Vaccination for cats:

A veterinarian vaccinates a cat.
Preventive vaccination of pets has long become an integral part of their care. Everyone knows: it is easier to prevent any disease than to fight it later. And cat vaccination is the most effective way to protect your furry friend from many dangerous diseases.

Vaccination of cats requires compliance with certain rules of preparation and adherence to a schedule. And it is carried out taking into account the age characteristics of the animals, as well as their condition at the time of the procedure.

Important arguments in favor of vaccinating cats

Does my cat need to be vaccinated? Before we begin to understand the intricacies of veterinary medicine and the most important recommendations, let's remember what we know about animal vaccination in general. Vaccination (vaccination) is a whole complex of measures, including the preparatory stage, the procedure for administering the protective drug and the post-vaccination stage.

Interesting: the concepts of “vaccine” and “vaccination” are somewhat different. Not many people know this, and often use both medical terms as synonyms. Differences: a vaccine is a medical product that contains a weakened viral strain; when it is detected, the animal’s body begins to produce protective antibodies itself, forming the necessary immunity. “Vaccination”, also known as “vaccination”, is the procedure or process of administering the vaccine.

Vaccination result:

1. After vaccination, a cat acquires enhanced immunity;
2. The development of severe, including fatal, cat diseases is excluded;
3. There is no need to worry about the possibility of contracting rabies;
4. No worries about the cat being outside.

Do cats need vaccinations? A definite answer “yes” can be obtained not only from specialists, but also from most ordinary lovers of furry pets. Vaccination is an almost 100% way to avoid serious cat health problems.

Another argument in favor of vaccinations is that the diseases they are aimed at preventing are difficult to treat or cannot be treated at all. So preventive vaccination is the only option to protect your cat.

Is it possible to refuse vaccination?

Cat vaccination process

Some cat owners deliberately do not vaccinate their pets. Their explanation: animals must develop their own immunity against various infections. The main thing they forget is that a domestic cat is not a wild animal, and its body is more susceptible to the action of bacteria and viruses. Even outdoor cats are better protected than indoor cats.

The statement “a cat never goes outside and can’t catch anything” is also easily broken by criticism. Most causative agents of cat diseases can enter a house or apartment with their owners or simply be blown through an open window by the wind.

Whether to vaccinate or not is a personal decision for each cat owner. But fortunately for pets, those who ignore vaccination are becoming fewer and fewer over time.

Where is it better to vaccinate a kitten - at home or in a clinic?

Each cat owner forms the answer to this question for himself due to his financial solvency - some can afford to invite a veterinarian to their home, while others find it easier to take their pet to the clinic. But in any case, the vaccine should only be administered by a qualified doctor.

Advantages of vaccinating a kitten at home:

• you do not transport the animal to the hospital, and as a result, the kitten remains calm at the time of the doctor’s visit;
• the veterinarian has the opportunity to assess the true condition of the pet in its usual environment. When visiting the clinic, the kitten often becomes nervous, anxious, and screams, which interferes with the doctor’s normal work;
• the cat does not have contact with the street and other furry visitors to the veterinary clinic. Due to this, the risk of contracting an infection is significantly reduced;
• you don't waste time going to the hospital.

Advantages of vaccination in the clinic:

• the doctor has at hand all the necessary equipment and tools for a high-quality examination of the animal and vaccination;
• the vaccine is constantly refrigerated before its use, as required by the rules for using the drug. The fact is that the vaccine must be stored and transported only in cold conditions. In case of a home visit, the doctor must bring the drug in a special portable refrigerator;
• if necessary, in a clinic setting, you can immediately carry out any other necessary manipulations, without waiting to visit the hospital. For example, a veterinarian may identify a tick or other problems in a kitten that require immediate attention.

And remember that the veterinarian is the first friend and comrade for your pet after you. He knows exactly how to help a kitten survive the terrible moment of vaccination. For a child, vaccination is stressful, but for an experienced doctor it is a standard procedure, so trust your pet in the hands of a professional and constantly take care of his health. Only in such conditions will the kitten grow up healthy and live a long, happy life, giving you many bright moments!

What does vaccination help with?

