Cat Vaccinations

At Franklin Vets, we recommend you vaccinate your cats to protect them against diseases that would otherwise be contagious and/or fatal. 

Even the best cared for cats are at risk of coming into contact with diseases either directly from other animals or indirectly from the environment e.g. from the air, dust or discharges from animals.

The young are most susceptible to disease. Kitten vaccinations can commence at 8 weeks of age, followed by booster vaccinations throughout your pet’s life. Our vets will advise you on which vaccinations are required and the frequency.

Vaccinations

Franklin Vets supports the World Small Animal Vet Association Vaccination Guidelines Group recommendations.

Kittens

Felocel 3 (Feline Herpes Virus, Feline Calicivirus, Feline Panleucopaenia Virus) every 3-4 weeks until 16 weeks of age.

Kittens take up to 2 weeks to respond to vaccination. They should not be allowed outside until 2 weeks after the last injection.

Adult Cats

First booster of Felocel 3, at 6 months of age.

Note that this vaccination is to cover those cats who did not seroconvert during the kitten course.

Subsequent vaccination of Felocel 3 every 3 years, (or yearly if required more frequently by your cattery).

Optional – Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) - this is no longer available in NZ

FIV is a potentially fatal disease, which interferes with the immune system of the cat. Eventually, the immune system becomes too weak to fight off infection and cats become unwell and die. It consists of 3 vaccinations 2-4 weeks apart as an initial course (can be started at 8 weeks), then annually.  It has been recently shown that there is no protective benefit of the vaccine in New Zealand conditions though it may help reduce spread of the virus from an infected cat. Still, this is unproven.

Lapsed Vaccinations

If regular vaccines in a previously vaccinated cat have lapsed by more than 6 months, then one dose is all that is required to get back onto the 3-yearly course.

*Vaccinations have significant benefits but have some risks. For further info click here