CATS
► I'VE GOT A KITTEN, NOW WHAT?
First and foremost: Vaccinations.
Many common diseases, including Distemper, are deadly to your cat. During the initial day of nursing, kittens receive antibodies against certain diseases from their mother's milk. These protecting antibodies are gradually lost between 6 and 16 weeks of age. A series of vaccinations are given during this period to stimulate your kitten's immune system to produce its own antibodies. Even if your cat never goes outside, many viruses are quite hardy, and can be carried to your cat on your hands, shoes, or clothing. Make sure your pet is protected!
We recommend a vaccination schedule for these diseases as follows:
6 - 8 weeks: Feline Viral Rhinotrachetitis, Calicivirus, Chalmydia, Panleukopenia (FVRCCP)
9 - 12 weeks: FVRCCP
12 - 16 weeks: FVRCCP
Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and/or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) vaccinatiion depending on risk of exposure.
4 - 6 months: Rabies vaccination
Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and/or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) vaccinatiion depending on risk of exposure.
You need to know that the Feline Leukemia Virus and the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus are deadly diseases that spread directly from cat to cat, often from mother cats to their kittens before or shortly after birth. As many as 40% of cat deaths annually are due to Feline Leukemia and related viruses.
A simple blood test, once your kitten is over 12 weeks of age, will determine if your cat or kitten already harbors one or both of these diseases. If the tests are negative, two initial vaccinations for FeLV, 3 to 4 weeks apart, and then yearly boosters, will prevent Feline Leukemia in your cat. Three vaccinations are needed to protect against FIV.
Other vaccinations that are available for kittens and cats include Feline Infectious Peritonitis (or FIP), which is a fatal disease that is frequently found in outdoor cats, and ones that live in multi-cat households, although we do see cases even in single indoor cat households. Two doses of vaccine given one month apart and annual boosters thereafter, provide some protection against this disease. There are other vaccines that you can ask us about and we will be happy to educate you on what is best for the wellness of your cat.
To learn more about medical terminology/abreviations CLICK HERE
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