Cat Vaccinations
What You Need to Know to Protect Your Cat

When you adopt or purchase a new cat, one of the most important things you can do for your cat is to be sure its health is protected. Proper cat vaccinations can protect your cat from many common cat ailments.

Vaccinating your kitten should begin when he is six to eight weeks old. During his initial six to eight weeks his mother's antibodies have been protecting him from many of the diseases that vaccinations protect against. However, now that he is weaned, he will need to develop his own antibodies.

When you take your kitten for his first veterinarian visit, your veterinarian will give him a complete physical examination.

He should also complete a fecal exam to ensure your kitten doesn't have worms.

Before your veterinarian vaccinates your kitten, he should do a blood test to be sure the kitten is not already infected with Feline Leukemia.

He may also test for Feline Infectious Peritonitis. These tests do not take very long. Your veterinarian will have preliminary results in several minutes.

If your kitten is not already infected with one of these diseases, your veterinarian will give your kitten his first Feline Leukemia and FIP vaccines if he is at risk for these diseases.

If you only have one cat and he always remains indoors and is never left at a cat kennel, then he may not need these two vaccines and your veterinarian may recommend against giving them.

However, your kitten should receive his first FVRCPC vaccine whether he leaves the house or not. This vaccine is actually a combination of several vaccines. FVRCPC protects kittens from rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleudopenia and chlamydia.

You should schedule another visit with your veterinarian again in two to four weeks, when your kitten is eight to twelve weeks old.

At this time, he will get a second FVRCPC vaccine and a second FIP and Feline Leukemia vaccine. If he was wormed during his first visit, he will also receive his second worming.

Kittens who are twelve weeks old and spend time outdoors should also receive their first Rabies vaccine at this time.

The third visit to your kitten's veterinarian should occur when he is ten to sixteen weeks old. During this visit, he will receive his third FVRCPC vaccine.

Kittens that were too young to receive their first Rabies vaccine on their second visit should be given the vaccine this time.

Once your kitten has completed his third set of FVRCPC vaccines, he will not need any more injections until he is one year old.

At that time, he will need a Rabies and FVRCPC vaccine. As long as the Rabies shot is given within one year of the first Rabies vaccine, it will be good for three years.

However, your cat will need to return for a FVRCPC vaccine each year. If your cat received FIP and Feline Leukemia vaccines as a kitten, he will also receive boosters for these shots when he is one year of age.

While vaccines are usually safe, some of them do occasionally have side effects.

Feline Leukemia vaccines can actually cause a form of cancer at the injection site. This is the reason most veterinarians do not recommend giving the vaccine to cats that are not at risk.

Other vaccines can also occasionally cause tumors at the vaccination site.

Many times, the tumor can be removed before it spreads. This side effect is rare enough that the risk of catching a disease without vaccinations is much higher.

If you notice a lump develop at the injection site, tell your veterinarian, as these lumps usually are a simple reaction to the injection, but can develop into a tumor.

Cat vaccinations and proper health care is very important for cats. Each cat breed has its own set of hereditary health issues that need to be well monitored.

If for some reason you are unable to take your new cat for all of the necessary cat vaccinations outlined above, then you may wish to reconsider your thought of adopting or purchasing a new cat.

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