Feb 06,2025 | puaintapets
As a cat owner, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is ensuring your feline companion stays healthy and protected from infectious diseases. Vaccinations play a crucial role in safeguarding your cat’s health by preventing the spread of contagious illnesses. Some of these diseases can be life-threatening, while others can lead to long-term health complications.
In this article, we’ll cover the vaccines that cats need, including both core and non-core vaccines, their benefits, and the recommended vaccination schedule. By understanding what vaccines your cat needs, you’ll be able to make informed decisions to protect them throughout their lives.
Before we dive into the specific vaccines, it’s essential to understand the difference between core and non-core vaccines:
Core vaccines are the vaccines that are considered essential for all cats, regardless of their lifestyle or environment. These vaccines protect against diseases that are highly contagious and can cause severe illness or death.
Non-core vaccines are recommended based on your cat's lifestyle, environment, and risk of exposure to specific diseases. These vaccines are not essential for every cat but may be necessary depending on your cat's health, age, or the area in which you live.
The following vaccines are considered core vaccines and are essential for every cat:
Caused by feline herpesvirus (FHV - 1), FVR is a major cause of upper respiratory infections in cats. Symptoms include sneezing, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, and fever. While usually not fatal, improper management can lead to chronic respiratory problems. The FVR vaccine, often part of a combination vaccine, helps prevent virus spread and protects against severe respiratory illness.
FCV is another viral infection that causes upper respiratory issues in cats, including oral ulcers, fever, and conjunctivitis. Like FVR, it can be spread easily among cats, especially in multi-cat environments such as shelters or catteries.
The FCV vaccine is commonly combined with the FVR vaccine in a FVRCP vaccine (feline distemper vaccine). It helps protect against the most common respiratory viruses affecting cats.
FPV, also known as feline distemper, is a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease. It affects a cat’s gastrointestinal, immune, and nervous systems, causing symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and fever.
The FPV vaccine is a critical part of the FVRCP vaccine and is considered essential for all cats, especially kittens, as they are particularly vulnerable to this deadly disease.
Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system and is often fatal. Transmitted through the saliva of infected animals via bites or scratches, it also poses a risk to humans. In many places, rabies vaccination is required by law for all cats regardless of whether they go outside.
The rabies vaccine is required by law in many places due to its serious health implications. In some regions, rabies vaccination is mandatory for all cats, regardless of whether they go outside or not.
While core vaccines are necessary for all cats, non-core vaccines are recommended based on the cat’s environment, lifestyle, and exposure risks. These include:
FeLV is a retrovirus that weakens a cat's immune system and can lead to anemia, cancer, and other life-threatening conditions. FeLV is transmitted through close contact with an infected cat, especially through saliva, urine, or shared food and water bowls.
The FeLV vaccine is recommended for outdoor cats or those who are exposed to other cats with an unknown health status. Cats that live in a multi-cat household or frequent environments like shelters may also benefit from this vaccine.
FIV is similar to HIV in humans and weakens the immune system, making infected cats more susceptible to secondary infections. The virus is primarily spread through bites during aggressive interactions between cats.
The FIV vaccine is available but not universally recommended, as it is not 100% effective, and the protection it offers can be limited. The decision to vaccinate for FIV should be made in consultation with your veterinarian, based on your cat’s risk factors.
Chlamydia psittaci is a bacterial infection that causes respiratory symptoms in cats, including conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eyes). It is more common in environments where multiple cats are housed together.
The Chlamydia vaccine is not routinely given but may be recommended for cats that live in high-risk environments, such as shelters or catteries.
Bordetella bronchiseptica is a bacterium causing respiratory issues such as coughing, sneezing, and nasal discharge. Highly contagious and spreading fast in multi - cat environments, the vaccine may be recommended for cats in high - risk environments like boarding facilities, shelters, or those frequently interacting with other cats.
Cat vaccinations are essential for a number of key reasons, including the following.
Feline distemper: caused by feline microvirus, it is a serious infectious disease that may lead to the death of cats. The vaccine can effectively prevent feline distemper.
Feline rhinotracheitis: caused by the feline herpes virus, it can lead to respiratory infections in cats, with symptoms including sneezing, runny nose and coughing.
Feline Cupriovirus Disease: causes symptoms such as mouth ulcers, loss of appetite and fever, and in severe cases can lead to death.
Rabies: a deadly viral disease that can be spread to other animals and humans through the bite of an infected animal.
Vaccines can stimulate a cat's immune system and help build up its defenses against pathogens, allowing the cat to fight off real viral or bacterial infections more effectively when faced with them.
