Vaccination of Cats

Vaccination of Cats

Vaccinations available for cats include core and non-core vaccines.

‘Core’ vaccines in the UK are generally recommended for all cats and include ‘Cat Flu’ (Feline Herpesvirus-FHV1 and Feline Calicivirus – FCV), and Feline Enteritis (a.k.a. Feline Parvovirus) – FPV.

‘Non-core’ vaccinations in the UK include Feline Leukaemia Virus – FeLV, Feline Chlamydia (Chlamydia felis), an upper respiratory tract bacterium (Bordatella bronchiseptica) and Rabies. Not all cats need non-core vaccinations, and they should only be given as required.

Even with core vaccinations, not all cats need them every year. Vaccines are not fully benign medicines, so weighing up the benefits against the possible drawbacks for each cat individually is something Vet2Cat considers to be very important; providing only what your cat needs without unnecessary over-vaccination.

The European Advisory Board of Cat Diseases (ABCD) and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) have developed guidelines for appropriate vaccination of cats. However, these recommendations do not always conform with the datasheet Indications of Use, which will often specify annual vaccination when it may not be necessary. Thus, following the ABCD guide may be classed as ‘off-label’ use of the vaccine. Vet2Cat clients will be asked to sign a Consent Form for Off-licence Use of a Veterinary Medicine if we deviate from the datasheet when vaccinating your cat.

For further information see:

https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TOOL_Vaccine-recommendations_Feb_2020_EN.pdf

https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/WSAVA-Vaccination-Guidelines-2015.pdf