Protect Your Cat: 4 Diseases You Can Vaccinate Against

Vaccinating your cat can seem vague. What exactly are they being protected against? What is the risk to them if they aren't vaccinated? 

We don't want any experience with your vet to seem unclear, so here are the main diseases that we can vaccinate against. 

1. Rabies

A well known disease that is spread by biting. In Canada, there are a couple of wild animals to be careful of, and if your cat is an outdoor cat they are more at risk.

Rabies poses a threat to humans as well as animals so it is a mandatory (by law) vaccine in many places. If a cat does not have the vaccine, rabies will be fatal. 

2. Feline Panleukopenia

Also known as "Feline Distemper" this is a nasty viral infection that is very contagious. The virus is hearty and can survive - waiting to infect - for up to a year. 

Once infected, the cat's white blood cells will be attacked, resulting in severe diarrhea, vomiting and a weakened immune system. It is often fatal. 

3. Feline Upper Respiratory Disease

A disease with flu like symptoms resulting in runny eyes and sneezing. It is highly contagious cat to cat and is best prevented with vaccination. 

4. Feline Leukemia

This disease poses a great risk to the cat because it weakens the immune system allowing other - normally safe - diseases to infect them. It is also the most common cause of cancer in cats. It is therefore, often fatal. 

To prevent the spread of this highly infectious disease, you can vaccinate your cat, keep them in doors and prevent them from ever coming into contact with an infected cat.

If you have an infected cat, there are still ways for them to have a comfortable happy life with you, we will be happy to have a conversation with you about managing your cat's disease.