Vaccinating your kitten is essential to ensure he/she is protected and safe from potentially fatal diseases. A full course of vaccinations will protect your new pet for one year. We recommend annual boosters for adult cats – this is also a good opportunity for a thorough health check each year.
Vaccinating your cat
Kittens need a series of vaccinations to protect them from serious (potentially fatal) viral diseases: Feline Enteritis (panleukopaenia), Herpesvirus and Calicivirus – the last two protect against Cat Flu.
Antibodies passing to the kitten from their mother can interfere with immunity, and the recommended course of two vaccinations ensures full protection is achieved. For adult cats, we recommend an annual booster vaccination.
Our recommended program for kittens and adult cats:
| Age |
Recommended vaccination |
| Kittens from 8 weeks of age |
Vaccinate at 8 and 12 weeks with Fel-O-Vax 3. This protects against Feline Enteritis (panleukopaenia), Herpesvirus plus Calicivirus (cat flu), then vaccinate annually. |
| Kittens 10 weeks or older |
Give two vaccinations 4 weeks apart with Fel-O-Vax 3 (eg at 10 and 14 weeks), then vaccinate annually. |
| Adult cats |
We recommend an annual booster vaccination with Fel-O-Vax 3. |
| Adult cat with no vaccination history |
Give two vaccinations 4 weeks apart with Fel-O-Vax 3, then vaccinate annually. |
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
FIV is similar to HIV in humans. There are pockets of infected cats in some areas of the Crookwell district and we recommend cat owners in these areas vaccinate annually against FIV. It’s also important for outside cats and those in multi-cat households.
Before commencing FIV vaccinations at 6 months of age, cats must be first tested for FIV. If negative, the vaccination procedure involves 3 vaccinations 2 weeks apart, then annual boosters. If a cat tests positive, the vaccination must not be given. If your cat is positive to FIV, talk to our vets about managing its lifestyle and environment to minimise infections and stress.
The best protection against FIV is to keep kittens and adult cats inside at night, safe from stray cats. Our recommendation is for all cats to be reared and maintained as inside pets. This protects both the cat and native wildlife.
Feline Leukaemia Virus
Feline Leukaemia Virus vaccination is not routinely administered at CVH. Talk to our vets if your cat lives in a high density cat environment, such as a multi-cat household.