Cat is a lovely pet. Everybody love cats, even Social Media loves cats. Almost all the cat lovers wish for a healthy life of their cat and always care for the pre-exposure vaccinations for kittens and cats. Because vaccines protects and they are important to combat some deadly viral diseases.
Veterinarian & pet physicians have divided vaccines into two main categories i.e. core vaccines and non-core vaccines.
Core Vaccines & Diseases of Cats:
Core vaccines are considered important for all cats in all regions of world. Core vaccines give protection and immunity against the diseases those are equally prevalent in all regions of the world. These deadly diseases are:
- Feline Panleukopenia
- Feline Calcivirus
- Feline Herpes Virus (Feline Rhinotracheitis)
- Rabies
Non-Core Vaccines & Diseases of Cats:
Non-core vaccines are advised to use in specific areas where prevalence of that specific disease and virus is high or very high. These vaccines are not considered important for all regions. Non-core vaccines and diseases in cats are:
- Feline Leukemia
- Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
- Feline Pneumonitis (Chlamydophila Felis Bacteria)
- Bordetella Bronchiseptica (Bacteria)
General Vaccination Schedule:
Let’s discuss this schedule for kittens and cats separately.
- Vaccination Schedule for Kittens
- Vaccination Schedule for Cats
Vaccination Schedule for Kittens:
Kittens born with acquired immunity from the dam (if dam/mother is vaccinated) and they are capable of combating local diseases for first few weeks of their age. After 6-8 weeks of age they are again vaccinated against core and non-core (if required) diseases. Before vaccination, de-worming is recommended by all veterinarian and it helps to get the optimum output of the vaccine. After a week or two of de-worming, first vaccination dose is given and after 2-3 weeks of first vaccination, 2nd vaccination dose is administered. The 3rd vaccination shot in cats is given after 2-3 weeks of 2nd vaccination shot. An annual booster dose is also given every years. Some manufacturers make vaccines that are given after 2-3 years for booster.
Vaccination Schedule for Cats:
In mature cats the vaccination can be done any time during their life after de-worming if they are healthy. The schedule is almost similar to the schedule mentioned for kittens. First de-worming, then first dose of vaccine after 1 week (10 days) of de-worming and then with interval of 2-3 weeks, second and third shots of vaccines are given to the cat.
So we can summarize vaccination schedule in following four points.
- De-Worming (At age of 6-8 weeks in kittens)
- 1st Shot of Vaccine (After 10 days of de-worming)
- 2nd Shot of Vaccine (After 2-3 weeks of 1st shot)
- 3rd Shot of Vaccine (After 3-4 weeks of 2nd Shot)
- Annual Booster Dose
