How often should cats be vaccinated against rabies?

Although it is the owner’s free choice whether to vaccinate the cat, for the health of the cat, it is recommended to make a vaccination plan for the cat.
Vaccines are pathogens that have lost or weakened their virulence. Scientific and planned vaccinations for cats can allow the cat’s body’s defense system to produce antibodies to resist virus invasion, thus enhancing the cat’s immune system resistance. disease capacity.

What types of vaccines are available?

The main component of the vaccine is an antigen or a combination of multiple antigens. The antigen is the active component of the disease. These antigens are inactivated cells or attenuated cells of the disease.
According to the production process of the vaccine, it is divided into inactivated vaccine and attenuated vaccine. Both types of vaccines can stimulate the cat’s immune defense system to produce antibodies against it.
Inactivated vaccines are chemically treated to kill antigenic viruses and bacteria. Inactivated vaccines take longer to activate the immune system than attenuated virus vaccines, and clinical use has proven their safety and relatively strong protection.
Attenuated vaccines are made from disease antigen viruses with weakened toxicity. Compared with inactivated vaccines, attenuated vaccines stimulate the immune system and activate antibodies in a shorter time. Because the virus behaves more like the pathogenic form, the body’s immune system is relatively immune to this vaccine.
When injecting vaccines into cats, we hear most about Miao Sanduo and Intervet vaccines, of which Miao Sanduo is an inactivated vaccine and Intervet is a weakened virus vaccine.
When vaccinating cats, it is best to choose the same brand to avoid vaccine failure. In addition, when injecting vaccines for cats, be sure to go to a professional, formal pet hospital to get the vaccine.

When should I get vaccinated?

After the kittens are born, the kittens that eat breast milk can obtain the antibodies in the mother’s body through the milk, and rely on these antibodies to resist external pathogens.
The maternal antibody content of kittens aged 0 to 8 weeks can provide sufficient protection for them. However, after 8 weeks of age, as the level of maternal antibodies in kittens declines, the effect of effectively resisting pathogen invasion can no longer be achieved.
AAFP (American Academy of Family Physics) and WSAVA (World Association of Small Animal Veterinarians) guidelines publish core vaccination schedules.
Cats are given their first vaccination at 6 to 8 weeks after birth;
The interval between the second vaccination and the first vaccination is 2 to 4 weeks;
Considering the interference of maternal antibodies, the last vaccine should be given after 16 weeks of age;
Immunity booster vaccination (booster shot) 6 months after the last vaccination;
After that, revaccinate every 1 to 3 years.
Now in our country, dog and cat vaccines are basically boosted every year.
Based on the research results of many people, WSAVA found that after the core antigens of adult dogs and cats have completed basic immunization, a booster immunization is given at 26 or 52 weeks of age (one year), and the interval between re-immunizations can be 3 years or longer.

What vaccinations do cats need?

Organizations such as AAFP (American Academy of Family Physics), WSAVA (World Association of Small Animal Veterinarians) and AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) divide cat vaccines into core (highly dangerous, must be given) and non-core (lower risk, depending on the situation) Depends) two types of vaccines.
Core vaccines, considered important for all pets, are the vaccines recommended for all cats based on the risk of exposure, the severity of the disease to be prevented, and the risk the disease poses to humans. These include feline parvovirus (i.e. feline distemper/feline panleukopenia), feline herpesvirus type 1, feline calicivirus (FCV), and rabies virus vaccines.
Feline parvovirus (i.e. feline distemper/feline panleukopenia), an infectious disease caused by feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), is a parvovirus and is often called “cat distemper”.
Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) is an acute, highly contagious virus. The virus is excreted through nasal secretions as well as urine and feces. Cats are infected through direct contact with cats infected with the virus, or through contaminated objects (cat litter boxes, cat scratching posts, cat food bowls, cat water basins, etc.) And be infected.
Feline herpesvirus type 1 is one of the two most common viruses causing upper respiratory tract infections in cats. It is characterized by symptoms in the eyes, nose, mouth, etc.
Feline herpes virus is the main cause of nasal congestion in cats. Others include calicivirus, mycoplasma, mycoplasma, bacterial infections, etc.
Feline herpes virus is spread through contact with the saliva and runny nose of an infected cat. It can also be transmitted indirectly, for example, through sneezing, licking between cats, mother cats and kittens, sharing eating utensils, and people who come into contact with infected cats.
Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a disease caused by feline calicivirus, a single-stranded RNA virus. It can cause respiratory and eye problems as well as oral disease (tongue, gum inflammation and ulcers) in cats, and it is highly contagious.
Feline calicivirus (FCV) can be contracted through contact with saliva, nasal or eye secretions of an infected cat. It can also spread through droplets when a cat sneezes.
Rabies is an acute infectious disease caused by the rabies virus, which is common in humans and animals, and is more common in carnivorous animals such as dogs, wolves, and cats. When an animal infected with rabies becomes infected through a scratch or bite, it can affect the central nervous system and lead to death.
Cat rabies vaccine injection time: Kittens can be vaccinated for the first time between 12 and 16 weeks of age, but not earlier than 12 weeks. In our country, cats are usually vaccinated one week after the last shot of the triple combination. Cats that are over 12 weeks old and whose vaccination history is unknown can be vaccinated and vaccinated again after one year.