Modern veterinary science, thanks to the creation of preventive vaccines, is able to prevent the development of many common cat diseases, which can often lead to very sad consequences. Here are the vaccinations your cat needs:

• Vaccination against rhinotracheitis (feline herpes);
• Vaccination against feline panleukopenia (distemper in cats);
• Administration of the chlamydia vaccine;
• Microsporia and trichophytosis (vaccination of cats against lichen);
• Calcivirosis (“cat flu”).

Dogs that are given certain medications, such as cyclophosphamide, may also suffer from cystitis.

Does a cat need a rabies vaccination?

Vaccination of cats against rabies is a separate topic, which is why it was not mentioned above. This disease affects not only animals, but also humans. Are cats vaccinated against rabies? Not only do they do it, in some cases this procedure is even regulated by law.

It turns out that vaccinating a domestic cat against rabies is a guarantee of the safety of not only the pet itself, but also its owners. This means that it is necessary and obligatory. Don't neglect it. It is very easy to catch a dangerous disease; it is easily transmitted to humans. If he is bitten by a cat, a rabies vaccination can save the situation.

What diseases are cats vaccinated against?

Do not think that a cat living only in an apartment will never catch a disease that is common among stray animals. The owner can also bring the infection into the house - on shoes or clothes. The following diseases pose a direct threat to the life and health of both the pet and the owner:

• Rabies is a viral disease. There is no treatment. The prognosis is unfavorable, the outcome is fatal. The danger to humans is high and also with adverse consequences. The only prevention is the use of live rabies vaccine. Rabies vaccination is mandatory for every cat owner.

  Rabies is a viral infectious disease with a contact mechanism of transmission of the pathogen, occurring with the development of severe progressive damage to the central nervous system with a fatal outcome.

  Read also:  Cat has fleas - what to do and how to remove them yourself.
• Calcivirosis is a viral disease that affects the respiratory system of a cat. Occurs when there is a large crowd of animals (in nurseries, shelters and other places where there are a large number of cats). The prognosis for treatment is favorable, but there is a certain percentage of death. For other mammals, this virus does not pose a danger, as it is exclusively a cat disease.
• Infectious peritonitis is a viral disease accompanied by fever, dehydration, fever, and complete refusal to eat. There is treatment, the prognosis is cautious, and the mortality rate for this disease is high. It is not transmitted to humans.
• Chlamydia is a highly contagious disease accompanied by damage to the mucous tissue, joints and other systems and organs of the cat. There is a high probability of becoming chronic. It is easily transmitted to humans by airborne droplets, which leads to further spread among people.

  Chlamydia in cats is a highly contagious (highly contagious) disease that is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyelids (conjunctiva), nasal cavity, as well as fever and shortness of breath

• Rhinotracheitis is a viral disease, also called cat flu or feline herpes. Treatment, of course, exists, but the infection itself is fraught with serious complications. It is transmitted through common objects: bowls, leashes, bedding, trays. The virus is dangerous for humans.
• Microsporia (ringworm) and trichophytosis are highly contagious infectious diseases that affect the skin, fur and claws. Treatment exists and the prognosis is favorable. Transmitted to humans.

  Microsporia is a contagious disease of cats caused by a fungus and affecting the skin, fur, and claws.

• Panleukopenia is a viral disease, commonly called “feline distemper”. Treatment exists, the prognosis is favorable, relapses are possible. This disease is not dangerous for humans.

I have four cats. They don’t go into the house; there is a warm place for them in the yard. But both my children and I love to chat with them and pet them. Therefore, at least for my own safety, I consider it necessary to vaccinate them. And let them say that outbred cats have strong immunity and practically do not get sick, but I believe that there is still a risk. This is especially true for rabies. My family members have not been vaccinated against this disease, so for my animals, whose circle of contacts with potential carriers of the virus is much wider, I consider vaccination against it to be of paramount importance.

Mandatory vaccinations

It is impossible to force its owner to vaccinate a cat. But there are life circumstances in which vaccination and relevant documents confirming the vaccination of the animal (veterinary passport with marks) are required. First of all, this is traveling abroad.

