Vaccinating your cat

Just as in humans, vaccinating your cat helps to protect him or her against several serious and/or life
threatening diseases.

Anyone who cares for his or her cat will want to protect it in this way and vaccination is a critical part of
a proper preventive healthcare programme.

A vaccine is usually given by an injection under the skin, although sometimes may be given as drops into
the eyes or nose. It is a preparation designed to provide protection against a specific infectious disease
through stimulating an immune response that will protect the cat if it is subsequently exposed to the
infection.

Vaccinations may contain:

Live organisms (so called 'modified live vaccines') where the organism has been modified so that it will
not cause disease but can replicate for short a time after the vaccine has been administered to provoke
a good immune response

Killed organsims (killed or inactivated vaccines) where the organism has been killed and is then generally
combined with other agents/chemicals to help provoke a good immune response

Recombinant vaccines – this is a newer type of vaccine where parts of one organism (the genes
responsible for producing proteins important in provoking a good immune response) may be
incorporated into another organism, which may then be used to vaccinate a cat

All vaccines have to undergo rigorous safety and efficacy testing before they are licensed for use in cats
by regulatory authorities. When used appropriately and as recommended they are both safe and
provide crucial protection for cats against a number of diseases.
Some people are tempted to use 'homeopathic vaccines' or may have these recommended by a friend.
However, these should never be used – they have no scientific basis and cannot provoke the specific
immune response that is needed to provide protection. Only use vaccines that are recommended by
your vet.

What diseases can and should I vaccinate my cat against?

The availability of different vaccines will vary between different countries, because some diseases are
not present everywhere, and because vaccines are not necessarily licensed (and therefore available) in
every country.

The most commonly available vaccines are used to provide protection against the following infections:

Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV, feline infectious enteritis; feline parvovirus)

Feline herpesvirus (FHV-1, cat flu)

Feline calicivirus (FCV, cat flu)

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)

Rabies

Chlamydophila felis

Bordetella bronchiseptica

Core and non-core vaccines

Vaccines can be divided into core vaccines and non-core vaccines. The core vaccines are considered
essential for all cats (including indoor-only cats) because of the widespread and/or severe nature of the
diseases being protected against. Non-core vaccines are only given to cats if there is genuine risk of
exposure to the infection and if vaccination would provide good protection. Decisions regarding
requirement for non-core vaccines may be based on the cat’s age, lifestyle and contact with other cats.
You should always discuss with your vet what vaccines your own cat may require.
Core vaccines

Feline panleucopenia

Feline panleucopenia virus (also known as feline parvovirus or feline infectious enteritis) is a severe and
frequently fatal cause of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Outbreaks of infection with this virus are
common and a high proportion of affected cats can die.

Vaccination against this virus is highly effective and has a critical role in protecting cats against infection,
especially as the virus is highly contagious. The virus can also survive for long periods in the environment
so vaccination is the only real way to protect cats.

Feline herpes virus and feline calicivirus

Vaccines for feline herpes virus (FHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV) are always combined, as these two
viruses together are the main causes of upper respiratory tract infections in cats (cat flu).

Affected cats typically show sneezing, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, eye discharge, and mouth ulcers.
Clinical signs vary from mild to extremely severe, and occasionally other complications may develop
including viral pneumonia. With FHV-1, even after the initial signs subside, most cats will remain
permanently infected with the virus and some go on to develop recurrent eye infections or other signs.

The viruses are often transmitted by direct or close contact between cats (eg, in sneezed droplets), but
they may also survive for short periods in the environment.

Both of these viruses are ubiquitous in cat populations, and because infection is so common, and can
often be quite severe (especially in younger cats), vaccination is considered important for all cats.
Although vaccination does not always prevent infection with these viruses, it will help greatly in
reducing the severity of disease if a vaccinated cat does become infected.
See feline herpes virus and feline calicivirus

Rabies

Rabies is an important disease and although it is more common in dogs (and more commonly passed
from dogs to humans than cats to humans) cats can be infected and can be a source of human infection.

For these reasons, where rabies is present in a country or in a region, it is recommended that all cats
should be vaccinated against this disease. Vaccination is very effective in preventing disease.

Non-core vaccines

Other vaccines are regarded as ‘non-core’ and used when vaccination would provide valuable protection
for an individual cat.

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)

FeLV is an important disease that can be spread through fighting, through mutual grooming, and
through sharing of food/water bowls and litter trays. Kittens may also acquire infections from the queen
before birth.

FeLV is an important disease, causing a wide variety of problems in persistently infected cats including
immunosuppression, anaemia, and lymphoma. Most persistently infected cats will die as a result of their
infection.

