Vet Blog

A cat’s lifestyle greatly influences what vaccines are necessary to protect against certain types of infectious disease.  Your veterinarian is in the best position to determine exactly what vaccine schedule is most appropriate for your pet, but the following discussion should help you understand how doctors end up making the recommendations that they do.

First of all, most kittens need to be vaccinated every three to four weeks, starting when they are about seven weeks old and ending when they are approximately 16 weeks old.  In most cases, three veterinary visits are necessary for a kitten to receive all of the vaccines and the boosters that it needs in a timely manner.  An adult cat with a questionable vaccination history can usually be brought up to date over the course of two visits three to four weeks apart.  After these initial vaccines, cats should see the veterinarian at least annually for a check-up and a discussion as to what vaccine boosters may be necessary at that time.  With some vaccines, annual revaccination is necessary to maintain adequate immunity, while others can be boosted every three years.

All cats, except those that are exempt for health reasons, should receive Rabies and Feline Panleukopenia, Herpesvirus, and Calicivirus vaccines.  Protection against these last three diseases is frequently combined in a single inoculation that is often referred to as FVRCP.  Almost every kitten should receive a Feline Leukemia (FELV) vaccine and booster, but after these initial doses, only cats at significant risk of contracting FELV (i.e., pets that go outside) should continue to be vaccinated.  Some types of FELV and Rabies vaccines have been associated with a small but increased risk for the development of an aggressive type of cancer at the injection site.

A vaccine against Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is also available, but should only be given to cats considered to be at high risk of developing the disease (e.g., cats that go outside and are likely to fight other cats).  The FIV vaccine only protects against some forms of the disease and also makes vaccinated cats test positive for FIV, which makes definitive diagnosis of this fatal disease extremely difficult in the future.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) and Giardia vaccines are manufactured but are not effective enough to allow me to recommend their use.  Vaccines against other diseases (e.g. Chlamydophila and Bordetella) are also available but should only be used under very special circumstances.