Without mandatory vaccinations, the cat and its owner simply will not pass border control. So, which vaccinations against which diseases can be considered mandatory:

• Panleukopenia;
• Rabies;
• Calcivirosis;
• Rhinotracheitis.

To travel outside the country, vaccinations must be done no later than 1 month before the departure date.

It’s interesting: even the hotel administration may require a passport with mandatory vaccinations to check in with a pet; it will also come in handy when traveling by rail within our country and the CIS countries, especially in Western Europe.

Self-vaccination of cats at home

After reading information about the consequences of diseases, many owners decide to vaccinate their cat themselves . On the one hand, this saves time on a trip to the veterinarian, and the animal does not experience unnecessary stress.

To vaccinate yourself, you need to choose the right vaccine: a domestic drug may cost less, but an imported one is often better tolerated.

Two weeks before vaccination, deworming is carried out. The vaccine is administered with two syringes according to the instructions on the package.

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On the other hand, this is a medical intervention in the body, so it is better to trust the hands of a professional rather than experiment on your pet, it is dangerous.

Vaccines and their types

Currently, all preventive vaccines can be divided into several groups, which differ in their functional characteristics and composition of active ingredients:

1. Polyvalent and monovalent . The former protect the animal from several diseases at once, the latter promote the production of antibodies to only one pathogen;
2. Active and inactive . The first contains strains of weakened but still living pathogens, the second contains already “dead” pathogens. Inactive vaccines cannot maintain their preventive activity for very long.

Vaccines for animals

Currently, most experts give their preference to polyvalent drugs that can build immunity not only in adult cats, but also in kittens. An additional anti-rabies complex is often added to the main component of the vaccination, aimed at preventing rabies in animals. The most famous and widely used drug for cat vaccination is Nobivac.

Vaccination of domestic cats

Many owners believe that if a cat does not leave the house, then it is not necessary to vaccinate it. They explain this by the fact that the cat does not come into contact with sources of disease, such as other animals or places of pollution.

But a person can bring harmful bacteria into the house on his clothes or shoes. A cat can be exposed to infection through interaction with the owner's guests who may have come into contact with a sick animal. A big risk is visiting a veterinary clinic. Even those pets who do not leave their homes visit veterinarians for a variety of procedures.

The owner can bring harmful bacteria into the house on his shoes

Thus, it does not matter whether the pet goes outside or not, vaccination is an essential aspect of a healthy existence.

Main diseases for which vaccinations are given

To date, preparations have been developed for vaccinating cats that can protect the animal from dangerous viruses and bacteria:

• rabies;
• ringworm - trichophytosis and microsporia;
• panleukopenia (feline distemper);
• rhinotracheitis;
• calcivirosis;
• chlamydia;
• infectious peritonitis.

Types of vaccines

For vaccination, drugs of various characteristics are used:

• monovalent - vaccinations against one pathogen;
• polyvalent - a vaccine that protects against several pathogens at once.

The most popular vaccines are those that combine several components. Thus, with one injection, the cat is vaccinated against three or four diseases at once.

There are also vaccines:

• live - contain living microorganisms (whole or parts thereof);
• inactivated - non-living, which even theoretically cannot cause a disease, but contribute to the production of antibodies to it.

Any drug intended for vaccination must have a certificate, which can only be issued by veterinary supervision.

Today, veterinarians most often use the following types of vaccines:

• Nobivak Triquet Trio and Nobivak Forcat (manufactured in Holland): Nobivak Triquet Trio is a live vaccine that can protect the cat’s body from diseases such as rhinotracheitis, calcivirosis and panleukopenia;
• In addition to the listed diseases, Nobivac Forcat also protects against chlamydia and is also a live vaccine.

To choose the right vaccination, you must consult a veterinarian.

Photo gallery: vaccines for cats

Nobivak Triquet Trio - live vaccine against rhinotracheitis, calcivirosis and panleukopenia

Quadricat is a quadrivalent inactivated vaccine against dangerous diseases of cats.

