Cat Vaccination Guide: When to Start? How Often? What Vaccines?
Cat Vaccination Guide: When to Start? How Often? What Vaccines?
For cat-owning families, vaccination is the most basic operation to prevent cats from being infected. So how often do cats get vaccinated? What should I do? Today, Cat Guru will take a detailed look at cat vaccines.
I. What vaccines should be given to cats?
There are many types of cat vaccines, including cat bivalent, trivalent, quadrivalent, pentavalent, and heptavalent. These are not the names of the vaccines, but the viruses they can prevent. Of course, the more you get, the more you can prevent.
Bivalent: Feline panleukopenia and herpesvirus.
Trivalent: Feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus.
Quadrivalent: Feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus, feline pneumonitis.
Pentavalent: Feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus, feline pneumonitis, feline leukemia.
Heptavalent: Feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus, feline pneumonitis, feline leukemia, feline rabies, and feline infectious peritonitis.
Currently, trivalent and rabies vaccines are widely used in China. Cat trivalent vaccines can prevent:
Feline panleukopenia (commonly known as "feline distemper")
Feline infectious rhinotracheitis (caused by herpesvirus, commonly known as "feline rhinotracheitis")
Feline calicivirus
There are many brands of trivalent vaccines produced both domestically and internationally. Most pet hospitals in China use the American brand Purevax. We only need to choose according to the brand designated by the hospital. If there is a choice, domestic vaccines are relatively cheaper, but the probability of immune failure is higher.
II. Why should cats be vaccinated?
The reason for vaccination is simple: to prevent disease. The diseases prevented by trivalent vaccines are all highly contagious. Unvaccinated kittens are susceptible to infection, treatment is difficult, and mortality is extremely high. Therefore, vaccination in advance has become the most reliable preventive measure.
Giving cats rabies vaccine can not only prevent cats from getting sick, but also effectively prevent people from being infected with rabies virus. After all, it is very scary for humans to get rabies.
III. When should a cat start vaccinating?
Kittens usually get their first shot at 2-3 months of age.
The "maternal antibodies" inherited from the cat's mother after birth will interfere with the effectiveness of vaccination. Therefore, after 2-3 months of birth, the antibodies inherited from the mother cat gradually decline. This is the most suitable time for the first shot.
IV. How often are cat vaccines given?
Many cat owners have been told that they need to get vaccinated every year. This is wrong. Cats really don't need to get vaccinated every year.
After the first year of vaccination, the immune effect can last for many years, depending on the cat's physique, ranging from 3 to 7 years. So in the second year, the cat can have an antibody test first. If the antibody level is up to standard, there is no need to vaccinate again. If the antibody level is low, then a booster shot is needed.
An antibody level of 4 for panleukopenia, and enough for calicivirus and herpesvirus.
If a cat is vaccinated every year, its immune level will be too high, leading to immune overreaction. This will actually damage the cat's health and lead to autoimmune diseases, internal inflammation, malignant sarcoma at the injection site, and other diseases. Therefore, what cat owners need to do is not to take their cats to get vaccinated every year, but to have an antibody test. If the test value is not up to standard, then get a shot.
Antibody testing is generally more expensive than vaccines, so some cat owners choose to do it every year to save money. Here are some alternative solutions, assuming that all vaccines have been given in the first year:
For purely indoor cats, the most conservative approach is to have a trivalent every three years. The most aggressive approach is to supplement with a trivalent every seven years.
For outdoor cats, which are often in high-risk environments, the most conservative approach is to have a trivalent every three years, and the most aggressive approach is to vaccinate every year.
V. Do indoor cats need to be vaccinated?
Of course, they do.
Many cat owners think that indoor cats don't need to be vaccinated if they don't go out and come into contact with viruses. However, the fact is that whether it is the cat owner's clothes after going out, the cat food and cat toys we buy, or friends bringing cats to play at home, they may all carry viruses and cause cats to be infected. So even if you keep cats at home, you can't save the first vaccination~
Note: It is not recommended to vaccinate old cats over 10-12 years old.
VI. Is it foolproof after vaccination?
It is not.
If the vaccine is given at an inappropriate time or under inappropriate conditions, or if the vaccine is inactivated due to temperature or other reasons during transportation, it may lead to immune failure.
VII. What points should be paid attention to when getting vaccinated?
A. Cats that are sick or have a fever cannot be vaccinated;
B. Cats that have not been dewormed or have been dewormed within a week cannot be vaccinated;
C. Kittens under two months old cannot be vaccinated;
D. Don't bathe a week before or after vaccination;
These will prevent the cat's immune system from working properly, leading to immune failure. Simply put, nothing.
VIII. Will cats have adverse reactions after vaccination?
Only a small number of cats will have symptoms such as fever, lethargy, and decreased appetite after vaccination, and a small number of cats will have inflammation and redness at the injection site. The owner should pay attention to observation, and if the situation worsens, you must go to the hospital as soon as possible.
This is also why we recommend that cats stay at the hospital for half an hour after vaccination.
Summary of Experiences
Cat vaccines are an important guarantee of a cat's health and a responsibility of cat owners. Hopefully this article will help you better understand cat vaccines and make the best choices for your beloved cat.
