A Guide to Cat Vaccinations

Vaccines work by fooling the body into thinking it is threatened and stimulating the defence system of the body into producing antibodies to fight off the disease.
Vaccinating your cat is very important as it protects them against common and deadly diseases, some of which have no cure.

Vaccinations are given from 9 weeks old, and require annual boosters.

What are the vaccines?

• Feline Panleukopenia Virus Vaccine (also called "Feline Distemper")
• Panleukopenia is caused by a feline parvovirus (FPV), and is capable of being spread rapidly, with a high mortality rate, especially in younger cats.
• Feline Calicivirus - This virus, along with the Feline Herpes virus, causes the majority of upper respiratory infections (URI) in cats, and can be spread by "carrier" cats for years.
• Rhinotracheitis (Feline Herpes Virus) - It has been estimated that 70% of kittens with severe Rhinotracheitis infections will die, and it can also cause permanent neurological damage to kittens.

These vaccines will not provide total clinical immunity to the diseases, but will minimize the severity of upper respiratory infection.

In certain situations, vaccines may be withheld or delayed:

• Cats in Very Poor Health
• Senior Cats
• Cats With Compromised Immune Systems

Your veterinarian will know your cat best, and should be your source of information.

If your cat is sick, do NOT let them have ANY kind of vaccination until they are well. As with children - they should not have vaccinations while they're sick - the same goes for our pets too!