Multifel-4 is an inactivated vaccine against rhinotracheitis, calcivirosis, panleukopenia and chlamydia

Timing and schedule of vaccination

Now everyone knows what vaccinations are given to cats, but a new important question arises for cat owners: at what age are cats vaccinated? Early enough. The first vaccination is given to kittens at the age of 8-12 weeks. Their body is already stronger and is able to take on a small preventive infectious blow. A month later the vaccination is repeated. Then the cats are vaccinated annually.

Important: the age of cats for vaccination is very important! The first vaccination should not be done before two months. This procedure will simply be useless. The kitten's passive immunity, acquired from maternal feeding, will respond to the vaccine and destroy all pathogens contained in it. Immunity will not be formed.

In very rare cases, if there is a high risk of infection, vaccination is carried out for a period of 6 weeks. The kitten has not yet been weaned from the cat, but its milk is no longer the main food component.

Subsequently, adult cats are vaccinated every year. Sometimes more often, but according to the recommendations of specialists. You can follow the following general cat vaccination schedule:

Recommended vaccinations are also included in the cat vaccination schedule:

The timing of vaccination depends greatly on the drug used. Modern veterinary pharmaceuticals are capable of creating vaccines to protect domestic animals from some infectious diseases for up to 3 years.

If the schedule is off

Situations where people forget about vaccinating a pet arise quite often. There is no need to be upset: not all is lost. You just need to contact a veterinarian, who will tell you what to do correctly in such a situation and adjust the vaccination schedule taking into account unforeseen circumstances.

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Do cats need to be vaccinated annually?

A very interesting article on the topic of annual animal vaccination. For me, this question remains open; a clear opinion regarding vaccinations has not yet been formed. There are many opinions based on personal experience, opinions are different, often contradictory.

“Efficiency or “Does it work?” Every procedure to which we subject ourselves or those we care should be beneficial; otherwise there is no meaning in it. This should be obvious, especially when it comes to medical (veterinary) procedures. Vaccination can give animals immunity to dangerous diseases, but how effective and beneficial is it to repeat this procedure every year, as is now recommended in many countries?

Immunologists have long recognized the fact that vaccinations against viral diseases provide almost lifelong immunity. It is for this reason that you yourself are not forced to undergo annual vaccination against those diseases against which you were vaccinated in early childhood. Any therapist knows that your immune system has already been adequately stimulated in childhood, and the cellular memory responsible for immune reactions will definitely “remember” and give a signal to the immune system to adequately resist the virus if it dares to attack your body. What is the deep difference between us and our pets, if, unlike us, they are forced to undergo revaccination every year? Let me quote the words of experts in the field of immunology. The following text was published in Contemporary Veterinary Therapeutics, Volume XI, published several years ago (a highly respected, peer-reviewed publication published every 4 years and publishing the latest information on veterinary medicine). This text was written by veterinary immunologists Ronald Schultz (University of Wisconsin) and Tom Phillips (Scrips Research Institute)

“Annual revaccination is a practice that began many years ago and has neither scientific justification nor experimental evidence of its necessity. From an immunological point of view, there is practically no reason for annual revaccination. Immunity to viruses persists in animals for years or is even lifelong…. Moreover, repeated vaccination with most viral vaccines does not stimulate an anamnestic (secondary) immune response at all... In our opinion, the practice of annual revaccination should be recognized as ineffective....” (read the article by Ronald Schultz here https://www.sharpeikennel.ru/index.php?opti...task=view&id=27)

In simple terms, this means that every year you are spending money (and also risking your pet's health, which we will discuss below) in order to inject your pet with something that will not benefit him. The immunity vaccinated at an early age retains its strength, and it is this immunity that interacts with each subsequent vaccinated vaccine, essentially neutralizing its effect. In the same way, if you vaccinate a small puppy or kitten too early, then maternal antibodies, which are transferred to the baby along with maternal immunity, interact with the vaccine and prevent the formation of an immune response to the vaccinated viruses.

I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Schultz at a veterinary conference several years ago. He has worked for almost 25 years with companies selling animal vaccines, conducting specialized immunological studies for them. In particular, it was interesting to hear how the “annual” and “three-year” rabies vaccines actually differ. According to the instructions on these products, annual vaccines must be repeated every year, and three-year vaccines must be repeated every 3 years. However, as it turns out, the real difference between these vaccines is the duration of the studies conducted on experimental animals.

