Vaccinations

Importance Of Vaccinations

Vaccinations are a method of desease prevention and must be taken very seriously. All cats must be vaccinated against deseases to ensure their wellbeing. The way vaccinations work is as follows: A vaccine contains the desease viruses and when injected to your cat's body her immune system develops the necessary antibodies so that when another serious infection occurs these will fight it over without your cat becoming ill. All vaccines come in injections and are normally injected at the back of your cat's head. Only a vet is qualified to undertake vaccinations and you should not trust anyone to vaccinate your cat.

Number Of Vaccinations

There are currently 5 vaccinations that your cat may have to prevent illnesses. Two of those are absolutely essential and the other three depend on the area your cat is in, whether she lives indoor or outside. Your vet will advice you if your cat needs to have all 5 vaccines.

The available vaccines are against the following 5 viruses:

• Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV)
• Feline Herpesvirus
• Feline Calicivirus
• Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)
• Feline Chlamydophila Infection

This extra vaccination is required if you plan to take your cat abroad.

• Rabies

Age For Vaccinations

When a kitten is born, many antobodies transfer from the mother so your kitten may be protected for a while. However your vet can advice you whether you have to vaccinate your kitten soon after it is born. Mainly kittens receive their first vaccination at 9 weeks of age, followed by a second dose at 12 weeks. After that your cat has to be vaccinated every year to keep her protected. These are the vaccinations boosters. Do not forget to keep your cats vaccination card with you when taking her to boarding places or catteries. Your vet will sign and stamp every vaccination on the card.