For cat-owning families, vaccination is the most basic operation to prevent cats from being infected. So how often do cats get vaccinated? What should I do? Today, Cat Guru will take a detailed look at cat vaccines.
I. What vaccines should be given to cats?
There are many types of cat vaccines, including cat bivalent, trivalent, quadrivalent, pentavalent, and heptavalent. These are not the names of the vaccines, but the viruses they can prevent. Of course, the more you get, the more you can prevent.
Bivalent: Feline panleukopenia and herpesvirus.
Trivalent: Feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus.
Quadrivalent: Feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus, feline pneumonitis.
Pentavalent: Feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus, feline pneumonitis, feline leukemia.
Heptavalent: Feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus, feline pneumonitis, feline leukemia, feline rabies, and feline infectious peritonitis.
Currently, trivalent and rabies vaccines are widely used in China. Cat trivalent vaccines can prevent:
Feline panleukopenia (commonly known as "feline distemper")
Feline infectious rhinotracheitis (caused by herpesvirus, commonly known as "feline rhinotracheitis")
Feline calicivirus
There are many brands of trivalent vaccines produced both domestically and internationally. Most pet hospitals in China use the American brand Purevax. We only need to choose according to the brand designated by the hospital. If there is a choice, domestic vaccines are relatively cheaper, but the probability of immune failure is higher.
II. Why should cats be vaccinated?
The reason for vaccination is simple: to prevent disease. The diseases prevented by trivalent vaccines are all highly contagious. Unvaccinated kittens are susceptible to infection, treatment is difficult, and mortality is extremely high. Therefore, vaccination in advance has become the most reliable preventive measure.
Giving cats rabies vaccine can not only prevent cats from getting sick, but also effectively prevent people from being infected with rabies virus. After all, it is very scary for humans to get rabies.
III. When should a cat start vaccinating?
Kittens usually get their first shot at 2-3 months of age.
The "maternal antibodies" inherited from the cat's mother after birth will interfere with the effectiveness of vaccination. Therefore, after 2-3 months of birth, the antibodies inherited from the mother cat gradually decline. This is the most suitable time for the first shot.
IV. How often are cat vaccines given?
Many cat owners have been told that they need to get vaccinated every year. This is wrong. Cats really don't need to get vaccinated every year.
After the first year of vaccination, the immune effect can last for many years, depending on the cat's physique, ranging from 3 to 7 years. So in the second year, the cat can have an antibody test first. If the antibody level is up to standard, there is no need to vaccinate again. If the antibody level is low, then a booster shot is needed.
An antibody level of 4 for panleukopenia, and enough for calicivirus and herpesvirus.
If a cat is vaccinated every year, its immune level will be too high, leading to immune overreaction. This will actually damage the cat's health and lead to autoimmune diseases, internal inflammation, malignant sarcoma at the injection site, and other diseases. Therefore, what cat owners need to do is not to take their cats to get vaccinated every year, but to have an antibody test. If the test value is not up to standard, then get a shot.
Antibody testing is generally more expensive than vaccines, so some cat owners choose to do it every year to save money. Here are some alternative solutions, assuming that all vaccines have been given in the first year:
For purely indoor cats, the most conservative approach is to have a trivalent every three years. The most aggressive approach is to supplement with a trivalent every seven years.
For outdoor cats, which are often in high-risk environments, the most conservative approach is to have a trivalent every three years, and the most aggressive approach is to vaccinate every year.
V. Do indoor cats need to be vaccinated?
Of course, they do.
Many cat owners think that indoor cats don't need to be vaccinated if they don't go out and come into contact with viruses. However, the fact is that whether it is the cat owner's clothes after going out, the cat food and cat toys we buy, or friends bringing cats to play at home, they may all carry viruses and cause cats to be infected. So even if you keep cats at home, you can't save the first vaccination~
Note: It is not recommended to vaccinate old cats over 10-12 years old.
VI. Is it foolproof after vaccination?
It is not.
If the vaccine is given at an inappropriate time or under inappropriate conditions, or if the vaccine is inactivated due to temperature or other reasons during transportation, it may lead to immune failure.
VII. What points should be paid attention to when getting vaccinated?
A. Cats that are sick or have a fever cannot be vaccinated;
B. Cats that have not been dewormed or have been dewormed within a week cannot be vaccinated;
C. Kittens under two months old cannot be vaccinated;
D. Don't bathe a week before or after vaccination;
These will prevent the cat's immune system from working properly, leading to immune failure. Simply put, nothing.
VIII. Will cats have adverse reactions after vaccination?
Only a small number of cats will have symptoms such as fever, lethargy, and decreased appetite after vaccination, and a small number of cats will have inflammation and redness at the injection site. The owner should pay attention to observation, and if the situation worsens, you must go to the hospital as soon as possible.
This is also why we recommend that cats stay at the hospital for half an hour after vaccination.
Summary of Experiences
Cat vaccines are an important guarantee of a cat's health and a responsibility of cat owners. Hopefully this article will help you better understand cat vaccines and make the best choices for your beloved cat.
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