At the end of the year from vaccination, animals were exposed to live rabies virus, after which survivors were counted and the vaccine was released with the “annual” label. The same vaccine was tested for three years, data was collected, and then it was released as a “three-year rabies vaccine.”

In fact, if 5-7 year studies were conducted, then 5- and 7-year vaccines could appear on the market.

The rabies vaccine is so effective in immunization that it can most likely establish lifelong immunity in an animal. The question arises: why do we vaccinate against rabies every year? Unfortunately, in many countries, animal rabies vaccination laws completely ignore the evidence of immunology.

What about other mandatory vaccines? They are also viral, and in the same way there are no immunological grounds for their annual use. Additionally, most of these vaccines are not required by vaccination law. Or the deadline for their repetition is not specified. And some of them are generally useless to vaccinate in an animal older than one year.

Much of the advice from traditional veterinary medicine is based on fear. If there is “bad bacteria” around that can get us (or our pets), then we want to use something that will give us protection against those “bad bacteria”.

We've all heard horror stories about dogs dying from parvovirus infection, which is why we are advised to be sure to get vaccinated against this deadly disease every year (or even twice a year!). But do you know how many adult dogs die from parvovirus each year? Ask your veterinarian this question.

Parvovirus infection is a disease of puppies under 12 months of age, and sometimes affects older dogs who have weak immune systems due to an unhealthy lifestyle (commercial diets and frequent vaccinations!). So what is the point of getting a parvovirus vaccine every year for the rest of your life?

Coronavirus infection is again a disease mainly of puppyhood. It causes diarrhea and vomiting in puppies, but differs from Parvovirus in that it is not fatal. So is it worth vaccinating a dog against a disease that is not fatal and which can be dealt with without consequences for the body? According to Dr. Schultz, this is not necessary at all. However, this and other non-lethal viruses are constantly used in polyvalent (multicomponent) vaccines that are injected into our pets every year.

You may ask, why then does this practice of annual revaccination even exist? A good question that is being asked to traditional veterinary medicine more and more often. Here is how renowned University of California-Davis Veterinary Medicine researcher Professor Neils Pedersen commented on the annual vaccination requirements (comments were published in the highly respected traditional journal of the American Veterinary Hospital Association):

“The current practice of vaccination has no medical justification. The time has come to question the wisdom of annual “intensification” of vaccinations, the adequacy of the use of multivalent products (combinations of vaccines, of which the most famous are DHLPP for dogs and FVRCP for cats) and unnecessary vaccines. If we do this, pet immunization will finally become a medical procedure rather than an economic one.”

If we want to get closer to our goal of having healthy pets, protected from all diseases, we must focus on raising and maintaining them in a way that is natural for them, consistent with their nature, and allows them to live free, happy and fulfilling lives. Let your pets be the way nature created them, and then they will have an immune system that can adequately respond to any adverse external influence. In our efforts to protect pets from all diseases, we should not forget that it is their immune system that protects them, and not the vaccine solution in a syringe.

Safety or “Is it not harmful?” Annual vaccination of our four-legged friends is not just useless. It can cause significant harm to their health.

If someone, even in a white coat, offers you to take some medicine or give an injection, two logical questions immediately arise in your mind:

1. Will this benefit me (or will it work)? 2. Is it safe?

If we ask these questions about the annual revaccination of animals, and ask them to knowledgeable people, we will receive a negative answer twice. We have already understood that annual revaccination is not effective from an immunological point of view. But the question of the safety of frequent vaccination is even more important and serious, since in modern veterinary medicine there is growing evidence linking vaccination with degenerative chronic diseases.

Degenerative diseases go by many names: arthritis, under- and overactive thyroid (hypo- and hyperthyroidism), allergies, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, recurrent ear infections, skin diseases, heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure, cancer, etc. .

