Vaccinations

One of the best ways to provide your cat a long healthy life is to vaccinate him against the most common feline diseases.

During the first few weeks of its existence, your cat has received, through his mother's milk, antibodies that have immunized it against certain diseases. After this period, it is up to you to protect your companion.

The immunization received at birth by your kitten usually disappears after 9 weeks. This is the time to give him his first vaccines. At this moment, your kitten’s immune system its starting to create his own antibodies and other responses, that will protect him the rest of his life and vaccines helps to increase his immune system’s response for future viral or bacterial challenges. Your kitten should receive a recall 3-4 weeks later. Then, your cat should be vaccinated regularly during its entire life.

Common diseases

Panleukopenia or Feline Distemper
Viral disease caused by an extremely resistant virus which may survive for up to one year outside the cat's organism! The signs of this disease are abdominal pain, fever, anorexia, diarrhoea, vomiting, and serious dehydration. Even after the cat's recovery, he is still able to transmit the disease for several weeks to other non-vaccinated animals. The proper immunization through vaccination cannot be overemphasized.

Feline leukemia
This infection may cause the appearance of several health problems, such as tumours, leukemia, or secondary infections caused by the destruction of your cat's immune system. Once the cat has been exposed to the virus, it may not present signs of the disease for months and even years. During this time, it continues infecting other cats.

Feline viral rhinotracheitis
An upper respiratory infection affecting the nose and trachea, caused by a highly contagious herpes virus; the infected cat continues to be a carrier for the rest of its life. The signs of this disease are: moderate fever, loss of appetite, sneezing, nasal and eye secretions and coughing.

Calicivirus infection
A virus affecting the cat's upper respiratory system, sometimes causing ulcerous lesions in the mouth; may invade the joints and cause lameness. Once infected, a cat becomes a carrier of the virus for the rest of its life.

Coronavirus infection
The feline coronavirus causes two separates diseases in cats: a feline enteric infection (very mild and often unapparent) an feline infectious peritonitis (FIP, a severe an invariably fatal disease). The strain that causes FIP is a more virulent mutation of the enteric strain.

Chlamydia
A bacterial infection affecting the entire respiratory system, especially the nose, eyes and lungs; may also cause conjunctivitis (eye infection) in humans.

Rabies
This fatal viral disease attacks the central nervous system and is a potential health risk to all warm-blooded mammals, including humans. The disease spreads through the saliva of an infected animal, through a bite or by contact with a skin lesion. Skunks, foxes, raccoons and bats are often carriers of this disease. If exposed, rabies vaccination will allow your cat to resist this virus. It is important to know that there is no known method of curing a rabies infected animal. This is why many cities require that all cats be regularly vaccinated against rabies.

Most of the vaccines for cats are combined. A combined vaccine is one that protects against more than one disease.  The most typical one immunizes against feline panleucopenia, hepesvirus 1 and calicivirus. Rabies vaccine is available as a separate vaccine. As your veterinary for the proper vaccination schedule and type of vaccine that should be used.