Preventing disease is more cost-effective than treating it. Vaccination reduces the cost of medical treatment for infections.
Healthy cats can better accompany their owners and bring more happiness to the family.
In some areas, vaccinations are a legal requirement and it is the owner's responsibility to ensure that their pet receives the necessary vaccinations.
Vaccinations prevent the spread of disease in the pet population and protect other unvaccinated pets.
Cats need to pay attention to the following things when they are vaccinated.
Ensure that the cat is in good physical condition, without cold, fever, diarrhea and other diseases. If the cat is sick, it is recommended to wait for it to get better before vaccination.
Cats just received at home should not be vaccinated immediately, and should be allowed to adapt to the new environment for at least half a month or so, to avoid a decline in resistance due to stress.
A few days before vaccination, provide the cat with nutritious food and ensure it has enough sleep. On the day of vaccination, avoid letting the cat eat too much greasy food.
When taking your cat for vaccination, it is best to make an appointment in advance to minimize the waiting time and the cat's nervousness.
Different vaccines target different diseases. Before vaccination, you should understand the type of vaccine your cat needs and the vaccination time, and communicate with the veterinarian in detail.
Bring the cat's vaccination record so that the veterinarian can understand its vaccination history.
During the vaccination, the veterinarian will conduct a comprehensive physical examination of the cat and the owner should actively cooperate.
Usually cats are vaccinated in the subcutaneous tissue of the neck or shoulder, do not touch or rub the vaccination site.
After vaccination, cats may have some mild reactions, such as redness, swelling, pain, slight fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, etc. at the injection site, which will usually subside within 1-2 days. If serious reactions occur, such as high fever that does not go down, persistent vomiting, mental depression, etc., you should contact your veterinarian promptly.
Cats should not be subjected to strenuous exercise after vaccination to avoid affecting the effect of the vaccine or aggravating the discomfort.
Provide a quiet and comfortable environment for the cat to have sufficient rest. For diet, give some easy-to-digest food.
Do not bathe the cat and avoid getting the vaccination site wet to prevent infection.
Follow your veterinarian's advice and get the follow-up vaccination on time to ensure the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Indoor cats also need vaccinations. Although indoor cats do not go outside, their owners may bring viruses back to the home, such as feline distemper, feline snuffles, feline cupping and other viruses, which may be transmitted to indoor cats through the owner's clothing, shoes and other items. In addition, if there are multiple cats in the home, after one cat is infected with the disease, other cats are highly susceptible to infection.
Vaccination can help cats build up immunity against the invasion of diseases, thus protecting their health. The cat triple vaccine can prevent the three diseases of feline distemper, feline nasal branch and feline cup, which pose a threat to the health and life of cats.
Kittens: Kittens start to receive vaccinations at about 8 weeks of age, usually requiring 3 doses of cat triple vaccine, each shot about 21 days apart. After completing the 3 doses of cat DPT vaccination, then the rabies vaccination.
Adult cats: If adult cats have not been vaccinated before, they need to be vaccinated with 2 doses of feline DPT vaccine first, with an interval of about 21 days, and then 1 dose of feline DPT vaccine and 1 dose of rabies vaccine every year. If the adult cat has completed the basic immunization before, and the living environment is relatively simple and there is no risk of contact with other animals, it is sufficient to receive 1 dose of Cat DPT3 vaccine and 1 dose of rabies vaccine every 3 years. If the living environment is complex and there is a risk of contact with other animals, it is recommended to vaccinate once a year.
Elderly cats: Elderly cats over 10 years of age have declining body functions and weaker immunity, and the risk of vaccination is relatively high. It is generally recommended to conduct a comprehensive physical examination before vaccination and decide whether to vaccinate based on the cat's physical condition and the veterinarian's recommendation.
It should be noted that the specific vaccination time and frequency should also be adjusted according to the cat's health condition, living environment and veterinarian's recommendation.
Yes, some cats may experience mild side effects such as a slight fever, lethargy, or a small lump at the injection site. These side effects are usually temporary and resolve on their own within a day or two. In rare cases, more severe allergic reactions can occur, but this is very uncommon.
Vaccinating your cat is a vital part of responsible pet ownership. Core vaccines like FVRCP and rabies are essential for all cats, while non-core vaccines such as FeLV and FIV are important for cats at higher risk. By staying on top of your cat’s vaccination schedule, you’ll ensure they lead a long, healthy, and happy life.
Make sure to work closely with your veterinarian to determine which vaccines are right for your cat based on their lifestyle, health, and risk factors. Early vaccination can prevent the spread of potentially deadly diseases and keep your cat protected throughout their life.
