Just like humans, cats need to be vaccinated against serious illness. Veterinary nurse Marcia Guerra explains what vaccinations they need when <\/p>
It\u2019s\u00a0very\u00a0important to vaccinate cats against diseases that can make them unwell or prove life-threatening, says veterinary nurse Marcia Guerra.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p> Vaccination creates immunity (the natural ability to fight infection) by exposing the body to a small but entirely harmless dose of the diseases we want to protect against.\u00a0Kittens are protected in the first few weeks of life due to immunity passed through their mum\u2019s milk, however this quickly fades,\u00a0which is why vaccinations are needed.\u00a0Having your kitten vaccinated\u00a0ensures\u00a0they are kept safe and protected against dangerous diseases.<\/p> Routine vaccinations\u00a0for cats\u00a0protect\u00a0against four contagious and potentially life-threatening diseases:<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Feline\u00a0herpes\u00a0virus<\/strong>\u00a0This\u00a0common virus causes cat flu and can be very serious. Cats who survive can carry this disease and may have flare-ups at times of stress. The virus can cause painful eye ulcers and recurrent airway infections\u00a0and is highly transmitted by direct contact.\u00a0<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Feline\u00a0calicivirus<\/strong>\u00a0Another virus that causes cat flu. Signs include\u00a0fever, decreased appetite and\u00a0becoming very lethargic. Many cats will sneeze and have a runny nose and eyes, and some will develop painful ulcers of the nose and\u00a0inside their mouth,\u00a0making them unable to eat by themselves.\u00a0This is a highly contagious virus and can be transmitted\u00a0directly from another cat or\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0environment.<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Feline\u00a0infectious\u00a0enteritis<\/strong>\u00a0Also known as\u00a0feline\u00a0parvovirus or\u00a0panleukopenia,\u00a0this virus causes vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and dehydration\u00a0and is a life-threatening\u00a0condition,\u00a0especially for kittens.\u00a0It can be easily\u00a0transmitted\u00a0with\u00a0direct\u00a0contact with another\u00a0infected cat\u00a0through\u00a0feacal-oral\u00a0contact\u00a0or\u00a0even\u00a0via\u00a0contaminated\u00a0objects or material in the\u00a0environment. \u00a0<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Feline\u00a0leukaemia\u00a0virus<\/strong>\u00a0This attacks the immune system and makes it difficult for cats to fight off infections and other diseases. Sadly, cats who become permanently infected are likely to have a shortened lifespan.\u00a0This virus sheds\u00a0mainly in\u00a0saliva,\u00a0but could\u00a0be spread by\u00a0faeces,\u00a0urine\u00a0and milk\u00a0and it\u00a0is thought to be\u00a0mainly\u00a0transmitted\u00a0through prolonged\u00a0contact with another\u00a0infected cats.\u00a0<\/p> Booster\u00a0vaccinations are\u00a0needed\u00a0against\u00a0feline\u00a0herpes\u00a0virus and\u00a0feline\u00a0calicivirus every year and against feline\u00a0leukaemia and\u00a0feline\u00a0panleukopenia every three years.<\/p> Cats usually start their vaccinations at around eight to nine weeks old, and often have a primary course of two injections, given three to four weeks apart.\u00a0To stay protected,\u00a0they will then\u00a0need\u00a0yearly\u00a0booster injections.<\/p> You should always discuss your cat\u2019s individual level of risk with your vet, as many different health and lifestyle factors will need to be considered.<\/p> Cats who don\u2019t\u00a0go outside at all and don\u2019t live with other pets will be at a greatly reduced risk of catching infectious diseases. However, it is often impossible to remove the risk of disease completely. For example, the virus that causes feline infectious enteritis is very hardy and can live in the environment for months. It is therefore possible\u00a0that it could be carried into the home on clothes or shoes and infect an unvaccinated house cat.\u00a0<\/p> Rabies is a life-threatening and often fatal infection of the brain and nerves. This disease is not normally found in the UK, but\u00a0a\u00a0rabies vaccination\u00a0is\u00a0essential if you are planning to take your cat or kitten abroad. Cats\u00a0must be at least 12 weeks of age to receive this vaccine and they can’t be given the documents they need to travel until 21 days later.\u00a0Your vet practice can tell you more about this.<\/p> Your\u00a0vet will give\u00a0your cat\u00a0a health check and record their weight. They will\u00a0discuss any concerns with you and, providing your cat is well, they\u2019ll be given\u00a0a small injection,\u00a0often under the skin on the back of the neck. Your vet will fill in your cat\u2019s vaccination card and advise you when the next injection is required to achieve continued protection.