With the majority of cats in the UK adequately vaccinated against the major infectious feline diseases, these diseases although still present remain relatively uncommon. However, insufficient immunity not only puts your own cat at risk, but also the wider cat population as a whole.
All cats are susceptible to - and should be immunised against - the following diseases:
- Feline Infectious Enteritis (Also known as FIE, Feline Panleukopaenia Virus or Feline Parvovirus). This is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal virus, particularly for young kittens. It can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from fever, vomiting and diarrhoea to nervous signs associated with brain damage.
- Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV). This is one of the most significant causes of illness and death. Often has a profound and ultimately fatal effect on the immune system.
- Feline Calcivirus (FCV) and Feline Herpesvirus (FHV-1). Often both of these viruses form part of feline respiratory disease complex or ‘cat flu’. Symptoms range from sneezing, conjunctivitis and mouth ulcers to an inflamed throat and coughing.
Feline chlamydophilosis is a bacterial disease that can also form part of ‘cat flu’.
It is important to note that vaccination against all of the above diseases does not necessarily prevent infection, but will significantly protect against disease and clinical symptoms, thereby decreasing the overall incidence and severity of disease in the UK.
Kitten vaccinations usually start at nine weeks of age, with a second vaccine follow up three to four weeks later to stimulate optimum immune response. Thereafter booster injections at regular intervals are strongly recommended to ensure continuing immunity.
For more in-depth information about these diseases and how they affect cats visit www.fabcats.org.