Here at WeeLegends Maine Coons, we believe over-vaccinating is detrimental to the health of your cat. Since one of our main goals is to provide you with a healthy companion you can enjoy for years to come, it was important that we learn the ins and outs of this subject to give you the best chance of that happening. What we found was that complications of over-vaccinating can be as bad as cancerous tumors if you aren't careful. Here's what we found:
What are Vaccines and Why Do We Want Them?
Vaccines are a substance that stimulates the immune system for the purpose of making it stronger. With a weakened or dead virus, it can be very helpful to give your cat immunity to deadly or very serious diseases you wouldn't want them to catch. There are many different vaccines we'll break down into two categories - core vaccines and non-core vaccines. The core vaccines are the FVRCP and Rabies vaccine. The non-core vaccines include the Feline Leukemia virus vaccine, FIV virus vaccine, Chlamydia vaccine, and FIP vaccine.
What Most Vets Recommend
The protocol is this:
6–8 weeks:
- FVRCP (core)
- FeLV (core)
10–12 weeks:
- FVRCP (core; first or second shot)
- FeLV (core; first or second shot)
14–16 weeks:
- FVRCP (core; only if first shot given at 10-12 weeks)
- Rabies
- FeLV (core; only if first shot given at 10-12 weeks)
1 year after initial series:
- FVRCP booster
- Rabies booster
Adult and Senior Cats (over 1 year old)
Every year:
- FELV (optional non-core vaccine)
Every 1–3 years:
- FVRCP (every three years for indoor cats, and every year for indoor/outdoor, outdoor-only), very young, or senior cats)
- Rabies (1-year or 3-year vaccine depending on state laws)
Side Effects of Vaccines
There can be many side effects. Potential serious adverse effects include: allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of consciousness, injection site reactions, pain, fever, vasculitis, injection site sarcoma (injection site cancer), autoimmune disorders, neurologic disorders, and even death. The possibility of these side effects is very low but still a risk. For example, injection site sarcoma is a cancerous tumor that is almost incurable although it is very rare. Because this tumor sends out lots of tiny tendrils in the surrounding tissue, removing the entire mass in surgery is extremely difficult. Often the tumor will return in a matter of months after the surgery. The best treatment is prevention.
Our procedure based on research
All of this is why we avoid all of the non-core vaccines. Most of them, from my research, we believe are unneeded, not very effective, and can do more harm than good. The feline leukemia virus vaccine, for example, has been shown to cause injection site sarcomas. Vaccines with adjuvants (for example: Mercury) are the ones that can cause vaccine reactions and are most linked to Fibrosarcoma because they cause inflammation. So it's important to use non-adjuvanted FVRCP vaccines and non-adjuvanted recombinant DNA rabies vaccines. The FVRCP Focus Cat Vax is the brand we use as they do not use Adjuvants. Another contributing factor to Fibrosarcoma is injecting vaccines between the shoulder blades which has been linked to Fibrosarcoma as well. We now give ours in the upper leg.
The Rabies vaccine is required by most states, so if that applies to you, from my research it's best to wait until your cat is at least 24 weeks old. A rabies vaccine may not be needed unless in a population with rabies so check the laws in your area. An indoor cat might not need the vaccine at all. Having said that, to travel by plane a cat over 16 weeks old must be vaccinated for rabies.
The only thing we vaccinate our cats for is FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia). We give the first shot between 8 and 9 weeks depending on weight, the first booster at 12 to 13 weeks, and the second booster at a year. For cats we're keeping: The first shot is given at 12 weeks, the first booster at 16 weeks, and second booster at 1 year. We inject the shots in the left or right lateral sides of rear legs only. And we don't vaccinate anything else after that because it has been shown that cats getting repeated vaccines can cause Chronic Kidney disease. A booster at 1 year can give cat 10 years of immunity. The rabies vaccine has studies that show that they last for three to seven years. If you're worried about the levels of immunity your cat has, titer tests can be very helpful in deciding whether your cat needs anymore vaccines.
All in all, do whatever is best for your cat. Choose a vet you trust, and go with their recommendation. This is the research that I have found, and how I do it with my cats. Here are my sources:
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