Vaccinations for Cats - Does It Make Sense?

When the LucyBalu team gets talking about our own cats in the office, you'd think a group of parents were comparing notes on their little ones' latest achievements.
And as cat parents, we should protect our fur babies well - with vaccinations.

Vaccinations are part of every cat's basic healthcare - even indoor cats

You should take this topic seriously, even if a trip to the vet can be annoying and stressful.

And yes - reputable breeders only let their kittens go to new homes once vaccinated, but as we've all learned after years of vaccination debates, a vaccination doesn't last a lifetime.
By the way, indoor cats should also be vaccinated too. Sure - indoor cats are nowhere near as at risk of catching a virus as cats who go outside. But they're not immune either. Even a trip to the vet can expose them to infection.

Vaccinations save countless cats' lives every year! That's because these highly contagious viral diseases are very often fatal - and they could so easily be prevented through vaccination.

Should cats be vaccinated? A clear YES! - but how?

There are vaccination schedules that give owners an overview of what makes sense when. We'll list these schedules for you right after this. There are a few basic rules: cats who go outdoors should definitely be fully vaccinated, while for indoor cats you might, in consultation with your vet, skip one or two vaccinations. The most important thing for us as owners: only healthy cats may be vaccinated. Whether the cat is healthy and fit is decided by the vet on the day of vaccination. Just as with humans, a vaccination during an active illness or with a weakened immune system would put too much strain on the body. It's also very important to have your cat dewormed two weeks before the actual vaccination appointment. This makes sure that no parasites are secretly weighing on the immune system of the cats or kittens.
And: it's never too late to start what's known as primary immunisation, meaning a first round of vaccinations. Adult cats also respond well to vaccinations.

Primary immunisation for kittens (and cats)

The primary immunisation, which pretty much every vet recommends, should take place around the 8th week of life and include a vaccination against feline panleukopenia and the main pathogens of the dreaded cat flu. The follow-up vaccination against these diseases is then given around 4 weeks after the first one; only then can a cat be considered fully immunised. Before the 8th week of life, kittens are very well protected by maternal antibodies from their mother's milk - but afterwards this protection drops off rapidly, which is why vaccination should start around then. Outdoor cats should also urgently be protected against feline leukaemia. This vaccination can be given for the first time at 16 weeks of age.

Rabies in cats: is a vaccination necessary?

A sensitive topic: rabies. Yes, Germany is largely considered rabies-free. But there are still occasional positive cases, such as the odd bat. Rabies is extremely contagious and an aggressive zoonosis - meaning it poses a real danger to humans too. Rabies is always fatal - which is why we strongly recommend having this vaccination carried out. Your kittens can receive it from the 12th week of life onwards. The rabies vaccination is also advisable for indoor cats.

Optional vaccinations for cats

In addition, there are also optional vaccinations against, for example, Bordetella or Chlamydia. They're called optional because the vaccination either doesn't offer 100% protection, or because the disease can be treated fairly well if it does break out. These two vaccinations are especially recommended for multi-cat households with problems involving these pathogens.

Important: it's best to draw up a vaccination plan together with your vet. Ideally, this will reflect your cat's specific situation - do you travel often, for example, or do you have more than one cat at home? Do you plan to breed, or does your cat regularly come into contact with other animals? Taking all of this into account helps build up good vaccination protection.

Our overview of important vaccinations for cats

1. Feline panleukopenia

Feline panleukopenia (feline distemper) is one of the most dreadful diseases in cats and mainly affects young and very young kittens. It's transmitted from animal to animal via faeces or through contaminated clothing. Dogs suffering from parvovirosis can also infect cats. The virus attacks and destroys cells in the intestines, bone marrow and lymphatic system. Affected animals become terribly ill and are often carried off within just a few days. A cure is rarely successful and treatment is very expensive and extremely draining. Vaccination offers nearly one hundred percent protection against the disease.

1. Vaccination: 6th to 8th week
2. Vaccination: 3-4 weeks after the first vaccination

Booster: after 1 year, then every 3 years (may vary depending on the product)

2. Cat flu

Despite its name, cat flu is anything but harmless. With cat flu (rhinotracheitis), the viruses and bacteria involved are usually transmitted from animal to animal. Calicivirus and/or herpesvirus are usually involved. The cat quickly becomes very weak, and discharge from the nose and eyes often appears. Cats frequently also develop a fever and lose all interest in eating. As the disease progresses, breathing is also severely affected - a real ordeal for the animals. Incurable long-term damage can occur especially in young animals. The vaccination is very effective and absolutely recommended! Anyone who has ever seen a so-called 'farm cat' with festering eyes knows just how much these animals suffer.

1. Vaccination: 6th-8th week
2. Vaccination: 3-4 weeks after the first vaccination

Booster: after 1 year, then every 3 years

3. Leukaemia (Feline Leukaemia Virus, FeLV)

Leukaemia (feline leukaemia) is especially feared because this disease is incurable. Cats with FeLV can still live with the illness, but remain isolated and chronically ill for life. Cats in multi-cat households or those that go outdoors are more at risk of infection than solitary indoor cats. Cats become infected through close contact with an affected cat, for example while sniffing each other, or through contact with faeces, urine, or scratch wounds. Leukaemia isn't always easy to diagnose, as it presents with an extremely wide range of symptoms. From fever to diarrhoea, anaemia and a dull coat, many warning signs are possible.

1. Vaccination: 16th week
2. Vaccination: 20th week

Booster: after 1 year, then every 3 years

4. Rabies

A rabies vaccination makes sense not only for outdoor cats. Any suspected case of infection in a cat means that the cat has to be put down. The fear of humans becoming infected with this always-fatal disease is significant. Rabies is transmitted through saliva, especially via bite wounds.

1. Vaccination: from the 12th week
2. Vaccination: if needed, 3-4 weeks after the first vaccination

Booster: after 1 to 3 years, depending on the manufacturer's instructions

Note: A valid rabies vaccination is mandatory when travelling abroad. Be sure to find out about the destination country's further requirements well in advance of your trip.

5. Chlamydia

Chlamydia is transmitted through smear infections and other cats. It leads to severe eye inflammation, sneezing and fever. It often occurs together with cat flu pathogens. Treatment with antibiotics is time-consuming but possible. The chlamydia vaccination doesn't protect against infection itself, but significantly reduces the symptoms should the disease occur.

1. Vaccination: from the 8th week
2. Vaccination: 3-4 weeks after the first vaccination

Booster: annually