Cats are independent animals.  Their natural roaming habits may bring them into contact with other animals – increasing their exposure to disease.
Many diseases that cats get are very serious and often fatal, i.e. rabies, feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonitis.  Other diseases such as distemper, rhinotracheitis, and calici virus can be fatal to kittens or destroy the health of adult cats.
Fortunately for your pet, vaccinations are available to help prevent many cat diseases.  Vaccines protect pets against common viruses and bacteria that cause disease.  Prevention helps to assure the best quality of life for your pet.

Rabies
 All warm-blooded animals and humans can become infected with the potentially fatal rabies virus.  It is especially important to vaccinate cats against rabies, because most rabies in domestic animals occur in cats.   Cats should be vaccinated for rabies at 12 weeks and again each year or every three years, depending on the vaccine used.

Feline Panleukopenia (Distemper)
Feline Panleukopenia, sometimes called feline distemper, is common and can affect cats of any age. It is almost impossible to prevent exposure to this virus, so all cats should be vaccinated.   This virus affects many parts of a cat’s body, causing fever, appetite loss, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, weakness, tremors, and incoordination.  Seventy Five percent of kittens and about fifty percent of older cats that get distemper will die.  Kittens should be vaccinated at 6 to 9 weeks of age, again at 12 weeks, then boostered once yearly.

Feline Respiratory Disease
 Respiratory disease is easily transmitted by droplets in the air from coughing or sneezing.  Kittens can die from the disease.  Clinical signs are watery or mucoid discharge from the nose and eyes, nose and mouth sores, inflamed eyes, and fever.  Most respiratory diseases are caused by feline rhinotracheitis virus or feline calicivirus.   Vaccination against these two viruses is usually given in conjunction with distemper vaccination.

Bordetella Bronchiseptica
 Bordetella Bronchiseptica can act as a primary or secondary cause of feline respiratory disease.  Clinical signs may include fever, sneezing, nasal discharge, coughing and swelling of the lymph nodes.  The disease is transmitted by the aerosol route so animals in close confinement such as a cattery or boarding facilities etc are at greatest risk for infection.   The vaccine is given intranasally  to kittens 8 weeks of age or older.

Feline Leukemia
 Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) suppresses the cat’s immune system, leaving it unable to fight off other infections.   FeLV can also cause cancer in a small proportion of cats.  We recommend a blood test to check cats for FeLV and if negative, two initial doses of vaccine are given three weeks apart, followed by a yearly booster.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis
 Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is caused by a virus.  Though the risk of getting this disease is low, cats that get it usually die, usually within six months.  Clinical signs are an enlarged abdomen, fever, weight loss and respiratory signs.   Two doses of vaccine are given three to four weeks apart, followed by a yearly booster.