Cat Vaccination

This is a very contagious disease and the death rate is high, especially for young cats under 12 months of age. Pregnant cats may lose their young or give birth to kittens with abnormalities such as brain damage. Symptoms of feline panleukopenia are depression, loss of appetite and uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhoea, often with blood and severe abdominal pain.

The virus spreads so easily that heavily contaminated areas may need cleaning with a special disinfectant. Cats that do recover may continue to carry the virus for some time and infect other cats.

90% of ‘cat flu’ cases are caused by feline herpesvirus (also known as feline rhinotracheitis) and/or feline calicivirus.

Feline respiratory disease affects cats of all ages, especially young kittens, Siamese and Burmese cats. It is highly contagious and causes sneezing, coughing, runny eyes, nasal discharge, loss of appetite and tongue ulcers.

Fortunately, the death rate is low except in young kittens, but the disease is distressing and clinical signs may persist for several weeks. Recovered cats can continue to carry and spread the infection for long periods, and can show signs of the disease again if they become stressed.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) attacks a cat’s immune system, similar to HIV in humans. Infected cats’ natural defence against other diseases may be seriously affected, much in the same way as human AIDS. This disease is not transmissible to humans.

FIV is almost always transmitted by bites from infected cats, since the virus that causes the disease is present in saliva. While some infected cats show no sign of disease, others may display initial symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, lethargy and swollen lymph nodes.

As the disease progresses, symptoms may occur such as weight loss, sores in and around the mouth, eye lesions, poor coat and chronic infections. Eventually, the immune system becomes too weak to fight off other infections and diseases. As a result, the cat may die from one of these subsequent infections.

Unfortunately in Australia, a lot of cats with some form of outdoor access are infected with this virus.

Feline Leukaemia is a serious disease of cats caused by feline leukaemia virus.

The virus attacks the immune system and may be associated with lack of appetite, weight loss and apathy, pale or yellow gums, vomiting, diarrhoea, reproductive problems, increased susceptibility to other infections, leukaemia and tumours. Many cats may be infected and show no signs at all.

About one third of infected cats remain chronically infected and may shed virus in their saliva, tears, nasal secretions and urine. The disease is then spread to uninfected cats by mutual grooming, fighting, sneezing or even flea bites.

Chlamydia felis is a bacterial disease which is responsible for up to 30% of conjunctivitis in cats, and causes severe and persistent signs.

Kittens are more severely affected by Chlamydia felis when also infected with “Cat Flu”, and Chlamydia felis can be shed for many months. Vaccination against cat flu and Chlamydia felis helps protect against clinical disease.