Remember, that even if your cat rarely meets other cats, viruses can be carried on your shoes and clothing, and an isolated cat will have less natural protection from meeting infections regularly. Older cats need boosters as much as younger cats.

When should I vaccinate my cat?
Vaccination should start as soon as possible after a kitten reaches 9 weeks of age, with the second vaccine of the primary course given 3 weeks later at 12 weeks or older. At Mill House, we recommend vaccinating against all three diseases:

Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV), Cat Flu and Feline Enteritis, and we now use a combined injection for this. The newer component, FeLV can be omitted if you wish, but is strongly recommended as it is the biggest killer of younger cats after the motor car. A single booster injection every year will keep your pet protected.

Primary and booster vaccination protects against these diseases.

What is Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) and why is it so important?
FeLV is the number one infectious killer of cats in the western world. The virus is in the same general group as that causing Aids in man, and causes cancer in cats as well as reducing resistance to many other diseases. Many cats will shake off the infection and become immune, but others will be permanently affected and show signs some time later. The virus is shed in saliva and spread through contact and biting. A survey carried out across the UK indicated that East Anglia has a relatively high level of infection, and over 20% of sick cats tested were positive for the virus. It is recommended that cats are tested for the virus before vaccination, but this is not essential. A test for FeLV and FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) is available at the practice - please ask for details.

What is Feline Enteritis?
Feline Enteritis is an extremely contagious disease, associated with a high death rate in younger cats, although any age can be affected. The virus survives some time in the environment, and causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea which is difficult to treat. Cases often occur as sudden deaths, with no obvious cause - it may be assumed a cat has been poisoned.

Vaccination is a safe and effective means of preventing the disease.

What is Cat Flu?
This is rather mis-named as the disease is not a type of influenza, but is caused by two groups of viruses:

Feline Herpes virus (Feline Rhinotracheitis) causes severe respiratory disease with sneezing, loss of appetite, fever and sore eyes. Kittens can be particularly severely affected. Once infected, a cat may remain infected for a considerable time, or permanently, and show symptoms and shed the virus to other cats at times of stress or illness.

Feline Calicivirus also causes serious respiratory disease with similar symptoms. Mouth and tongue ulcers may cause severe discomfort and inability to eat. Infected cats also become carriers and shed virus continually to other cats for some time after infection.

Both viruses are unpleasant for the cat, but also pave the way for more serious infections, such as pneumonia. The eyes and nose may be permanently damaged after infection, and recurrent bouts of illness may follow.

All these diseases are seen locally, sometimes with fatal results. We cannot stress too highly the importance of keeping your pet's vaccinations up to date to prevent the suffering we see in unvaccinated animals.

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