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| If you are planning on adding a cat or kitten to your family then vaccinations are a
must, unless you want to take the chance of having a very sick pet plus a high vet
bill. In the instance of Feline Leukemia or Feline Infectious Peritonitis, this is
something that cannot be cured and may eventually lead to the death of your pet.
Vaccinating should begin as soon as a kitten is weaned, which can be as early as 5
weeks. They then receive booster shots until the age of approx. 21 weeks. When
bringing an older cat home, make sure you have a vaccination record listing what has been
given and when the shots are due. Below you will find a suggested vaccination schedule for
kittens. |
Description of Vaccinations |
FVRCP: Feline panleukopenia (feline distemper),
Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), Feline calicivirus (FCV), Feline pneumonitis
FeLV: Feline Leukemia
F.I.P: Feline infectious peritonitis |
Feline panleukopenia (feline distemper): This disease is
extremely contagious. Symptoms are: fever, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea.
It is usually fatal, especially among kittens.
Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR): This disease is also very
contagious and symptoms are: sneezing, loss of appetite, fever, and eye
inflammation, and as the disease progresses- drainage from the nose and eyes.
Feline calicivirus (FCV): Another respiratory condition often combined
with FVR. Symptoms are similar to FVR (see above) but includes ulcers on the tongue.
Feline pneumonitis: This disease is caused by Chlamydia psittaci.
Symptoms are similar to FVR and FCV (sneezing, loss of appetite, eye inflammation)
Feline Leukemia (FeLV): Not related to human leukemia, FeLV is a viral
disease that will usually become fatal as time goes by. Symptoms can vary. Some
infected cats may show few symptoms while some may have persistant infections with
different levels of severity.
F.I.P: This disease can be very complicated and is caused by the
feline infectious peritonitis virus. The main symptom is usually an accumulation of
fluid within the peritoneal cavity.
Rabies: This virus will attack the brain and central nervous system and
is almost always fatal. Transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. |
| If you are bringing in a stray it is recommended a Feline Leukemia and F.I.V. test is
given to make sure that you are not bringing something into your home. This is vital
especially before introducing a new cat to other feline members in your family. It is a
simple blood test and results can be received within minutes. |
If you have an cat over the age of 21
weeks, shots are given yearly with the exception of first time vaccinations for Felv
(Feline Leukemia) and F.I.P. (Feline Infectious Peritonitis). When your cat receives
these for the first time they will need a booster shot in 3 weeks, and then once on a
yearly basis. |
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