Cats: Vaccinations

All cats should be vaccinated against the serious but preventable viral diseases in Victoria. These include feline parvovirus (feline panleucopaenia or feline enteritis), feline herpes virus 1 and feline calicivirus (cat flu).

Feline Parvovirus is a highly contagious and devastating virus. It is most dangerous to young unvaccinated kittens. It attacks the gastrointestinal system and causes vomiting, diarrhoea (which often contains blood), abdominal pain, inappetence, depression and often death.
Infection in a pregnant unvaccinated cat often leads to foetal death or severe brain disease of the kittens in utero (cerebellar dysplasia).

Feline parvovirus is a very strong and hardy virus. The virus can survive for years in the environment. The virus is spread by direct contact (cat-cat) or when cats come into contact with contaminated faeces or soil. It is therefore important to keep kittens indoors until they have completed their juvenile vaccination program.

Feline Herpes Virus 1 and Feline Calicivirus are both viruses that attack the respiratory system of cats and cause 'cat flu'.  Cat flu can be devastating at any age however it is most dangerous in young kittens and senior cats.
The viruses cause fever, sneezing, coughing, discharge from the eyes and nose, ulcers on the tongue, ulcers on the eyes, conjunctivitis, loss of appetite, lethargy and depression. Symptoms usually last for 3-4 weeks. Cats may become life long carriers and have recurrences of signs at times of stress or when their immune systems are depressed.

Cat flu is highly contagious. It is spread by droplets (produced by sneezing or coughing) and nose-nose contact. It is most common in catteries, boarding catteries, multi cat households and free range cats.

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At the Rowville Veterinary Clinic we recommend the following kitten vaccination protocol:

It is not uncommon for cats to have some pain at the site of injection immediately after vaccination. This reduces in time. Some cats will react to vaccines. They may appear lethargic, quiet and inappetent. If you think your cat has a vaccine reaction, please contact the clinic.