Vet Google: Kitten’s First Vaccinations

Welcome to my first article in my series of pet care and veterinary advice artcles.
Sure you are asking, “why vet google?” That one is easy, peasy. First, it was a little nickname I was given as a veterinary adviser (as a vet who actually advises treatment options for other vets’ cases) but in this context I aim to help build a library of veterinary advice and pet care approaches for the general public. I am hoping as this series grow, I can be your little encyclopedia (I don’t fancy being known as a ‘vetpedia’ though) providing you with some sound basics that will enable you to take the best care of your pet as possible. On that note, today I am going to review vaccination protocols for kittens.
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As a veterinarian, I sometimes worry about the quality of veterinary information available on the Web for pet owners. While there are thankfully a number of good websites with good information; there is a frightening number of bad websites provided incorrect information. And while I am sure the authors of these dodgy pages have the best intentions when spreading their knowledge, the propagation of wrong information not only hinders us all but also can endanger the lives of the pets we are trying to help.

Therefore, this will hopefully be a first of many articles designed to get the right information out there in a reliable and accessible corner of the Web. Today, I would like to review the basics of kitten vaccination. I have found on numerous occasions that despite understanding that vaccination is important, many owners don’t actually know what their cat is being vaccinated for.

It is worth noting before we begin that no matter the best intentions, this article cannot outline every vaccination protocol in every part of the world. You will find that in different regions, different diseases will be more or less common. This variation inevitably leads to a diverse number of vaccination plans, each addressing the concerns of its region. Therefore, I will cover what is in the typical feline vaccinations and briefly discuss the protocol we use in my region.

Furthermore, I remind you not to try and vaccinate your pets at home and to have common sense. If you do not have appropriate training for any procedure I might discuss then make sure you contact a person who does. Your veterinarian will guide you on the vaccination procedure that is best for your cat, and you should not hesitate to contact them if you have any questions.

Kitten’s First Vaccinations

It’s a dangerous world out there for our kittens’ little naive immune systems these days. And without a doubt we want to do the best we can to protect them from the nasty viruses in the outside world. While it is not possible to vaccinate for everything our kitten’s immune system might face, vaccination is a means of giving the kitten’s immune system advanced warning of the ‘usual suspects’ they may face.

Current vaccination protocols may vary from practice to practice, or even by country. This is because different regions in the world have different levels of certain diseases. For example, one may find more cat flu (usually caused by either the feline herpes or calciviruses) in areas where there are lots of cats in a small area, like an urban environment. Alternatively, these viruses might cause less trouble in rural areas, where cats do not encounter other cats routinely. As there is so much variation, I am going to outline what we typically do where I practice. Please note that if your veterinarian has another approach, it will likely be correct for your area. If you are concerned, discuss this with them and learn why they take the approach they do. It could be that your area is especially rife with a certain disease agent. As well, if you are based in a country with rabies, it is likely your vaccination regime will include vaccination against it.

Currently, the vaccination regime I use:

Initially the kitten has their first visit to the veterinarian at 9 weeks of age. This is typically the time they receive their first full physical (where heart murmurs, umbilical hernias or any other issues might be uncovered) examination.

Vaccination-wise, owners are presented with a choice. There are two common ‘vaccination protocols.’ The first is administering only the FVRCP vaccination (explained below). The alternative is to administer the FVRCP vaccination, as well as one against the feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Both protocols administer these vaccinations at the 9-week visit, and typically again at the 12-week visit; which is three weeks later. Both protocols include the use of the core (basic required) vaccination which is typically the “FVRCP” vaccination.

The breakdown of this secret code (which as a vet student was something older vets always quizzed you on) is as follows:

F – for feline (because you have a little feline in your life now)

VR – Viral Tracheitis (which is another name for the Feline Herpes Virus, once of the agents that can cause ”¹…”cat flu’)

C – Calicivirus (another ‘cat flu’ agent)

P – Panleukopenia (a severe diarrhoea based illness that can be fatal to young cats. It is a feline parvo virus, and creates a disease picture similar to parvo in puppies)

The second vaccination protocol employs the same core vaccination but as mentioned above also includes a vaccination for the feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). FeLV is a virus that can induce fatal disease in young cats. Recent reports suggest that due to successful vaccination and testing for the virus, the prevalence of this disease has dropped to 3% in urban cat populations in the US. Despite this decreased prevalence, it is impossible to say whether your cat will come in contact with a FeLV+ cat. Therefore, it is worth considering also vaccinating for FeLV if you plan to allow your cat outside in an environment where they may encounter other cats of unknown vaccination history.

Now after your kitten has received both their nine week and twelve week vaccinations, they are considered protected. I usually recommend that the kitten be kept in another week or two before letting outside, to make sure the immune system has processed all the “information” the vaccination has presented it. Typically, they will not require further vaccination until the following year. And after that, boosters are annual.