Vaccinating Cats: Everything You Need to Know
Vaccinating cats: everything you need to know
Vaccinations have long since ceased to be reserved for us humans alone. Vaccinations are also important for cats so that the beloved four-legged friend can be protected against a whole range of dangerous infectious diseases.
In the following we will explain to you against which diseases you should vaccinate your cat and what risks and side effects you must expect. You will also learn how you can support your cat's immune system after vaccination.
Do you have to vaccinate all cats?
Vaccinations are particularly important for cats with outdoor activities or contact to other cats of the same species. Domestic pets are particularly sensitive to the transmission of diseases compared to animals in the wild.
However, since it’s theoretically possible that you carry pathogens on your clothes or shoes, pure indoor cats can also be infected with various cat diseases.
Even if the risk is comparatively low, it is therefore advisable to at least consider vaccinating cats indoors.
Which vaccinations are important for cats
We advise cat owners to follow the recommendations of the Standing Veterinary Vaccination Commission when vaccinating their cats. This commission has the principle that as much as necessary and at the same time as little as possible should be vaccinated.
For diseases with which the four-legged friends can be infected regardless of the exact type of keeping or which are also dangerous for humans, vaccination is recommended for all cats. Among these diseases are feline plague and feline rhinitis.
Nowadays it is common to have a combined vaccination, with which cats are immunized against feline rhinitis and feline plague at the same time.
Rabies vaccination for cats
Rabies is a dangerous viral infection, which is not curable and after the outbreak for your cat in any case fatal. Since the transmission is usually via bites from infected animals, cats with outdoor access should be vaccinated against rabies.
If you want to take your four-legged friend abroad, the vaccination against rabies is mandatory. Please note that you can also be infected with rabies.
Vaccinations, which are not useful for all cats
Apart from the above-mentioned diseases, depending on your life circumstances, it may make sense to have your cat vaccinated against other diseases and thus take individual risks into account in the prevention.
Some of the diseases for which vaccination may be useful for your cat include:
- Bordetella bronchiseptica
- Feline leukemia (FeLV)
- Chlamydia
- Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
Vaccinations can save the life of your cat
Perhaps you are one of those people who are critical of the topic of vaccinations. That is of course your right. However, you should be aware that some of the infectious diseases mentioned are often fatal.
By vaccinating your cat, you may save their life. Apart from that, you will at least save on high veterinary costs. After all, immunising your four-legged friend is much cheaper than a complicated treatment for a serious illness.
Considering the fact that side effects are now the exception thanks to modern vaccines, there is no objective reason why you should not vaccinate your cat.
When are cats first vaccinated?
In the first weeks of their lives, cats are still protected against various pathogens through their mother's milk. However, this protection does not last forever. It’s therefore advisable to start vaccinating your little cat from the eighth week of life onwards.
So that the body of the quadruped can produce sufficient antibodies, a so-called basic immunisation is carried out. In the meantime it is usual to vaccinate the young cats four times.
This is how the basic immunisation usually works in cats:
Of course it can be for various reasons that the basic immunisation in a cat is not carried out until adulthood. In this case the vaccinations are carried out at the same intervals as for kittens.
How often must cats be vaccinated?
The basic immunisation offers a reliable protection against cat diseases. However, the effect of the vaccination does not last forever.
For this reason it is necessary to re-vaccinate your cat at regular intervals. How often such a re-vaccination is necessary depends on the vaccine used.
Vaccinations against feline rhinitis and feline leukaemia, for example, should be repeated annually, while protection against feline plague and rabies usually lasts for two to three years.
Only vaccinate healthy cats
Even though the possible side effects that vaccination can have for your cat are usually negligible, your four-legged friend should be healthy on the day of the visit to the vet.
After all, the vaccination is quite a strain on your cat's organism. If the immune system of the quadruped is already busy with the defence of other pathogens, vaccination can therefore quickly become problematic and the desired effect of the vaccine can fail to materialise.
As a rule the veterinarian will examine your cat before vaccination. Nevertheless, you should also check this yourself. If in doubt, you might spare your pet the stress of an unnecessary trip to the vet's surgery.
Support for your cat's immune system after vaccination
Even though vaccinations are usually harmless and you should not normally expect complications, they are a considerable burden on your cat's immune system. For this reason, we recommend that you support your cat with a suitable food supplement after vaccination to strengthen the immune system.
In our product range you will find two high-quality products for this purpose:
I Love My Cat Immun is a natural food supplement with insect protein, propolis and other selected ingredients that provide your quadruped with valuable nutrients for a strong immune system.
Shiimun Immun is also a food supplement made from natural ingredients. The preparation supports your cat's defences after vaccination with the power of shiitake, turmeric, spirulina and other digestible ingredients.
Vaccinate cats - our conclusion
As you can see, vaccination protects your cat from a number of dangerous infectious diseases and may even save your pet's life. At the same time, the side effects that can occur after vaccination are usually negligible.
Although not every available vaccination is equally necessary for all cats, we believe that this part of the health care should not be neglected by any cat owner.
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