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| Both adult cats
and kittens need to be vaccinated, and conscientious
annual vaccinating is the only way to protect your
pets from sometimes distressing illnesses. Indeed,
there might not be a cure for every virus that your
cat might contract, so prevention is the only responsible
measure to take. Kittens
receive some natural protection from there mother.
As this declines, the kitten becomes more susceptible
and so it is important to see your vet when the
kitten is just a few weeks old. It should also
be noted that mothers will only pass on this protection
if they themselves have been properly vaccinated.
Precautions such as not allowing your kitten to
leave the garden should be taken.
Your kitten will
probably be vaccinated after 9 weeks and then
again 12 weeks after birth depending on the vaccinations
used. Since proper protection may take about 2
weeks to come into force, it is wise to continue
to keep the kitten away from other cats.
While these vaccinations
offer good protection, it is important that your
cat receives regular booster injections on a yearly
basis. You will be given a certificate of vaccination
which you will be asked to show when putting your
cat into a cattery. |
Diseases Your Cat Should be Vaccinated Against: |
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| Feline
Infectious Enteritis (Panleucopania) |
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| This is highly contagious
and spreads very rapidly, and can remain in the
environment for very long period of time. The severity
of this disease can range from a mild fever through
to death. Cats who survive this disease may have
damaged immune systems and so are susceptible to
other infectious diseases. Symptoms: tiredness,
depression, lack of appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting,
and extreme diarrhea, leading to severe dehydration. |
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| Feline
Infectious Respiratory Disease (Cat Flu) |
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| This rarely causes
death in healthy adults but the lives of young,
ill or old cats can be threatened by this. The two
viruses associated with this disease are spread
by sneezing. Recovered cats may carry this disease
for several years, infecting other cats along the
way. When the 'carrier' cat is under unnecessary
stress (such as a newcomer to the home) can lead
to recurrence of the symptoms. Symptoms: running
eyes and nose, sneezing, high temperature, mouth
ulcers and occasional pneumonia. |
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| Feline
Chlamydia |
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| This disease is
also spread by the respiratory system. The characteristic
symptom of Chlamydia is discharge from the eye,
quickly spreading to the other eye. These symptoms
can last for years when left untreated. The cat
will continue to eat as normal and will probably
have a normal temperature. Chlamydia can also infect
the genitals of cats, leading to reproductive failure.
Symptoms: red eyes with a thick discharge,
mild nasal discharge and occasional sneeze. |
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| Feline
Leukemia |
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| This can damage
the immune system of cause tumors. It has been thought
that almost 2/3 of cats will come into contact with
another infected with the disease at some point
in their lives. The disease spreads via any bodily
fluid and is commonly transmitted by fighting, grooming
or sexual activity. Infected cats must not be allowed
to have kittens since they will be born with the
disease. Indeed, there are many similarities with
the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) but rest
assured that Feline Leukemia is not transmissible
to humans. The disease can become fatal since the
cat's damaged immune system cannot fight the attack
of other, perhaps usually fairly harmless, infectious
agents. The infected cat may appear slow to recover
from these common ailments and may display a recurrence
of infection of such diseases. Another sign of infection
is anemia which manifests itself as pale gums and
listlessness.
A blood
or saliva test will tell you if your cat is infected.
If you are worried that it is, and it turns out
that your cat is free of infection, consider this
to be your lucky day and insist on having your
cat vaccinated against the disease immediately.
Brought to you from
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