Kitten vaccs

[bunglycat]

The thing is its a cats paradise round here -one lady at the top of the road has 10 cats , someone across the road has 8 cats and there are numerous others wandering round !
I felt like the pied piper the other day looking for Winston -i had tabby Baggins fiollowing me and a pure white cat that only looked about 6 months running behind me too , when i got home there was a black one and black and white one all waiting for food near my door .

Many years ago i used to have a golden tabby persian called Leo and a little chinchilla boy called Max . The pair regulary went fishing in my then next door neighbours pond !
I only wondered where they had been when Leo particularly kept coming in with a wet front - so i followed him and saw him lying with his front feet in their fish pond  .
Didn''t laugh though when i heard Max crying under the bedroom window one teatime and when i looked down he was standing at the door with a large goldfish hanging out his mouth !!

[Angeladeedah]

Mine are jagged up for the 3 as my intention when I first got them was for them to go out - but due to stories/busy road I decided to keep them indoors.  I have just kept up the same jag just in case I ever move and decide to let them out.

[Gillian Harvey]

Thanks Gill-do they go out of the garden though ?
Winston does ,but only round a few gardens 4-5 doors away either side of me -thinks thats all his own territory !

Yes, my Harry goes out of the garden, always has done, Jasper often takes a wander in my neighbours garden (until he gets shouted at for looking longinly in the fish pond LOL!) Honey goes out of the garden sometimes too.

[bunglycat]

Thanks Gill-do they go out of the garden though ?
Winston does ,but only round a few gardens 4-5 doors away either side of me -thinks thats all his own territory !

[Gillian Harvey]

Gillian - do any of yours go out the garden ?

Is Winston likely to bring anything in to the others ?

Yes mine all go out in the garden, always have done - and every cat I've ever had (over 30 yrs) has gone out and none has ever had the Felv vacc. I've read that theres no point doing the Felv vac after a certain age (9 yrs if I remember rightly but I'll look that up again) as they've built up natural immunity by then anyway.

[Beth]

I decided (as Ginny shows no signs of even coming downstairs - let alone wanting to go outside) that i think the best course of action would be to go for the basic one for now. I can always add another jab, but i can't take it away.

So i've just been and got her checked and jabbed, got her weighed and got wormer too.

[sixfurballs]

I've always had all of my cats cats vaccinated at once with all the jabs. I would imagine that there are more cats who have caught Felv from not being vaccinated than there are cats who have a bad reaction to the vaccine? As my cats roam outside all day, hunt and come into contact with other cats, including ferals, for me the risk is too high not to inject; especially as I have a multi-cat household. Why not chat to your vet about it a bit more as well.

I wonder would you need to check with your insurance company as well? I know they ask about vaccines but wonder how specific they are?

[Ela]

Should add to this that the vaccine gives the same level of immunity as the cats natural protection and thats 85%

All I can say as preciously posted is that in over 5 years we have not had one single cat that has been tested FeLV+ and do not hear  so many owned cats tested FELV+ as we did before the advent of the injection. Previously if was a constant stream.

[Millys Mum]

Is Winston likely to bring anything in to the others

Anything is possible. The choice is yours as long as we make our decision based on the knowledge that the risk of potentially fatal disease is much higher in an unvaccinated or improperly vaccinated cat than is the risk of a fatal reaction or tumour.

Should add to this that the vaccine gives the same level of immunity as the cats natural protection and thats 85%

Leukaemia doesnt survive in the environment so he would need very close contact with a positive cat, not a passing in the wind
http://www.catchat.org/leukaemia.html

[Ela]

Is Winston likely to bring anything in to the others

Anything is possible. The choice is yours as long as we make our decision based on the knowledge that the risk of potentially fatal disease is much higher in an unvaccinated or improperly vaccinated cat than is the risk of a fatal reaction or tumour.

[bunglycat]

Gillian - do any of yours go out the garden ?
I am not sure what to do at present .
I stopped Sophies when she was 12  as hse doesnt go out much anyway and not out the garden -she is now 15.
Smartie and Winston are due this month - Smartie is nearly 12 , doesn''t go out the garden and he is the frailest of them all ( had asthma, got enlarged heart, has herpes virus )
Winston does go out the garden and will chase other cats that come near the house - used to fight occasionally too but rarely does now -just chases them - he is almost 11 years now.
FiFi - 10 years -likely to have been vacinated and due in May -not sure if had leukemia one - doesn''t go out the garden .
Bungly almost 9 and doesn;;t go out the garden either .
Is Winston likely to bring anything in to the others ?

[Gillian Harvey]

I've never given any of my cats the Felv jab, I've heard about too many bad reactions and I believe, like Susanne, that having the three (sometimes four!) combined jabs at once is too much. The current 11 all go outside and they've only ever had cat flu and enteritis jabs.

[Beth]

Hmmm, i'm torn now as in order to get outside she first has to get to know t'doggies, and i don't see that happening too quickly as she's not keen on them so far so she may well be indoor only out of choice, and if she does decide she'd like to go out, then i'm also seriously considering cat-proofing the garden, so she probably won't be roaming to much anyway.

What are the possible side effects? Auto-immune diseases?

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

None of my 11 have the FeLV, If You want yours to have it I would get it done separate to the Flu and Ent

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

FeLV is up to you, but it is the one that is most controversial, and most vaccination side effects are related to the FeLV vaccination.  Of course, many cats have it every year without any side effects, but it is something worth thinking about and maybe considering having when he is a bit older.  Personally, I think having them all at the same time when they are so little is a lot for the system to deal with.  having said that, Mosi had it when he was a kitten (he was vaccinated by the breeder before I got him) and he was fine. 

I don't vaccinate against FeLV because my cats are indoor cats.  If yours go outside, then it's probably worth having.  But do discuss it with your vet.

[Ela]

It is wise to get your little one injected against FeLV if it is to go out. Since the injection for FeLV has become more common we have seen a vast reduction in the number of cats we hear about FeLV and have not had one  single cat tested FeLV+. The risks of the diseases far outweigh the risks of the injections.

[Millys Mum]

I dont do felv but would suggest you get it done seperately when she is bigger if you want it, its one jab thats good at making them react especially when small, its too much for them cope with

[Kirst]

I guess it depends on how much they will be going out - as mine get outdoor time during the day I vaccinate against all three.

[Beth]

I was quite surpised when i phone the vets today to book Ginny's jabs that i have a choice between one that covers two things, and one that covers those two and leukaemia too, i've said i want the one that covers all three, but are there any major drawbacks to it? I'm not one for over-vaccinating by choice, but obviously want her covered as much as possible. any advice/useful links appreciated.