What makes all of these diseases especially terrifying is that they are interconnected, they are difficult to treat, and they slowly but surely progress to cause tissue and organ degeneration. This means that the sick animal gradually declines, its health deteriorates, and the best that modern traditional veterinary medicine can give such an animal is supportive care that controls symptoms through suppressive (symptom-suppressing) therapy. Such therapy is usually full of problems, including side effects from the medications used (often hormonal). This kind of supportive treatment, based on suppressing symptoms, often itself causes new, more serious diseases.

Therefore, the most important task of those who care for animals is, in principle, to prevent the development of degenerative chronic diseases in their pets. Between vaccination and the onset of a chronic disease, 1-2 months usually pass. For traditional veterinary medicine, this is not “close” enough to make a connection between the vaccine and the disease outbreak. Nevertheless, this connection exists. This is evidenced by both scientific statistics and the life practices of many dog ​​and cat owners.

For the past 10-12 years, an English veterinarian has been asking the same question to his visitors who brought him to see allergic, scratched dogs: “When did the itching start?” The responses from owners of poor animals are impressive. 75% of respondents clearly remember that itching in their pets began within 1-2 months after the puppy vaccination.

Human medical practice suggests that there is a connection between childhood vaccinations and childhood autism, and the number of sick children increases sharply with the increase in the number of mandatory childhood vaccines. What do you think is the interval between vaccination and the onset of the disease? About a month.

In 1996, the results of a scientific study were published, the authors of which studied the problem of a fatal disease in dogs that affects the immune system. This disease is known as immune-dependent hemolytic anemia (IDHA). The essence of IZG is that the dog’s immune system attacks its own red blood cells, mistaking them for foreign ones. Needless to say, how dangerous this disease is for the life of an animal, and how high the percentage of fatal endings is, since the life of the body is impossible without red blood cells - “transporters” of oxygen in the blood. The study involved 58 dogs suffering from IGA. For 2 years, these dogs were observed in a veterinary clinic at a research institute. One of the questions that was asked to the owners of these dogs was: “Did anything precede the onset of ICAD?”

A statistically significant group of owners responded that, on average, their dogs received their annual booster vaccination one month before the onset of illness. The findings were so statistically significant that the authors even titled their study report “Vaccine-associated immune-related hemolytic anemia in dogs” (Duval and Giger, J Vet Intern Med 1996;10:290-295).

In cats, over the past 10 years, researchers have identified a clear link between vaccination and malignant tumors.

These malignant cell tumors arose in the places where the vaccine was usually injected: on the withers or on the thigh of the hind leg. This disease is considered fatal, regardless of the treatment methods used, including permanent surgery. It is now very clear that this disease is caused by two specific vaccines: rabies and feline leukemia (leukemia). In 2000, after the connection between vaccination and this type of cancer was finally confirmed by numerous studies, the disease received a new name: “Vaccine-associated sarcoma.”

Veterinary science has slowly begun to re-evaluate the practice of revaccinating animals annually. In 2000, the American Association of Feline Practitioners issued an official statement against annual vaccination of cats. Their position was based on a long-term Cornell study in which kittens were vaccinated only once at several months of age. Testing grown cats 7 years after a single vaccination clearly showed that they have working immunity to vaccinated viruses. Frankly, I don't think we need to wait for this to finally reach all veterinary professionals.

Through annual booster vaccinations, we place our pets at constant risk of developing degenerative chronic diseases. I am sure that years from now we will look back on today with amazement and wonder how anyone could ever consider the practice of annual revaccination of animals wise. And how great it would be to remember this with a smile, scratching your twenty...year-old four-legged friend, saying: “We knew. We stopped. That's why we're still together."

The author of this article is Dr. Falconer, a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy, and the National Center for Homeopathy. Practitioner William Falconer practices in Austin, Texas, specializing in classical homeopathy. In his free time, he lectures to pet owners, writes articles for veterinary journals, and shares his expertise with conventional and holistic veterinarians across the country.

© 2002 Elena Ivashchenko (Elf) Translation from English. © 2002 by AustinHolistic.com. "Vaccinations: A Word of Caution for Our Animals" by Dr. Will Falconer, DVM."