Non-core vaccines are vaccines that are harmful to cats but do not cause rapid death, including vaccines for feline leukemia virus, feline HIV, feline infectious peritonitis virus, feline chlamydia, and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Non-core vaccines are generally considered unnecessary but can be given in anticipation of exposure to the disease, and the duration of immunity is usually 1 year.

What should I pay attention to before getting vaccinated?

Choose a regular pet hospital

When my cat is vaccinated, it is best to choose a formal way such as a pet hospital to vaccinate. The best place for this injection is to choose an institution that is close to your home and has a relatively good reputation.
When you choose a vaccination site for your cat, call the staff at the vaccination site and ask about what vaccines are available for your cat to be vaccinated here, what you need to do with the veterinarian before injecting the vaccine, etc.

Check at home

Before injecting a cat with a vaccine, be sure to observe the cat’s mental state, physical health, and diet and defecation for about a week. After inspecting all health conditions, take the cat for vaccination.
If the cat has diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy or lethargy, the vaccination plan must be postponed. When the cat recovers, the vaccination plan will be made according to the situation.

Pregnant cats and pregnant cats

Basically, pregnant cats are not vaccinated. If the vaccination plan coincides with the cat’s planned birth, it is usually necessary to vaccinate the cat at least 3 weeks before mating.

Examination after the cat arrives at the hospital

When you check your cat’s health and go to the pet hospital to vaccinate it, the veterinarian will also ask you a series of questions about your cat’s health.
Then, the veterinarian will do some basic examinations through inspection, palpation, etc., and only after judging that the cat is in good health will the vaccination plan be carried out.
Nowadays, some pet hospitals will do blood tests and check for internal and external parasites before injecting cats with vaccines. For internal parasites, the poop scooper is generally required to bring the cat’s poop from the previous day. Before taking your cat for vaccination, it is best to communicate with the pet hospital.

Other matters needing attention

When you plan to vaccinate your cat in the next few days, it is best not to give it a bath.

What should I pay attention to after receiving the vaccine?

Observation after vaccination

When in the hospital, after the cat is vaccinated, the cat generally needs to be observed for 20 to 30 minutes. If there are no abnormal symptoms, the cat can be taken away.
After returning home, when cats are vaccinated, some cats will have adverse reactions due to individual differences in cats. At this time, pay attention to observation and communicate with the veterinarian in a timely manner.

Do not bathe the cat after vaccination

After the cat is vaccinated, do not give it a bath. If you want to take a bath, you need to give it a bath one week after the vaccination. You can give it a bath according to the cat’s condition.

After vaccination, do not go out

After the vaccine is injected, it takes about 2 to 3 weeks for antibodies to develop in the body. During these 2 to 3 weeks, it is best not to take it out to provide it with a relatively safe living environment.

Are there any side effects from vaccination?

Even if the toxicity of the vaccine is weakened or eliminated, the vaccine is still a “foreign body” after being injected into the body. Due to individual differences in cats, some cats may experience adverse physical reactions, known as side effects or vaccine reactions.

Adverse reactions after vaccination in cats generally include:

1. The cat is depressed, feels tired, and feels uncomfortable physically. Pay more attention to this situation, and it will usually recover on its own within 1 to 2 days;
2. If the injection site is red, swollen, swollen, or inflamed, please pay more attention to it. It will usually recover gradually in 1 to 2 days.
3. Loss of appetite and vomiting, please observe carefully, it will usually recover gradually in 1 to 2 days.
4. If a rash appears on the skin of the face or armpits, or the face is swollen, please observe carefully. If it does not recover within 1 to 2 days, you need to consult a veterinarian or go to the hospital.
5. If the itching is severe, the cat is constantly scratching, has shortness of breath, and has severe diarrhea, you need to go to the hospital immediately.