Brave Feline Adopter: Vaccination Mix-Up Cat?

It is not meaningful to vaccinate a onemonthold kitten.

Young kittens receive maternal antibodies (MDA) from their mother's milk, which provide passive immunity and protect them for several weeks after birth. This period is known as passive immunity.

Passive immunity diminishes gradually between 812 weeks of age, making it possible for the kitten to develop active immunity through vaccination. Maternal antibodies can significantly interfere with most core vaccines in young kittens.

Administering just one or two doses of the vaccine is insufficient to provide protection to the kitten.

Kittens with lower levels of maternal antibodies may respond to active immunity earlier, while those with higher levels may take longer.

Since the levels of maternal antibodies vary among kittens, it is impossible to accurately predict when each kitten will respond to active immunity. Therefore, no vaccine can guarantee protection in all possible scenarios with a single dose.

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association's Immunization Guidelines Group recommends multiple repeat vaccinations for young dogs and cats, with a booster given at 6 months or 12 months of age.

Should you vaccinate your cat annually?

Cats that have already responded to the vaccine can maintain robust immunity for many years without the need for repeated vaccinations. After a booster at 12 months, subsequent vaccinations can be spaced 3 years or more apart.

In developed countries, the vaccination rate for pets is only 30%50%, and in developing countries, this rate is even lower.

Vaccinating an animal not only protects the individual but also reduces the number of susceptible animals in the local population, thereby lowering the incidence of diseases. This is known as "herd immunity."

Herd immunity relies on the proportion of vaccinated animals in the population, not the frequency of vaccinations for individual animals. Therefore, it is not possible to enhance immunity by simply repeating vaccinations for a single animal.

Therefore, receiving vaccinations every three years is as effective as doing so annually. Moreover, overvaccination can lead to other side effects, such as tumors at the site of vaccination.

How should kittens be vaccinated?

The number of times a kitten needs to be vaccinated depends on the age of the first vaccination and the interval between doses.

Research indicates that if the first vaccination is given at 89 weeks of age, and the doses are administered every 4 weeks, the kitten will need three doses. However, if the first vaccination is at 67 weeks, and the doses are given every 4 weeks, the kitten will require four doses of the basic core vaccines.

Therefore, practices such as administering the first vaccination at one month of age, with only two doses and a twoweek interval, or a single dose, are not scientifically sound.

What if you're unsure whether your cat has immunity?

1. The seller did not mention the vaccine or did not vaccinate the cat when the cat came to its new home.

2. The cat was vaccinated, but the number of doses was insufficient, or you are worried that the seller did not actually vaccinate the cat:

Visit a veterinary clinic for antibody testing. If the antibodies are insufficient, you will need to administer a booster shot.

If there is no vaccination record, you will need to restart the vaccination process to ensure the kitten's immunity.

For kittens under four months of age moving to a new home, it is generally assumed that they have not undergone a complete active immunization process. In such cases, antibody testing is particularly important.

Before administering any vaccinations, ensure that the kitten is healthy and in good condition. Avoid any artificial or environmental stress on the kitten for a week after vaccination, such as frightening, bathing, or transporting.