Vaccines play a vital role in keeping your cat safe from serious and often preventable infectious diseases. At North Powers Animal Hospital in Colorado Springs, CO, we help cat owners develop a complete preventive care plan based on professional recommendations, your cat's age and health, and their individual lifestyle and risk of exposure.
As part of our comprehensive preventive care plan, this page will answer common questions about cat vaccines, address common misconceptions, and explain why staying on schedule is important for your cat's long-term health.
If your cat has not yet been vaccinated, or if you are unsure of their vaccine history, please give us a call. We would love to help you get started.
What Are Cat Vaccinations?
Vaccines work by teaching your cat's immune system to recognize specific infectious diseases. They contain components of a virus or bacteria—or other materials that safely stimulate an immune response—without causing the disease itself. This allows the immune system to develop a memory of the pathogen so it can respond more quickly and effectively if your cat is exposed in the future.
For example, the rabies vaccine does not contain a live, disease-causing rabies virus. Instead, vaccination safely stimulates your cat's immune system to recognize and respond to rabies virus if exposure occurs.
Vaccines are available to protect cats against several important diseases, including serious respiratory infections, feline panleukopenia (the feline form of parvovirus), rabies, and feline leukemia virus (FeLV).
Are Cat Vaccinations Necessary?
Yes. Vaccination is an important part of preventive healthcare for cats, even for cats who spend most or all of their time indoors.
Several vaccines are considered core vaccines for cats because they protect against diseases that are particularly serious, widespread, or have significant implications for public health.
Rabies is a core vaccine because rabies is a fatal disease that can be transmitted from animals to people. Vaccinating your cat helps protect your cat, other pets in your household, and your family.
The FVRCP vaccine is another core vaccine. FVRCP protects against three important feline diseases:
- Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), caused by feline herpesvirus, which can cause significant upper respiratory disease.
- Feline calicivirus (FCV), another common cause of upper respiratory disease that can cause painful oral disease and, in some cases, severe systemic illness.
- Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), the feline equivalent of parvovirus. This highly contagious disease can cause severe gastrointestinal illness and can be life-threatening, particularly in kittens.
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) vaccination is considered a core vaccine for kittens and young cats under current feline preventive care recommendations because kittens are particularly susceptible to infection. As cats mature, their veterinarian will continue to assess their individual risk based on lifestyle, potential exposure to other cats, and the likelihood of outdoor access.
What Vaccines Are Recommended for Kittens?
Vaccination begins early in a kitten's life because the protection they received from their mother gradually decreases, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to infectious disease.
FVRCP
The FVRCP kitten series typically begins at approximately 6–8 weeks of age. Booster vaccinations are given every 3–4 weeks until the kitten reaches approximately 16 weeks of age.
Multiple vaccinations are necessary because maternal antibodies can interfere with a young kitten's response to vaccination. Repeating the vaccine series gives us multiple opportunities to stimulate the kitten's developing immune system as maternal antibody levels decline.
Rabies
Rabies vaccination is generally given at approximately 12–16 weeks of age, depending on your kitten's age, health, vaccine history, and applicable local requirements.
Rabies vaccination is particularly important because rabies is fatal once clinical signs develop and can be transmitted to people.
Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
FeLV vaccination is recommended for kittens because their young, developing immune systems make them particularly susceptible to infection. We typically administer the initial FeLV series at approximately 12 and 16 weeks of age.
Even kittens expected to live indoors can potentially be exposed through an escaped cat, introduction of a new cat into the household, or other unexpected contact with an infected cat. Vaccinating kittens provides protection during this particularly vulnerable stage of life.
Following the kitten vaccination schedule helps your kitten develop strong immune protection against common and potentially life-threatening feline diseases.
Kitten visits also give us an opportunity to answer your questions, monitor growth and development, evaluate your kitten's overall health, and identify potential medical concerns early. These regular visits help give your kitten the healthiest possible start in life.
What Is the Vaccination Schedule for Adult Cats?
Keeping your adult cat's vaccines up to date is an important part of ongoing preventive healthcare. Our vaccination recommendations are based on current feline preventive care guidelines, while also taking your cat's individual lifestyle and risk of exposure into account.
For adult cats:
FVRCP: After completion of the initial kitten series and appropriate booster, FVRCP vaccination is generally given according to a three-year interval for cats at appropriate risk.
