All cats need to be vaccinated, but the vaccines they require and the frequency of vaccination largely depends on their lifestyle. Indoor cats require distinct maintenance vaccines than their outdoor cousins and owners need to be aware of the intricacies and necessities of these base vaccines.
In general, veterinarians require cats to visit clinics every year for their "annual boosters". These "boosters" naturally refer to each year vaccinations that booster the immune law in order to effectively reply to the nearnessy of a disease or virus. Most feline each year boosters consist of Fvrcp-C (a 4-in-one vaccine), FeLv (feline leukemia), and Rabies.
What Is Leukemia
Not all of these vaccines are principal every year, however, depending on your cat's needs. All cats require a few rounds of vaccinations when they are young (or when their vaccine history is uncertain) and someone else round one year later. But the frequency of vaccinations for the remainder of their lives largely depends on if they are indoor, outdoor, or live with other cats that investment outdoors.
Fvrcp
The most base vaccination given to cats is Fvrcp (or Fvrcp-C), otherwise known as the 3-in-one or 4-in-one vaccine. This vaccine incorporates a few distinct vaccines into one shot. These vaccines contain Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (Fvr), Calicivirus (C), Panleukemia (P), and sometimes Feline Chlamydia (-C).
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (Fvr) and Calicivirus (C) both address definite disease associated with base respiratory infections in cats. Since both these diseases are airborne, all cats, both indoor and out, need to be vaccinated against them.
Panleukemia, otherwise known as feline distemper, is neither leukemia nor distemper but nothing else but the feline equivalent of parvovirus. This disease, transmitted by feces, bedding, bowls, and other base items, causes cats to shed the lining of their intestines through bloody diarrhea. The mortality rate is 60-90% and there is no cure.
Chlamydia is someone else upper respiratory infection that can last for many months if untreated.
Feline Leukemia
Feline Leukemia [http://www.myonesource.com/articles/129/1/FeLv-a-Feline-Leukemia-Vaccine-a-What-and-Why/Page1.html] is not leukemia, but instead consists of a virus that attacks the immune system. Like Fiv [http://www.myonesource.com/articles/126/1/Fiv-Vaccines---What-and-Why/Page1.html], cats do not die from feline leukemia, but instead fall victim to other diseases that, if they had a wholesome immune system, would not be a hazard to their health.
Not all cats need the FeLv vaccine. Indoor cats that never investment face or live with other strictly-indoor cats do not need this vaccine. Although dogs can sometimes bring in the disease, this is not common. Any cat that goes face or lives with cats that go face needs to be vaccinated for feline leukemia. This disease is transmitted through saliva and can be transmitted via water and food bowls, grooming, or any moist surface. It can stay active for up to 48 hours on a moist area.
Rabies
Although cats and dogs have been receiving the general rabies vaccine for many years, up-to-date studies show that some of the adjutants in vaccines can lead to severe forms of cancer. Rabies laws differ depending on the county and state, but many states now recognize a three-year expiration date on rabies vaccines. These vaccines, any way have the adjuvants (preservatives) that can cause tissue inflammation in cats and abnormal cell increase that can lead to fibrous sarcomas - cancerous tumors that occur at the site of injection that require the limb to be amputated.
There are alternatives [http://www.myonesource.com/articles/114/1/Rabies-Vaccines-for-Dogs-and-Cats/Page1.html] to original rabies vaccines and you should discuss all alternatives and vaccines with your vet.
FeLv, Fvrcp-C, and Rabies - annual Boosters for Indoor and Outdoor Cats
