Kitten Vaccination
When should my kitten be vaccinated?
We recommend the first vaccination at 9 weeks of age, followed with a booster a month later.
What diseases should my kitten be vaccinated for?
It depends on what your cat’s lifestyle will be.
Indoor cats should be vaccinated for Feline Panleukopenia, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, and Feline Calicivirus.
Cats who have any chance of being in contact with bats should be vaccinated against Rabies.
Cats who will go outdoors or will be in contact with other cats should be vaccinated against Feline Leukemia Virus.
What are these diseases?
Feline panleukopenia infection: This is an uncommon disease today because of widespread vaccination, but the risk remains widespread. When disease occurs it is a severe and often fatal gastroenteritis, with profound depression, dehydration and collapse. It is very contagious to other cats. Vaccination provides a high level of long lasting protection.
Feline respiratory virus infection: Disease is caused by Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis virus or the caliciviruses (FCV) – sometimes together. The syndrome is commonly termed Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) or sometimes, erroneously, “Cat Flu”. While not usually very serious (except in young kittens) it is a very common infection in unvaccinated cats and can cause long-term problems. Vaccination is only moderately effective as solid immunity to these viruses is not long term, and may be overcome by a high dose of virus in the immediate environment. Vaccination does significantly reduce the severity and duration of URI. Cats at high risk may require twice yearly vaccination, at least initially, to provide better protection.
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection: This virus is widespread in our area. Infection of outdoor cats can easily occur from fighting with infected cats. Cats are also at risk if they are sexually active.
The vast majority of persistently infected cats will die either from tumors or as a consequence of the immunosuppression caused by the viral infection. Current vaccines provide a good level of protection and do not interfere with routine testing for the virus.
Because the virus tends to take many months before it causes disease, infected cats can appear completely normal and healthy. A blood test can determine if your pet has the virus.
Despite vaccination, a few cats will still become infected with the virus.
Rabies: Rabies is carried by bats in British Columbia. Although the disease is rare in domestic animals, it is an important disease because of the almost 100% fatality rate of cases once symptoms occur, and because of its potential transmission to people by bites from infected animals. Rabies vaccination is required for animals crossing the border.
What are the risks of vaccination?
You may notice your cat has a temporary loss of appetite or is less lively a day or two after a vaccination, but this should resolve within 24 to 48 hours. Let us know if your cat is extremely lethargic.
In a very few cats, they may be allergic to one or more components of the vaccine and have more serious side effects such as difficulty in breathing, vomiting or diarrhea. If these signs occur, let us know immediately.
A rare form of soft tissue sarcoma has been associated with a reaction to vaccine or vaccine components (or possibly any kind of injection) in a very small number of cats. We have not seen this kind of tumour in our area. Studies are in progress on this, but the benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh these small risks for most situations.
This client information sheet is based on material written by Ernest E. Ward Jr., DVM.
© Copyright 2002 Lifelearn Inc. Used with permission under license
