Vaccination

Some feline diseases are very serious and sometimes fatal even with treatment. To prevent your cat from getting these diseases we recommend vaccinations.

When should I vaccinate?

With our recommended regime, kittens should receive their first vaccination at 8 weeks of age. This is temporary and needs to be followed up with another one at 12 weeks. In some cases a 16 week vaccine may be required. Ten days after the final vaccination you can let your kitten go outside. Adult cats require annual boosters to maintain their immunity.

What do I need to vaccinate against?

Feline Leukaemia Virus – by attacking the immune system this virus makes cats more susceptible to infection and prone to developing certain cancers. When the virus affects the immune system, cats may become sick or even die from diseases which they have been vaccinated against. Symptoms are non-specific including weight loss, lethargy, and poor health. A blood test can detect if a cat is infected, however there is no treatment for this fatal virus.

Feline Enteritis – Onset of this disease is very rapid and often is fatal. Symptoms include high temperature, loss of appetite, depression, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Feline Respiratory Disease– also known as the ‘cat flu’, causes sneezing, coughing, eye and nose discharge, loss of appetite and sometimes ulcers on the tongue. This can lead to severe dehydration and debilitation which can be fatal.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)– This blood borne viral infection causes Feline AIDS which is potentially fatal. Vaccination is available and will be recommended by our veterinarians if your cat is considered to be at risk. The virus interferes with the immune system, and initial symptoms such as fever, sores, lesions and diarrhoea progress to severe chronic infections as the immune system is overcome. There is no treatment or cure for the virus itself.

Desexing

As well as reducing the number of unwanted kittens, desexing prevents pets from roaming, fighting, spraying and night prowling, particularly common in male cats. The optimum time for desexing is 5-6 months of age, when the animal is approaching sexual maturity but before the first ‘heat’ in females. However, it is never too late to desex your cat.

What does desexing involve?
In both females and males desexing is performed under general anaesthesia. Your cat will be admitted in the morning and discharged in the evening of the same day. In females both the ovaries and uterus are removed, in males the testicles are removed.

Worming

The most common worms that affect cats in Australia are roundworm, hookworm, and tapeworm. Worms are a common cause of ill health in pets and can cause symptoms such as loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea and in severe cases even death.

To protect your cat, common worms should be readily controlled with a routine worming treatment. Kittens should be wormed every two weeks until twelve weeks of age, then monthly until six months of age. After six months all cats need to be wormed every three months for effective protection.

Fleas

If there are fleas about, they will find a way onto your cat’s coat. Whether they exist as eggs, larvae or young fleas they will soon invade your pet and their environment, your home, too.

There are excellent flea control products available that are safe, effective and easy to use. These are administered in a variety of ways. Our Veterinary Healthcare Team can provide you with more detailed information about effective flea control.

Heartworm

A cat affected by Heartworm will have an infestation of long thin worms (up to 30cm in length!) lodged in the heart and vessels that feed on surrounding blood.

Mosquitoes spread heartworm when they bite your pet. There is no approved treatment for feline heartworm disease so prevention is essential to give your cat the best chance of a long and healthy life.

How do I protect my cat from heartworm?
Prevention is possible using a monthly ‘spot-on’ on the skin. Kittens should be started on prevention from 12 weeks of age.

Nutrition

It is very important that cats receive a well balanced diet. The most convenient and reliable way to provide a balanced, palatable diet is to feed high quality prepared cat food both canned and dry.

Cats often prefer to eat several small meals (at room temperature) per day but will do equally as well if fed one meal at the same time each day. Milk is unnecessary and may cause diarrhoea in those which are lactose intolerant. Clean water must be available at all times.

Dental Care

Just as in humans, the main cause of gum disease is build-up of plaque due to poor oral hygiene. A well balanced diet including raw chicken wings and necks or rabbit bones (or specifically formulated dental bones), regular dental check-ups and brushing will assist in maintaining good dental health. We recommend dental cleaning by your veterinarian, to ensure healthy teeth and gums for continued good health.

Identification

We suggest you also attach a personalised tag including your phone number on your cat’s collar. We also recommend a more permanent form of identification, a microchip. Inserting a microchip is like a vaccination, it only takes a few moments. The procedure is very safe and your pet will feel little pain. Once done, your pet's details, and your contact address & phone numbers are entered on a national database.

If your pet is ever lost, a ranger or veterinarian anywhere in Australia can scan your cat for the microchip and access your contact details by contacting the national database.