Ok this is really bad to say but i have never got my cat vaccinated before. Dumb i know but we couldnt afford it when i realised how much they were and i thought since he has never been outside it'd be fine. However we'll be moving soon and i suppse he should be up to date with them. How would i go about it? I am unsure how many he needs. Will he be able to get them all at once or should i do it over a period of time?
According to my dog's vaccination card- which funnily enough also has the info for cat vaccinations! Vaccinations given are for Feline enteritis, Feline respiratory disease, feline chlamydia, feline leukaemia and feline AIDS. He would need the initial vaccination and then a booster to ensure full immunity, I know there are a few vet nurses on here so I'm sure they'll be more help than I am!
You could also just randomly call one of your local vet clinics and ask them, they'll be able to tell you what your cat will need vaccinating for and approx how much it will cost, as well as if he'll have to go back for booster shots after the initial vaccination. You should be able to get them all done at once too.
You could get the basic F3 which doesn't include Feline leukemia or Feline Aids. And you would have to get one vaccination and then a booster in 4 weeks. With the initial vaccination, the vet clinic will do a thorough check over as well, they will not give a vaccination to a cat showing signs of illness as its not good for their immune systems.
If your cat is going to be indoors only in my personal opinion vaccinations are not necessary. I have three indoor only cats who have not been vaccinated. Our Bengal girl was before her breeder shipped her to us, which was to cover her and keep her safe during travel. But she's always been inside only as have my ragdolls. It's not that I consider myself too cheap to pay for vaccinations, I don't feel they need them as they are never exposed to disease. Some vaccinations can do more harm then good, but like I said - that's my personal opinion.
Of course if the cat is outdoors then yes I would recommend them. I would also recommend vaccination against Feline Aids, which goes over a few weeks of treamtent to be fully covered. But indoor options will always be the safest.
As Christy said, the F3 is the basic one, the F4 is the all inclusive one, which most Cattery's/Pet Resorts will reqiure you to have in case you ever want to give Kitty a Holiday! There's usually only about $20 differnece between the F3 & F4 - 1 shot for the initial vaccination, then a booster a few weeks later, then just a booster once a year... The cost varies form vet to vet but are usually well under $100 per shot depending on where you go... My Kitties are both done, they are mostly indoor cats right now but you never know what you or your guests can track in on your shoes etc, I just get mine done as I'd prefer the yearly shots to the very small risk of maybe watching them die painfully as I didn't get the shot Prob not much of a risk to the indoor cats, but I am very much a 'just in case' kinda girl!
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