VACCINES - KITTEN AND ADULT FELINE

NOTE:  Vaccines form only a part of the complete kitten program   

• A Risk Assessment is done for each patient before deciding which vaccines should be given.  This will involve answering a series of questions about your cat's lifestyle to determine which diseases he or she is at risk of being exposed to.
• At the current time, we recommend vaccinating all cats on an annual basis for the core vaccines.  Panleukopenia and the upper respiratory viruses Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus are given as one polyvalent vaccine. 
• Rabies is given as a separate or monovalent vaccines but can and generally is administered at the same time
• We are flexible about alternate vaccination protocols.

Infections Protected for with Core Vaccines

Feline Panleukopenia (Distemper)

Feline Upper Respiratory Disease

Rabies

• Non-Core Vaccines are vaccines that are given to protect cats with a increased risk of getting those infections because of their individual circumstances.   Cats who have free access to the outdoors, and therefore other cats, are at risk for developing diseases that indoor solitary cats are not.

Infectious Agents for which there are Non-Core Vaccines

Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

Feline Infectious Peritonitis

• We need to determine a realistic assessment of risk for each individual cat/kitten in order to determine what vaccine is given and how often it is given. 
• Some vaccines will deliver immunity (protection) for as long as 7 years others for as short at 7 months!

KITTEN CORE VACCINATION PROGRAM

• The age to begin vaccination depends on when your kitten was taken away from his/her mother and whether Mom was properly vaccinated with the core vaccines.
• Moms deliver antibodies in the colostrum (this is the name for milk that is the first drink of mother's milk that kittens get right after birth).  These antibodies help to protect against infection for a while but they gradually disappear and we must vaccinate to get the kitten's immunity levels back in a protective range.
• Boosters  are required at different times for different vaccines but in general every 3-4 weeks.
• How many boosters, again will depend on the age at which we are starting the vaccine program. 
• a typical vaccine program for the core vaccines is listed below.

• At present, we still recommend vaccinating annually after the 1st Rabies vaccine with  FVRCP and Rabies vaccine
• We are flexible in working with our clients to accommodate a different vaccine schedule should it be desired.  We can provide a 3 year Rabies vaccine. 
• Add to the Core Vaccine Program vaccines from the Non-Core list that you feel your kitten is likely to be exposed to.  For example if your kitten will be an outdoor cat and therefore have close contact with other cats, consider vaccinating for feline leukemia.

Link to more information on vaccines and vaccination