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Why do you need to vaccinate your kitten/cat(s)? The reason for of vaccinations simple, it’s to prevent disease. Currently, the majority of vaccines are made to combat viruses – which can’t be treated by a course of antibiotics and which could cause your cat serious illness if they caught any of them. Even though vaccination doesn’t completely prevent infection by one of these viruses, it certainly helps the cat only get a mild version of the disease and therefore the symptoms are less and the outcome is generally more favourable – in that the cat makes a swift and full recovery if it receives the correct veterinary treatment at the same time to prevent secondary infection from setting in while it’s immune system is compromised. Before vaccines became common place, people and pets frequently died from relatively common viral infections. Through scientific advancement in the last century and a better understanding of viruses and the immune system, vaccines have been developed. Since the advent of vaccines, deaths due to viruses that can be vaccinated against have significantly declined. When normal, healthy kittens are born, their immune system is considered immature or naïve. They have never been exposed to foreign substances or viruses, though through their mother's milk, the kittens gain some acquired immunity from all the viruses their mother is vaccinated against. Sadly, this form of acquired immunity is temporary, lasting only until the kittens are fully weaned at about 5 – 6 weeks of age. Before this mother's antibodies are sufficient to make the kitten immune to most common viruses. This is why most vets give a kitten their first shots shortly after they are weaned at about 6-8 weeks of age. Again this gives them basic immunity for a few weeks as they and their immature immune systems grow and develop. The residual maternal antibodies flush from the body as the kitten develops, taking with it the added immunity their initial shots have given them, leaving them defenseless to viral attack. This is why it is vital that each and every kitten has a second set of vaccinations at anywhere from 12 to 20 weeks old, hence the reason that all reputable breeders keep kittens with them until they are about 13-16 weeks old, a good week after their second shots. At which point the vaccine should make sure that the kitten has basic immune coverage for its first year of life, making it safer for introduction to its new home environment. It is however essential that it all kittens have their first yearly booster shot on time! It is far better to have it slightly early than slightly late. Successive booster shots should also be done on a yearly basis, but are a little less time sensitive. Though, it’s best to talk to your Vet if you have any questions regarding this. The purpose behind vaccination is to prepare the cat’s immune system for a time when it will be exposed to certain viruses. Vaccination prepares the immune system for the assault of these foreign bodies in the shape of specific common viruses, therefore when it does happen there’s a rapid response and destruction of offending virus and the cat’s health is maintained with minimal upset. Without vaccination, the cat must be exposed to live through each specific viral attack in order to develop immunity to each of these common pathogens in the future. Vaccination gives us a safe shortcut around this by exposing the cat to disabled or dead virus. This results in triggering of the immune systems reaction as if it was a live virus invading the cat’s body, but it doesn’t get ill. Now, the immune system is primed and ready to fend off future viral attacks. Some of the common viruses your cat can be immunized for are:
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©Lovelynx Abyssinians 2007-10