ill, the vaccination cannot or cannot do its job properly: immunity is then anything but guaranteed.
How many times should a cat be vaccinated?
The frequency of vaccination of your pet cat varies according to the cause of vaccination and the type of disease.
In principle, we recommend that all cats in the USA (indoor and outdoor cats) be vaccinated against cat flu every year, once every three years.
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| Kitten vaccinations schedule |
When should I vaccinate my cat?
Every year your cat must be vaccinated again for cat flu. Every two to three years, a cat must be vaccinated against cat flu and feline distemper. It is also recommended to vaccinate your cat against rabies.
We will explain later all types of vaccinations for cats and the number of vaccinations
What if you don't vaccinate your cat?
(Can I keep a cat without a vaccine?)
If an animal is not (properly) vaccinated, he/she can become ill if he/she comes into contact with a pathogenic virus. At the Medical Center for Animals, we regularly see cats with cat flu. It is not uncommon for such a disease to be fatal or cause permanent (chronic) complaints.
Without these vaccinations, cats can suffer from serious diseases, the painful consequences of which they can endure forever. In the worst case, they can even die from these diseases.
How expensive is it to vaccinate your cat? (the price of cat vaccination)
The vaccination schedule is different than when you come to the clinic with an adult cat. Kittens should be vaccinated more often than an adult cats in the first year of life:
At nine and twelve weeks we vaccinate a kitten against both cat flu and feline distemper. The first vaccination costs €33.50. If you want to vaccinate your cat against other diseases, it will cost € 23.00 extra per vaccination in the same consultation.
The annual vaccination protects your cat against cat flu and, if necessary, against feline distemper, rabies or Bordetella.
The final cost of vaccinating a cat,, therefore depends on the age at which you welcome the cat into your home and how many vaccinations you wish to administer to your cat. A kitten needs more vaccinations than an adult cat. We also distinguish between different types of vaccinations.
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| Cat Vaccination |
What age cat to vaccinate?
A first vaccination around the age of 8 weeks protects your kitten against distemper and cat flu.
For cats that often go outside and live in areas where there are many stray cats, it is recommended to vaccinate against leukemia at the same time.
How long is the cat vaccination valid?
Vaccinations are not all valid for the same length of time. Most vaccinations do not protect an adult cat for more than one year, some offer protection for three years. Therefore, the vaccination status is recorded in a vaccination schedule. With a good vaccination schedule, a cat is effectively protected. This schedule must be carefully drawn up and evaluated annually so that a cat does not receive too little or too much vaccine.
A good vaccination schedule is tailor-made. Not all vaccinations need to be administered at the same frequency. Vaccination against cat flu usually needs to be renewed annually. Vaccination against feline distemper, on the other hand, is valid for three years. In theory, at least, because recent research shows that many cats still have sufficient antibodies after three years. Vaccination every four or five years is therefore sufficient. In addition, it is also possible that vaccination does not work well and has to be repeated earlier than usual. Optional vaccinations are also included in the schedule.
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Type of vaccination for your cat(cat vaccination names)
Below you will find a selection of the most commonly given vaccinations for cats.
Cat disease
This disease is caused by a parvovirus (panleukopenia virus) and is highly contagious. The virus spreads through vomit, feces, saliva, urine, and through the air when sneezing and coughing.
And we talked about this deadly virus in dogs (dog parvovirus) in a previous article.
The virus can also be easily taken home by the owner through shoes or clothing. The virus causes (bloody) diarrhea, vomiting (with blood admixture), fever, and lethargy in the cat. Due to reduced resistance, other infections (for example of the respiratory tract) can aggravate the disease. The cat will eventually die.
Cat flu(Calicivirus)
Cat flu can be caused by various viruses (herpesvirus and calicivirus) and bacteria (including Bordetella ). Housing, climate, and immunity (defense) also play a role in the development of cat flu. Cats with this disease can have inflamed eyes, sneezing, a dirty nose, sometimes fever, and are lethargic.
They can also get blisters on the tongue and inflammation in the mouth. As a complication, pneumonia can occur. This disease can be controlled reasonably well with medication, but it can be fatal for very young and old cats. Some cats that have had cat flu remain carriers. This means that if the cat is in a stressful situation (e.g. moving, a new animal in the house), the disease can play up again and the cat is also contagious to other cats.
The 'standard' vaccination against cat flu is effective against the herpes virus and the calicivirus. To also protect Bordetella, another vaccine must be given. This vaccination is given in the form of a nose drop. Some boarding houses require this additional nose vaccination.
Bordetella bronchiseptica
When your cat comes into an environment with many cats, bacteria such as Bordetella can exacerbate cat flu symptoms. This vaccination is given via a drop in the nose.
Rabies (Rabies)
In the USA, rabies does not occur except in bats, but rabies is a major problem in many other countries. Rabies is caused by a virus that is usually transmitted through saliva, for example through bite wounds. The virus affects the brain, causing deviant behavior to be observed. Almost all people and animals die within 7 days after the onset of the symptoms.
It is wise to protect animals against diseases using regular vaccination where possible: prevention is always better than cure!
The vaccination against rabies is mandatory if your cat goes abroad.
titrate cat
' Titering ' is done a lot in dogs these days. This means that vaccination is only given if blood tests show that protection is necessary. So if the animal itself does not have enough antibodies against the disease in its body.
Chlamydiosis (or Chlamydophila felis)
Has your animal been vaccinated from the age of eight weeks? The disease mainly affects the eyes and manifests itself in conjunctivitis on one or both sides. Chlamydiosis is especially a problem for kittens and in multi-cat households. If this applies to your situation at home, we strongly advise you to have your cat(s) vaccinated against Chlamydophila felis. Otherwise, the pathogens can also be passed on to humans.
Kitten vaccination schedule
Kitten vaccination
Newborn kittens receive antibodies through their mother's milk during the first few days. These antibodies provide temporary protection (a few weeks). After weaning, however, these antibodies drop fairly quickly, so that the kitten becomes susceptible to disease again. Vaccination at that time stimulates the immune system and provides good protection. A basic vaccination for the kitten usually consists of two vaccinations at an age of 9 and 12 weeks. Your vet may recommend additional vaccinations if there is a greatly increased risk of infection. Vaccination against feline distemper and "cat flu" (sneezing disease) is necessary. In addition, your vet may recommend other vaccines depending on the cat's environment. Often the first vaccination already takes place at the breeder.
Vaccinate your adult cat
The immune system of the cat should be stimulated regularly so that your cat can enjoy optimal protection. That is why it is important to have your cat vaccinated every year against the most common and even life-threatening diseases. With our vaccination schedule, your cat will receive good protection against various infectious diseases, but not unnecessarily many vaccinations.
A second reason is that your cat will receive a complete examination during the annual vaccination so that the health of your four-legged friend can be monitored. For cat flu, Chlamydia, and possibly. Bordetella, your cat should be vaccinated annually. Your cat will be vaccinated every three years for cat disease, leukosis, and rabies.
What is the 3-in-1 vaccine for cats?
It is called FVRCP vaccin The cat vaccine 3 in 1 is a basic and approved vaccine in all treatment protocols and vaccines, as it protects cats from some infectious diseases, which may be fatal in many cases, and among these diseases:
Feline panleukopaenia virus
Feline viral rhinotracheitis
Feline calicivirus.
There are also cat vaccinations that are considered basic, such as vaccination against intestinal worms, as they are also useful against different types of parasites such as flea cats and some other diseases such as cat hair loss.