It is possible to perform blood tests to identify cats that are infected with this virus, and isolating such
cats and preventing them from coming into contact with others is one way of preventing infection. A
number of FeLV vaccines are also available and are effective in protecting cats. Generally cats that go
outside and may come across other cats of unknown status may be at risk of being exposed to FeLV, and
vaccinating such cats may be very valuable (although the risks will vary between different regions). It has
also been strongly recommended that all kittens are vaccinated against FeLV on the basis that younger
cats are more susceptible to this infection and it cannot usually be predicted what the risks for the cat
would be as it grows up.

For further information on FeLV, see Feline leukaemia virus

Chlamydophila felis

Chlamydophila felis is a type of bacteria that mainly causes conjunctivitis in cats. Young kittens in
multicat households (eg, breeding households) are most likely to be affected and there may also be mild
upper respiratory signs.

Affected cats can be treated successfully with appropriate antibiotics, but vaccination may be helpful in
some circumstances as part of a control programme in an infected household

For further information on Chlamydophila felis, see Chlamydophila felis infection in cats

Bordetella bronchiseptica

Bordetella bronchiseptica is another bacterial infection that can be a part of the upper respiratory
infection complex (cat flu) in cats. It is not as common as FHV-1 or FCV (see above), but can sometimes
be a problem especially in stressed cats and cats from large colonies. The bacterium can also be an
occasional cause of pneumonia in young kittens.

Cats with Bordetella bronchispetica can be treated effectively with appropriate antibiotics, and
vaccination is not required in most cats. However, in colonies of cats with repeated outbreaks of
disease, vaccination may play a role in helping protect cats.

Feline immunodeficiency virus

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) vaccination is available in some, but not all counties. This virus is
quite common among cats, especially cats that go outdoors and are involved in fighting (infection is
mainly spread through cat bites).

There are many different strains of the FIV virus and it is not entirely clear as of yet how well the
available vaccine protects against all these different strains, but studies suggests that it is able to
provide a valuable degree of protection for cats at risk of exposure. A potential problem is that
vaccinated cats will also test positive on the routine tests used to detect FIV-infected cats, but newer
diagnostic assays are becoming available that may overcome this problem.

For further information on FIV, see Feline immunodeficiency virus

How frequently should my cat be vaccinated?

All kittens should receive their core vaccinations, and any others that are agreed between you and your
vet. The initial vaccine course is often started at 8-9 weeks of age, with a second injection 3-4 weeks
later. It is now common also to recommend a third vaccination (especially for FPV) at 16-20 weeks of
age to ensure the kitten is properly protected.

A first booster vaccination should be given 12 months later to ensure a good level of continuing
protection. However, after that, the frequency of booster vaccinations may be only every 1-3 years
depending on the vaccine, disease and risk of with the individual cat.

Cats that stay at a boarding cattery will generally require an annual vaccination (or booster vaccine
before the cat goes into the cattery) as this is a higher risk situation.

What problems may be associated with vaccination?

Adverse effects from vaccines are very rare, especially in view of the millions of doses that are
administered every year. The most common side effects are mild, and include lethargy, inappetence or
tenderness at the injection site, usually lasting no longer than a few days. More marked side effects may
include vomiting, diarrhoea, lameness, fever, signs of respiratory tract infection, or lumps at the site of
injection.

The side effect that has received the most attention in recent years is fibrosarcoma – this is a type of
malignant tumour that can develop at the site of vaccination. It is now well recognised that this is a very
rare occurrence (probably less than 1 in 20,000 vaccines administered) and it seems that both vaccines
and other injectable products can carry a small risk of inducing this in cats. Because of this, after your cat
receives any vaccine, it is sensible to monitor the injection site regularly and if a swelling at the site
persists for several weeks and/or continues to enlarge, get it checked immediately by your vet.

Because fibrosarcomas can be very difficult to completely remove by surgery, it has been recommended
by groups in the USA that rabies vaccines are given in the right hind leg, FeLV vaccines in the left hind leg
and FHV-1/FCV vaccines in the right front leg. This is partly because, should a fibrosarcoma develop at
these sites, limb amputation is possible and offers a better chance of complete removal than trying to
remove an invasive tumour from the neck region.

Other vaccines

A number of other vaccines may be available in certain countries but not others. The effectiveness of
these vaccines should be evaluated carefully, and none of these should be regarded as ‘core’ (or
essential) vaccines. Some that may be available include:

Feline infectious peritonitis

Microsporum canis

Giardia lamblia

Conclusions

Vaccination is generally a very safe procedure that has substantially reduced the impact of several very
serious diseases. However, as with any other product, no vaccine can ever be entirely without side
effects so it is important to carefully choose which vaccines are necessary in any individual cat and to
evaluate how frequently they should be given. You can discuss all these issues with your vet.