\u00a0Keep the record card safe as you\u2019ll need it when your cat has further\u00a0vaccinations\u00a0or\u00a0if they\u00a0stay at a cattery.<\/p> Most cats and kittens show no symptoms of feeling poorly after their vaccinations.\u00a0Mild signs, such as being a little quiet or less interested in food are sometimes seen. On occasion, a small swelling can be felt at the scruff of the neck where the vaccine was given and will usually go down. Depending on the site of vaccination and the type of vaccine given, limping is sometimes reported.\u00a0<\/p> Serious vaccine reactions are very rare, and the risks are far outweighed by the protection vaccines offer. Any vaccine reactions can be reported online by vets and owners to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).<\/p> If your cat or kitten seems poorly after a vaccine or you\u2019re worried about them having a vaccine, please reach out to your vet for further advice and support.<\/p> As\u00a0pets get older, they can become more vulnerable to infections and may find it harder to fight off diseases if they become unwell. For this reason, it is sensible to ensure elderly pets keep up to date with their vaccinations,\u00a0unless otherwise advised by your vet.<\/p> If you\u2019re concerned that your cat has not been vaccinated or may not have completed their primary vaccination course, speak to your vet.\u00a0It\u00a0is often safest to start the primary vaccination course from scratch. This will not cause any harm and will ensure your cat is fully protected in future.<\/p> Another reason a house cat may need to be vaccinated is if they go to cattery, for example if you\u2019re going on holiday or in\u00a0an emergency situation\u00a0when you can\u2019t look after your cat yourself.<\/p> If you have any questions about vaccinating your pet,\u00a0reach out to your vet for further\u00a0advice<\/strong><\/p> Marcia Guerra is a senior\u00a0veterinary\u00a0nurse at Beechwood Veterinary Group in Leeds.\u00a0Marcia trained as a vet nurse in Portugal and became a registered veterinary nurse in 2016 after moving to the UK.\u00a0Marcia has completed\u00a0her certificates in physiotherapy and small animal nutrition\u00a0and is\u00a0a\u00a0senior consult nurse at Beechwood\u00a0Vets.<\/em><\/p> Beechwood Veterinary Group<\/a><\/em>\u00a0is part of VetPartners, a UK and European veterinary group.\u00a0Find your nearest VetPartners practice.<\/a><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n Just like humans, cats need to be vaccinated against serious illness. Veterinary nurse Marcia Guerra explains what vaccinations they need when <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":34861,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/cat-vaccinations-which-vaccinations-cats-need-and-when-kittens-should-receive-their-first-jab.jpg",2121,1414,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/cat-vaccinations-which-vaccinations-cats-need-and-when-kittens-should-receive-their-first-jab-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/cat-vaccinations-which-vaccinations-cats-need-and-when-kittens-should-receive-their-first-jab-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/cat-vaccinations-which-vaccinations-cats-need-and-when-kittens-should-receive-their-first-jab-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/cat-vaccinations-which-vaccinations-cats-need-and-when-kittens-should-receive-their-first-jab-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/cat-vaccinations-which-vaccinations-cats-need-and-when-kittens-should-receive-their-first-jab-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/cat-vaccinations-which-vaccinations-cats-need-and-when-kittens-should-receive-their-first-jab-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Just like humans, cats need to be vaccinated against serious illness. Veterinary nurse Marcia Guerra explains what vaccinations they need when","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/34860"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why do cats need vaccinations?<\/strong><\/h2>
What vaccinations do cats need?<\/h2>
When should kittens have their first vaccination?<\/h2>
Should indoor cats be vaccinated?<\/strong><\/h2>
Do cats need a<\/strong> rabies vaccinations<\/strong>?<\/h2>
What happens at a vaccination appointment?<\/strong><\/h2>
Will my cat feel poorly after their vaccinations?<\/strong><\/h2>
Do elderly cats still need to be vaccinated?<\/strong><\/h2>
What do I do if<\/strong> I\u2019m not sure whether my cat or kitten has been vaccinated?<\/strong><\/h2>
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"