Hello!

Miko is due for his rabies shot this Thursday. So far, he has had a FVRCP vaccination shot at 9 weeks and at 12 weeks, and he has been de-wormed twice with Panacur. They checked fecal samples at my vet when I got him and the tests came back clean.

My breeder instructed me very clearly that I did not need to do any more vaccinations except for the rabies shot. However, my vet is recommending that I do another FVRCP shot with the rabies shot this Thursday. He will be just over 16 weeks on Thursday.

I know you guys are not vets, but I trust your opinions. Do I absolutely need to get a third FVRCP shot? What did you guys do with your kittens?

I'm really not all that much a fan of vaccinations, even for myself. Miko will eventually be walked outside though so I'm kind of on the fence.

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Matt

Rabies vaccinations are usually required by law. FVRCP is standard as well. FeLV is optional, however, if your cat is going to be allowed outdoors even on a leash, it is recommended. Feline leukemia is transmitted through blood or saliva and it can harbor on shrubs if an infected cat has been around it. I've had a cat who contacted Feline Leukemia and it was a rapid downhill spiral, ending in euthansia. Since then, all my cats have been vaccinated against it.

Having a cat vaccinated is a very personal thing. Raiden gets vaccinated against everything annually! The outdoor cat I take care of does as well. Many initial vaccines for kittens will require a "booster" later on. In fact, a FeLV vaccine will require a booster 3 weeks later.

Naturally, vets are in the business to make money and administer as many vaccines as possible, but they also care about the health of a cat. FVRCP protects against four different diseases. Kittens need a shot given at around 8 weeks old, another one 3-4 weeks later, and the thrid given in 3-4 weeks after that. I would say if you've started the round of shots -- finish them. You would do the same for your child.

At least do the shots for the time being. It will give you a while to decide about next year.

The booster regime and 9, 12 and 16 weeks is designed to make sure that the boosters stick / take effect.

Really you only need 1 vaccine; but the key problem is that they don't know when the mother's protection wears off and the kittens immune system kicks in properly. The 16 week vaccine is the guaranteed one that mom is fully out of the system. The 9 / 12 ones are the "just in case" mom is out the system.

Do you have to do the 16 week one? No.
Is there a risk to doing it? Yes, there are cases of vaccine injections causing major issues but they are very rare.
Is there a risk to not doing it? The risk from the disease itself from not being immune due to not vaccinating is higher than the risk of the injection causing an issue. Which is why almost everyone does it.

Bottom line though - I recommend doing the 16 week vaccination for FVRCP.

Thanks for bringing this up, Xerxes has an appointment on Tuesday.

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Matt

Matt: He had rabies done a couple weeks ago, but I was too scared to give him the rest of his vaccines so soon after being sick. When Xerxes got his rabies shot he slept the rest of the day too, made me a nervous wreck because that is all he did when he was sick.

Do the vaccines without the rabies shot make them sleepy also?

Suzi, every cat is different -- Raiden gets his vaccines and is fine, but he is an adult cat and not a kitten. I would think it would be normal for a cat to become slightly lethargic and want to sleep. First of all, a trip to the vet isn't that much fun for the cat anyway and they are probably trying to de-stress.

I don't know if Xerxes knows our vet made him better or if its because he goes up there every week or two to see her or make a trip with me to get food. But he is great. He doesn't mind the ride and when we are in the office he sits on my shoulder purring, watches the receptionist wanting them all to pet and hold him. He also goes to city hall and visits.

Suzi, just make sure you have him on a harness and leash. You do not want him to get away from you. It only takes a split second and I don't know anyone who can run faster than a bengal and catch up to them. Better to be safe than sorry.