Preparing for cat vaccination

Cat owners know that they need to do some preliminary preparation before vaccination. First of all, it involves deworming. The main reason for carrying out this procedure is that anthelmintic drugs eliminate the appearance of many unnecessary complications, promote the active production of antibodies, without dispersing immune forces to fight the parasites present in the cat’s body.

It is not necessary to deworm a cat immediately before vaccinations. First, the animal is examined for the presence of external parasites (fleas, ticks, lice), and if they are present, treatment is carried out. A few days after this, deworming can be carried out.

Measures to remove intestinal parasites must be carried out no later than 15-25 days before the vaccination itself.

Interesting: whether or not to feed a cat before vaccination is another point that attracts the attention of pet owners. In fact, it is not that important. Because whether a cat is full or not has no meaning for vaccination.

Visiting a veterinary clinic for vaccination is a necessary condition for the health of your pet.

The drug for vaccination is selected only by a veterinarian who monitors the schedule, follows the schedule and always carefully examines the animal before the procedure. In order to eliminate risks to the life and health of pets, the names of vaccines/vaccinations are not given in information articles for users who do not have a veterinary education. Only a specialist can properly vaccinate! In addition, any procedure performed must be recorded in the animal’s personal veterinary passport along with a stamp and signature of the doctor.

Vaccination for a cat: rules and recommendations

After deworming, the cat is not vaccinated immediately. Before administering the vaccine, it is necessary to examine the animal. His general condition, temperature, tests are important components of the conclusion about the possibility of vaccination. If everything is fine with the cat, the main procedure of administering the vaccine begins. It takes no more than a minute, sometimes even seconds. Often the vaccination will consist of not one, but two injections. As mentioned above, the second injection is the introduction of a rabies preventative.

There are no trifles here: the correct choice of drug, injection skills, consultation on possible complications - these are the main arguments in favor of the fact that vaccination should be done by veterinarians.

Vaccine selection

The correct choice of medication for vaccination is one of the main components of “immune” success. Professionals are guided by the following rules:

• young cats are imported products with a mild effect; adult cats can be vaccinated with a variety of drugs;
• the instructions are required to be studied;
• Compliance with expiration dates is an important condition for ensuring the effectiveness of a medicinal product.

Information about vaccination must be recorded in the veterinary passport. Usually a special sticker is glued into it, which is included with the administered drug.

Self-vaccination

Some people vaccinate their pets themselves. According to veterinarians, this is an additional health risk. Not every cat owner is able to give the injection correctly, much less has sufficient qualifications to select the drug and its dosage. The result is a visit to the veterinary clinic, but not for vaccination, but to eliminate the consequences and complications.

Kitten vaccination rules

In order for the kitten to be vaccinated correctly, you should follow the recommendations.

• Vaccination is not given to kittens younger than 8 weeks.
• Only a completely healthy animal without obvious signs of illness is vaccinated, and it is forbidden to vaccinate a cat if there is a suspicion that it has been in contact with a sick animal. The best solution would be to wait a couple of weeks.
• Before administering the vaccination, the veterinarian must assess the baby’s health status according to several criteria - body temperature, vigor, condition of mucous membranes.
• It is forbidden to vaccinate a kitten for three weeks after surgery and for two to three weeks before surgery.
• You should not send your pet for vaccination after antibiotic treatment. The baby’s body is weakened and even microstrains of the pathogen can provoke serious consequences. After antibiotic therapy, it is better to wait a month.
• Before vaccination, three weeks before the procedure, the animal must be dewormed.
• It is forbidden to vaccinate a cat during the period of teeth change.
• The kitten should be in a relatively calm state during vaccination. Stress and tearing out of your hands are unacceptable.
• Keep an eye on the expiration date of the vaccine if you buy it at a veterinary pharmacy. An expired drug will not benefit your pet.

Complications and side effects

Negative consequences of vaccination are unlikely, but their occurrence is not excluded and depends on the state of the animal’s body. Although the risks are minimal, your cat may develop the following complications:

• Allergy. Observed in the first 15 minutes after injection of the drug. Signs: drooling, breathing problems. Since veterinarians do not advise leaving the clinic for half an hour, timely assistance with the use of antihistamines solves the problem;
• Swelling, redness at the injection site. It does not pose a serious danger and is not accompanied by other symptoms. The irritation goes away quickly, the cat’s lump disappears after vaccination, but if purulent formations form, you should immediately consult a doctor;
• Incubation. If the infection in the cat’s body was in the incubation period at the time of vaccination, a sharp development of the disease begins. If quarantine is observed before vaccination and a thorough examination by a specialist, this negative effect is excluded.

