Vaccines can help prevent many diseases that affect cats, just like the shots we give as children. Vaccines are not 100% protective against disease, but they can indeed improve cats’ protection against disease infections.

Some people say that my cat does not go out and is just a domestic cat. Does it need to be vaccinated? In fact, cats inevitably have to go out to see a doctor, go to a pet store, or sneak out of the house. As long as they go out, there is a possibility of infection. What's more, some domestic cats may interact with stray cats through screens, which may also lead to infection. In addition, the owner’s clothes, hands, and shoes may also carry pathogens home, so the vaccine must be taken, but there are some things you should know about the vaccine:

What exactly is a vaccine?

Vaccines help prepare the body’s immune system to fight invasion by disease-causing microorganisms. Vaccines contain antigens, and when the vaccine is introduced into the body, the immune system is slightly stimulated. When a cat is exposed to a real disease, his immune system will recognize it and either fight it off entirely or reduce its severity.

Core vaccines and non-core vaccines:

The American Association of Feline Practitioners divides vaccines into two categories: core and non-core. Core vaccines are considered essential for all cats (vaccines against pathogens that are highly dangerous to cats) and protect against leukopenia (feline distemper), feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus type I (rhinotracheal) inflammatory disease) and rabies, the combination of the first three vaccines is the common "cat triple vaccine".

The selection of non-core vaccines is based on the cat’s lifestyle (distribution of pathogens in different regions/countries/environments): including feline leukemia virus, feline HIV, feline infectious peritonitis virus, feline chlamydia, and Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccines. .

When should kittens be vaccinated?

If the mother's immune system is healthy, the kittens will automatically receive the antibodies in the mother's colostrum. The immunoglobulins in colostrum help protect against infectious diseases before a kitten's own immune system develops. The antibodies in this colostrum are the so-called "transitional antibodies". Transitional antibodies will slowly begin to decline after the kitten is 50 days old. Therefore, vaccination should start when the kitten is about two months old. It is recommended to receive one dose of Cat Triplex at 8, 12 and 16 weeks, so that its resistance can continue to work. (If adult cats have never been vaccinated, they should be vaccinated according to the normal vaccination schedule.)

Under what circumstances should vaccination be delayed:

The cat's body resistance will decrease one week after vaccination, and will slowly increase after a few days. Therefore, before vaccination, you must first confirm the cat’s physical health.

If the cat appears withUnder such circumstances, vaccination should be postponed.

· Loss of appetite or vomiting

· Have diarrhea, digestive discomfort or dehydration

· There is an abscess

· Upper respiratory tract infection

· Urinary tract infection

·Severe trauma

· Before major surgery

· Early pregnancy

· Before traveling or just picking up a kitten

· Have a history of allergic reactions

· Elderly cats generally have sufficient antibodies

· Do not vaccinate with other vaccines at the same time

What symptoms will occur after receiving the vaccine?

Most cats will not have any adverse effects from vaccination. If the cat shows facial edema or vomiting and diarrhea on the day of the injection, it may be a so-called acute allergy, and the cat should be taken back to the hospital for treatment immediately, but the probability is very low. Vaccine reactions are usually mild and short-lived.

· Fever

· Downturn

· Loss of appetite

· Vomiting

· Diarrhea

· Swelling and redness around the injection site

·Limp

If the above conditions persist for more than five days, you should contact your veterinarian.

Are there any risks with the vaccine?

Vaccines gently stimulate an animal's immune system to induce protection against a specific infectious disease. This irritation can produce mild symptoms, ranging from pain at the injection site to fever and allergic reactions. There are other less common side effects, such as injection site tumors and immune disorders associated with vaccination. That said, vaccines have saved countless lives and played a vital role in the fight against feline infectious diseases. But as with any medical treatment, there are side effects and risks. In most cases, the risk is far less than the risk of the disease itself.

Therefore, before vaccination, you need to pay attention to the cat’s physical condition and communicate with the veterinarian about the cat’s medical history.

Do I need to vaccinate my pet every year?

We all received a lot of vaccinations when we were children, but stopped vaccinating them as adults. However, under the habitual recommendation of "annual vaccinations", we let our cats live to be vaccinated until they are old. In fact, our cats cannot afford such vaccine protection. You can use logic to analyze the following three points:

First of all, the effective period of the vaccine is much longer than one year. There is no scientific proof that the vaccine should be vaccinated every year. Current vaccinations are not regulations, just so-called "veterinary recommendations." There are two obvious reasons why veterinarians recommend this. One is of course profit. The same vaccine must be administered every year. With the current huge number of pet cats, how tempting is such a profit-driven approach? Everyone has seen it. "I'm not the god of medicine." Secondly, medical research costs a lot of money, and long-term research on animal immunity lacks a lot of financial support. Even if veterinarians have the conscience and courage to say that they do not need to inject vaccines every year, they will inevitably be criticized by some due to their own negligence. The cat is sick and the person is lying.

Secondly, the amount of vaccine injection is not adjusted according to the size of the cat. Vaccination should be given every year. The same vaccine should be given at 4 pounds and 8 pounds. It is the same for big cats and kittens. This does not make sense from a logical level, let alone the effect of such a dose of vaccine every year on the cat itself. What a burden your immune system is. In fact, human society has also had a lot of discussions and disagreements because of the issue of vaccines, and most of them are related to the disadvantages of "excessive vaccination".

Finally, there are many cases where excessive vaccination may cause a series of serious health problems. Especially when it comes to the immune system, which include allergies, epilepsy, anemia, cancer.

So how should cats be vaccinated:

Cats must be vaccinated with the core vaccine, which is the "cat triple vaccine" (already mentioned earlier). At the same time, it is decided whether to receive rabies vaccine according to local laws. (If the family does not go out, is in a non-epidemic area, and there is no possibility of bats breaking into the home, rabies vaccination is not required). Healthy cats with no special needs for other non-core vaccines do not need and should not be vaccinated. Subsequently, an antibody test/titer test against feline distemper virus should be conducted every three years (or more frequently). If the number of feline distemper virus antibodies is insufficient, additional vaccinations should be administered. Take your cat for regular physical examinations and don’t be superstitious about vaccines.

In addition, in terms of immune effect and long-term health considerations, low-toxic/weakened live vaccines are significantly better than inactivated vaccines, but they are more dangerous to weak animals in the short term. Feline plague test paper can be used to test the effectiveness of the vaccine. The weak live vaccine that has not expired can give a positive reaction to the test paper. If there is no reaction, do not inject it.

Finally, let’s talk about a cute little question. Can I bathe my cat after the injection? Vaccination is like a “childhood shadow” level memory. I fought so much when I was a kidVaccine, you must remember not to take a shower after vaccination.

Similarly, within a week after the cat is vaccinated, you should reduce the stimulation to the cat. Try not to take the cat out or go to the pet store to take a bath, because the cat’s immunity will decrease during this week and will slowly increase after a few days. This Cats will be more likely to get sick if they are exposed to pathogenic bacteria.