If you have a kitten or cat and have been questioning whether or not you should vaccinate it, the short answer is yes.
Vaccinations are important to your pet's health and not taking this action could result in several complications for the duration of the animal's life and shorten it tremendously.
Below you will find some extremely helpful information that will allow you to take the next steps in keeping your pet healthy.
Why Should You Do It?
Well, like we discussed above the most important reason is for its health. Both cats and kittens can contract various diseases that are not only uncomfortable for them, but could also be fatal.
Beyond that, having a pet can be extremely expensive and if you don't care for it upfront then more expenses will soon follow that could hurt your finances.
Even though they are just pets to us, felines can't just get up and go to the veterinarian when they don't feel well. We understand this is common sense, but it's important to embed this in everyone's mind the next time your cat seems to be having problems with its health.
Getting vaccinations will also keep you from taking it to the vet's every week.
Is There One Vaccination For Every Cat?
This is a great question and the answer is both yes and no. Yes, there are vaccinations that cats should all take at some point within their lifetime, but there are different shots and methods for every age.
When kittens are around six to eight weeks old, they are required to take the FVRCP vaccinations. FVRCP stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia.
The first (FVR) is a respiratory infection that is contagious in cats. It is a serious issue where kittens and older cats may need special treatment to recover.
The second (C) deals with an upper respiratory issue and can be contracted as easily as sharing or using the same dishes for food and milk.
The last (P) is extremely deadly and if they contract this disease (feline distemper) they will have to be put in ICU.
Feline versions of AIDS, Leukemia, and Infectious Peritonitis are also issues that need to be addressed with vaccinations along with rabies. The pain, agony and discomfort cats will go through if they end up having any of these diseases you will know from the vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea and many other symptoms that occur.
The Important Facts
The point is that if you were or someone you know was extremely sick, the first thing to do would be taking a trip to your family physician. In this case, it's a ride to the vet, but instead of waiting until something doesn't seem right with your cat, take care of it now.
This is rare, if your cat is not vaccinated its chances of getting sick from one of the diseases listed above is much greater then developing a cancer due to vaccinations.
The risk of tumors developing because of vaccines has prompted most veterinarians to vaccinate in the hip area rather then in the scruff of the neck.
Routine visits should always be kept in regards to its health and even though it can't say thank you, it will show it in other ways.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Pouch of fluid in my cats neck
By: mr_tommy_gunn | 10-05-2008
I have adopted a stray.He is probably about a year old. When we first took him in we noticed these...knots in his neck,definatly under the skin. This morning when we woke up he had a POUCH of fluid in the scruff of his neck. We are extremely strapped for money and can't afford to take him to get looked at and may end up taking him to the humane society unless it is something that is easily taken care of. Anyone have any idea? It is just,literally,a pouch of fluid all the way around the back of his neck.
Do you love pitbulls
By: silverrunt | 10-05-2008
i love pitbulls do you
How one could prepare for cat
By: udita | 10-05-2008
How one could prepare for cat
My 2/3 month old kitten
By: koalagirl555 | 09-05-2008
my 2/3 month old kitten was stepped on by accident ans on monday we noticed that he had blood in his stool...is he going to die?!?! he is just a baby and i love him...what do i do? we are taking the kitten the the vet as soon as we can and we are monitoring when he poops and if its better but all week it has been bloody. is there anything we could do in the mean time to getting him to a vet???
The owner of the dog told me to keep it
By: suli | 09-05-2008
I found a puppy which had a tag on it with the owners details, however when I rang the owner up they said that they have sold it off a mnth ago but the tag was not changed so they told me to keep it, I was thinking of keeping it now as it is a lovely dog and likes being around me, The dog looks really healthy to me but i have know paperworks or anything and dnt knw if it is in a good condition or safe to keep, but it looks ok to me, what should I do?
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By: synckitty | 07-05-2008
In Canada (Calgary) what is the cost of cataract surgery for a cat (one eye)?
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