Vaccinations & Pet Insurance for Your Cat

Vaccinating your kitten ensures their health

Kittens are born with some natural immunities from many illnesses, thanks to their mom. However, as they grow up you’ll need to keep up with their vaccinations to keep them happy and healthy. You must speak to your vet about the best of action when it comes to your kitten’s essential vaccinations. Most will recommend a combined vaccine against life-threatening diseases (such as feline leukaemia virus, feline infectious enteritis (also called Panleucopenia or Feline Parvovirus) and cat “flu”) around 8-9 weeks and again at 11-12 weeks old. It’s advised that you also keep your cat away from other cats after the second injection for a few days before socialising can resume. Your vet may also advise additional measures to protect against chlamydia, rabies and bordetella based on varying factors from location to age.

How to make vaccinations easier for everyone

It’s important to remember that vaccinating is a way of protecting your kitten’s life. No matter how much your kitten hates the vet visits or needles, this is a vital exercise. You can take some measures to make this a more pleasant experience for you and your furry friend. Your kitty should be well-versed in going to the vet for routine health checks. Ensure that your kitten is transported in a comfy and secure carrier. It will always make your cat feel calmer if you pop a familiar smelling toy or linen in there too. Be sure to keep your kitten in its carrier until you’re in the consulting room and the door is shut. Soothe your kitten by speaking quietly and calmly to it throughout the “ordeal”. The more calm and collected you are, the more likely your cat will remain calm too.

Don’t forget to go back for booster shots

To maintain your kitten’s hard-earned immunity, don’t forget to keep up with routine booster shots. These will be required intermittently throughout your kitten's life and your vet may even send you reminders. However, it’s always best to keep a record and set reminders in your calendar too.

Remember to get your vaccination certificates

These important documents will be provided by your vet for your cat’s primary course of vaccinations. Don’t lose these vaccination certificates as they can prove useful for tracking vaccinations but also for certain important processes. From checking your pet into a cattery to travelling with them to another country, up to date certificates will be requested.

Should you get pet insurance for your cat?

If you own any kind of pet it is always a good idea to get insurance in regards to their health. Hopefully, you’ll never need to make a claim but as with most insurance – better safe than sorry. As with human medical emergencies, should your cat fall ill or be in an accident, the vet bills can climb pretty rapidly. With some insurance in place, the monthly premiums can represent good value when these unforeseen disasters take place. It’s important that you also consider exactly how long your cat may need insurance for too. You’ll find that many policies will stipulate a certain number of years and you’ll want to be sure that your cat is covered for their golden years too. As with any insurance, always read the fine print and make sure you’re getting exactly what your kitten will need.