After vaccination, the cat may be lethargic or, on the contrary, hyperactive, there may be slight disturbances in appetite, and a slight increase in temperature. Most likely this will be the result of stress.

Important: cats picked up on the street cannot be vaccinated without prior quarantine and testing. Vaccination not only may not help, it can provoke illness, which will greatly harm a pet taken from the street.

Types of Vaccines for Cats

Killed

All killed vaccines are adjuvanted. Killed vaccines do not produce as strong an immune response as modified live ones.

Modified living

All of these vaccines are non-adjuvanted. The viruses in them are alive, but attenuated (weakened), so that they will begin their replication in the recipient’s body, but will not cause disease. Such a vaccine, however, has one complication - it may regain virulence: the virus may not be weakened enough, and the animal will get sick.

Recombinant vaccines

For example, Purevax Rabies and Purevax against leukemia virus are recombinant. This means that they contain only part of the genetic material of the virus, and therefore are not able to become virulent again (the animal will not get sick). In addition, they do not replicate in the recipient's body and are unlikely to cause kidney inflammation.

This type of vaccine is considered the safest.

Intranasal

These vaccines are also modified, but are administered not by injection, but by drops into the nose or eyes. But it should be borne in mind that the route of infection with panleukopenia is oral, and this vaccine is administered by the respiratory route and is therefore less effective. Plus, these vaccines have not been studied enough.

Vaccination done. What to do after vaccination?

After vaccinating your cat, you do not need to leave the veterinary facility immediately. It is necessary to monitor the cat’s condition, and if it suddenly worsens, the veterinary office will be at your arm’s length.

Once at home, you need to pay attention to the condition of the animal for several weeks. Usually a cat is lethargic after vaccination; he needs to be provided with good nutrition and protected from possible negative factors (change of residence, water treatments, excessive activity).

Any cat owner should monitor their health. Vaccination is the only way to protect them from contracting deadly diseases. If you have vaccinated your cat against rabies and other diseases correctly, then your furry friend will always be full of strength, and his owner will not experience any nervous shock related to the well-being of his furry pet.

Contraindications

Vaccination of cats is carried out only when the animal is completely healthy. There are a number of contraindications that must be taken into account:

• You should not vaccinate a kitten when its teeth change (between 4-8 months);
• elevated temperature;
• physical exhaustion;
• diseases in acute or chronic form;
• the previous injection was given less than three weeks ago;
• helminthic infestation.

You should not take risks and vaccinate if your cat has recently had surgery.

How much does a cat's vaccination cost?

The cost of cat vaccination is not prohibitively high and is affordable to everyone. Compared to the problems that can be caused without vaccination, the cost is very much worth it. For example, the price of rabies vaccination for a cat is in no way comparable to the financial, moral and time losses that may arise if you refuse to vaccinate your beloved “fluffy” in a timely manner.

Below are the prices for vaccinations at the Univet veterinary clinic.

Is it possible to inject yourself?

Experienced breeders do not recommend vaccinating themselves, especially regarding rabies. It is no secret that many pets experience a trip to a specialized clinic negatively, and an injection at home, at first glance, is an excellent solution. But in a specialized institution they will not only give the animal an injection, but also conduct a clinical examination, thermometry and make sure that the cat is healthy.

In addition, if a cat suddenly has an allergic reaction, the animal will immediately receive qualified assistance. After the injection, the veterinarian will make a note in the pet’s passport. It will include the processing date, name, series and number of the vaccine. The mark is confirmed by the signature and seal of the institution. Only such a passport will allow the animal to participate in exhibition events and freely cross the borders of the country.

Veterinary passport.

If the cat is very worried, nervous during transportation and in an unfamiliar place, you can use the service of calling a specialist to your home.