no images were found
Vaccinating your adult cat and kitten is one of the most important steps you can take to prevent disease accines prepare the body’s immune system against invasion by disease-causing organism by helping prime the immune system to specific infectious diseases of cats. When the cat is subsequently exposed to the organism, the immune system is prepared and either prevents infection or reduces the severity of disease. Antibodies from colostrum (the first milk the mother produces) help protect against infectious disease until the kitten’s own immune system is more mature. Maternal antibodies interfere with the vaccine’s ability to stimulate the kitten’s immune system so to counteract this problem vaccines are not started until eight weeks of age.- Feline Panleukopenia Virus Vaccine: Feline panleukopenia (also called feline distemper) is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease of cats. Extremely hardy this virus is able to survive extremes of temperature and humidity for many months, and is resistant to most available disinfectants. Until recent years, panleukopenia was the most serious infectious disease of cats, claiming the lives of thousands every year. Due to the serious nature of the disease and the continued presence of virus in the environment, vaccination is highly recommended for all cats.
- Feline Calicivirus/Herpesvirus Vaccine: Feline calicivirus and feline herpes virus type I are responsible for 80-90% of infectious feline upper respiratory tract diseases. Most cats are exposed to either or both of these viruses at some time in their lives. Once infected, many cats never completely rid themselves of virus. These “carrier” cats either continuously or intermittently shed the organisms for long periods of time — perhaps for life — and serve as a major source of infection to other cats. The currently available vaccines will minimize the severity of upper respiratory infections, although none will prevent disease in all situations.
- Rabies Virus Vaccine: Rabies is an increasing threat to cats. At the present time, the number of reported feline rabies cases in the United States far exceeds that of all other domestic animals. Rabies in cats is also a major public health concern. Because of the routinely fatal outcome of infection in cats, and the potential for human exposure, rabies vaccination is highly recommended for all cats; it is required by law in most areas of the country.
- Feline Leukemia Virus Vaccine: Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is the leading viral killer of cats. The virus is spread from cat-to-cat through bite wounds, through casual contact with infected cats, and from an infected mother cat to her kittens. The individuals most at risk of infection are outdoor cats, indoor/outdoor cats, and cats exposed to such individuals. Cats living in households with FeLV-infected cats or with cats of unknown infection status are also at risk. Indoor-only cats with no exposure to potentially infected cats are extremely unlikely to become infected. FeLV vaccines are recommended for all cats at risk of exposure to the virus.
Does my cat need every vaccine available….. No. The choice of which vaccines your cat should receive is dependent on a number of factors including:
- Your cat’s risk of exposure to the disease-causing organism (in part dependent on the health of other cats to which yours is exposed, and the environment in which your cat lives)
- The consequence of infection
- The risk an infected cat poses to human health (e. g., rabies)
- The protective ability of the vaccine
- The frequency or severity of reactions the vaccine produces
- The age and health status of your cat
- Vaccine reactions your cat may have experienced in the past