Cat vaccinations help to protect your pets from severe infectious diseases. It also prevents them from passing anything nasty on to other animals in the area. Vaccinating your kitten is one of the most important things you should do in your first few weeks as a cat owner.

Essential Vaccines for Your Cat

• Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia (FVRCP). Commonly called the “distemper” shot , this combination vaccine protects against three diseases: feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia (sometimes called “feline distemper”).
• Rabies.

Vaccines for Indoor Cats There are two primary vaccinations your indoor kitty will need to stay healthy throughout her life: the rabies vaccine and the combination vaccine FVRCP—this vaccine protects against Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (feline herpes), Panleukopenia virus (feline distemper) and Calicivirus.

What is the 3-in-1 Vaccination? This vaccine protects cats against feline distemper (panleukopenia), rhinotracheitis, calicivirus. It may also be abbreviated FVRCP.

Cats housed exclusively indoors generally do not require vaccination beyond feline panleukopenia virus, feline herpesvirus-1, and feline calicivirus. These core vaccines are recommended for every cat, indoor or outdoor, because of the widespread or severe nature of these diseases.

By the time our pets are 8, 10 or 12 years — or older — they should have been vaccinated for these diseases several times in their lives: the first few times as puppies or kittens, a booster at one year and then boosters every three years, as recommended by the American Animal Hospital Association and the American …

Cats can develop a number of illnesses if they don’t have their shots, but feline leukemia is one of the worst. This illness is a top cause of feline death with a fatality rate of nearly 90%. Feline immunodeficiency virus, also known as cat AIDS, is a serious, lifelong illness transmitted by unvaccinated cats.

First, your cat should not need booster vaccinations — except for the mandatory anti-rabies shot — and the protocol is never to vaccinate an animal that is showing signs of illness, which she is, because she is losing weight.

Which shots they need.

• Rabies.
• Panleukopenia (also known as feline distemper)
• Feline calicivirus.
• Feline viral rhinotracheitis.

Because of potential infection with diseases such as enteritis or cat flu, your kitten should not be allowed outside until at least a week after it has finished its first course of vaccinations at about 13-14 weeks old (depending on the vaccine). You could then let it explore outside if it is supervised.

If your cat loves it when you rub her belly, take it as a compliment. It means that your cat wants attention and trusts you enough to touch her belly. Remember your cat’s belly is the most vulnerable spot on her body. If she allows you to pet her in this area, then she trusts you completely.