Vaccinations for Cats

or go to Vaccinations for dogs

Many serious and life-threatening diseases can be prevented by vaccination. Kittens should be first vaccinated at 6 to 8 weeks and then every 4 weeks until they are 16 weeks or older. For most kittens this will mean 3 vaccinations. A kitten will not be fully protected until 7-10 days after the last vaccination.

We recommend that after the initial series of kitten vaccinations that cats be vaccinated every 12 months.

Regardless of the vaccines that your cat may require, we recommend a physical exam every 12 months to evaluate your pet’s health. Every vaccination appointment is also a consultation so we perform a thorough physical examination to check your cat’s health and we can look at any problems you may have noticed.

F3 Vaccine – Feline 3 (three stands for the diseases covered)

  • Feline herpes virus  (Causes for disease commonly known as ‘cat flu’.  Often in unvaccinated cats. Can cause long-term problems, including chronic sneezing, nasal discharge, inflamed eyes and severe gum problems.)
  • Feline calicivirus  (Second cause for disease commonly known as ‘cat flu’.)
  • Feline panleukopaenia (Causes a severe and often fatal gastro-enteritis)

Direct contact with other cats is the main source of cat flu spread, so keeping your cat indoors away from other unvaccinated cats will greatly minimise the risk. Being stressed and in places where there are lots of other cats increases the possibility of exposure and the chance of cats becoming sick.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

For outdoor cats, we also recommend vaccination against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The primary modes of FIV transmission are deep bite wounds and scratches but there is also an occasional transmission of the virus at the time of birth

The initial vaccination is followed up by two more vaccinations 2-4 weeks apart and then with annual boosters. FIV vaccines can be given at the same time as regular F3 vaccinations.

What vaccinations does my new kitten need?

Vaccinations for your new kitten are extremely important, as the diseases against which they protect can be be serious and even fatal if contracted.

Kittens can be vaccinated against a variety of diseases, including feline enteritis virus, cat “flu” (actually 3 different diseases Feline calicivirus, feline herpes virus and Feline chlamydia), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)and feline leukaemia virus.

There are different levels of vaccination but for maximum protection we recommend being vaccinated against all six diseases (a F6 vaccination.)

The typical vaccination schedule is a course of three injections.

First vaccination is at 6-8 Weeks: F3 Vaccination
10-12 Weeks: F6 Vaccination
14-16 Weeks: F6 Vaccination

This course is then followed by annual boosters.