Rabies: Rabies vaccination is given according to the vaccine's labeled duration of immunity and applicable local requirements. At North Powers Animal Hospital, we use a one-year Purevax rabies vaccine for cats.
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV): The need for continued FeLV vaccination depends on your cat's lifestyle and risk of exposure. Cats with regular outdoor access or contact with cats of unknown FeLV status may benefit from continued vaccination. Your veterinarian will discuss the appropriate interval based on your cat's individual risk.
Indoor-only cats with no potential exposure to other cats may not need continued FeLV vaccination after the initial series. However, lifestyle can change, and we recommend discussing your cat's risk at each preventive care visit.
Regular veterinary visits are an important part of maintaining your cat's health. These visits allow us to review your cat's vaccine history, discuss changes in their lifestyle, identify potential health concerns, and determine which preventive care recommendations are appropriate for them.
What Are the Risks or Side Effects of Cat Vaccines?
Vaccines are carefully developed and tested to provide protection against serious diseases while minimizing the risk of adverse reactions. We follow current feline vaccination recommendations so that your cat receives the vaccines that are appropriate for their individual risk without unnecessary vaccination.
Most cats tolerate vaccines very well. Mild side effects can occur after vaccination and may include:
- Mild soreness or sensitivity at the injection site
- Sleepiness or decreased activity
- Mild decrease in appetite
- A low-grade fever
These effects are generally temporary and resolve within a day or two.
More serious reactions are uncommon but can occur. Signs of a potentially serious allergic reaction may include facial swelling, difficulty breathing, repeated vomiting, weakness, collapse, or severe lethargy. If your cat develops any of these signs after vaccination, seek veterinary care immediately.
What About Vaccine-Associated Sarcomas?
Some cats can develop a rare type of tumor called a feline injection-site sarcoma at a previous vaccination or injection site. These tumors are uncommon, but because they can be serious, veterinarians take injection-site monitoring and vaccine selection seriously. What we have learned in recent years is that these types of tumors can happen in cats with a genetic predisposition, even if only saline is injected under the skin. The risk is believed to be between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 30,000 cats.
The risk of injection site-associated sarcomas is one reason we carefully consider which vaccines your cat needs and how frequently they should receive them. We use vaccines and vaccination protocols designed to provide appropriate protection while minimizing unnecessary injections, and give vaccines specifically at sites that allow for monitoring and easier tumor removal if they occur.
If you notice a lump at or near a previous injection site, let us know. A lump that persists, grows, or meets the 3-2-1 rule—still present three months after vaccination, larger than two centimeters, or continuing to grow one month after vaccination—should be evaluated by your veterinarian.
Can Indoor Cats Skip Vaccines?
Not necessarily. Indoor cats have a lower risk of exposure to many infectious diseases, but they are not completely isolated from the outside world.
Cats can escape through an open door, encounter other animals unexpectedly, or be exposed when a new cat enters the household. Some infectious diseases can also be brought into the home indirectly.
For these reasons, core vaccines such as FVRCP and rabies remain important for many indoor cats. Your veterinarian can help determine which additional vaccines are appropriate based on your cat's individual circumstances.
Can My Cat Get Sick From a Vaccine?
Vaccines are designed to stimulate the immune system without causing the disease they are intended to prevent. Your cat may experience mild, temporary immune-system effects after vaccination, such as tiredness or mild soreness, but this is very different from developing the actual disease.
The benefits of vaccination are generally much greater than the risks for appropriately selected vaccines. Our goal is to use evidence-based recommendations to provide your cat with meaningful protection while avoiding unnecessary vaccination.
What If I Don't Know My Cat's Vaccine History?
Don't worry! If you recently adopted your cat, have incomplete veterinary records, or simply aren't sure when their last vaccines were given, our team can help.
We can review any records you have available and create an individualized vaccination plan based on your cat's age, health, lifestyle, and potential exposure risks.
Keeping your cat's vaccines current is one of the simplest ways to help protect them from serious infectious disease. If you aren't sure whether your cat is due for vaccines, give North Powers Animal Hospital a call. We're happy to help you determine what your cat needs and create a preventive care plan that fits their life.
At North Powers Animal Hospital, your pet is our priority. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call our team at (719) 212-1857, or you can email us at [email protected]. Our staff would love to talk with you!