Choosing Better Veterinary Care

As a pet owner, you want to make sure that your cat is as healthy as possible all the time. One way to do that is to make sure that they are vaccinated. So, what vaccines to you need to make sure that your kitty cat has?

Rabies

For the rabies vaccine, it doesn't matter if your cat is an indoor or outdoor cat, your state probably requires you to get this one for your cat. Depending on your state, you may have to get this vaccine every year. Other states will require you to get it every three years. There are variations of the vaccine that will fit in with both the one year and three year time requirement. 

FPV

The feline panleukopenia virus is also called feline distemper. Distemper is very contagious and can be life-threatening. It can stay around in the environment for years, so if you move to another area where FPV has been prevalent, your cat may still get sick.

FPV attacks blood cells and can attack stem cells in fetuses. That can make the cat anemic and make them weak and much more vulnerable to other diseases and kill a fetus or baby kitten. 

FeLV

Feline leukemia virus is highly contagious in houses with more than one cat. Your cats can pass it along when they are grooming another cat and sharing litter boxes. FeLV isn't necessarily fatal, but it can be, and it is the number one killer of housecats. Among other things, it can cause some kinds of cancers.

The vaccine is usually given in two doses a few weeks apart, and it may be necessary to have a booster shot a year or more later. If you are going to board your pet, you may also want to get them a booster a few days before they are going to be boarded so that the booster has plenty of time to build through their system so that your pet can get the best possible protection. Again, this is a vaccination you should make sure that your cat gets whether or not they always stay indoors or if they sometimes get to go outdoors. 

Your kitty cat is a beloved member of your family, and you want to make sure that they are as healthy as possible. Making sure that you get them vaccinated by a veterinarian, such as one found through Apple Valley Animal Hospital, protects against the things that could hurt them will help keep them healthy.