vaccinations & sterilisation
1. Why does my cat need vaccinations?
Vaccines are usually developed for diseases that are debilitating or life-threatening and easily spread. Although there aren't vaccines for ALL infectious diseases, vaccines are necessary to protect against some severe infectious diseases commonly found in felines.
When should my cat be vaccinated?
The first vaccinations should be given to kittens from around eight to nine weeks of age. This timing is important as if it's too early, the antibodies they receive from their mother will prevent the vaccine from working properly. If it's too late, the kittens will be left susceptible to infection.
Two vaccines are usually needed three to four weeks apart. Giving vaccines twice ensures a good level of immunity. A booster vaccine should be given one year later to keep immunity levels high. We recommend that you have both the rabies and 3-in-1 vaccine.
We provide the first rabies vaccine free to be administered by Animal Medical Centre.
2. SterilisatioN: what is it
and why is it important?
Sterilisation is when you operate on the cat to prevent it from being able to get pregnant (spay) or get another cat pregnant (castration).
Female cats can have kittens as young as four months old and they can have as many as four litters in a year. If male cats are not castrated, they can become very vocal, aggressive, spray and run away. It is important to sterilise both male and female cats.
What can you do to prevent your female cat from having kittens?
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Keep unsterilised cats indoors to prevent unplanned litters.
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Contact your vet to discuss whether you can schedule a neutering operation or you can contact us to see if we have any sterilisation programmes coming up.
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Ensure brothers and sisters are separated — cats will mate with their siblings, so it is best to keep them apart.
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Avoid the temptation of having a litter of cute kittens. Kittens require a lot of care and it is difficult to ensure that they will be adopted and find suitable homes.
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Prevent cat pregnancies at the moment as all pregnancies have health risks and most vets here are not trained to treat cats.
What to do on the the day before the sterilisation?
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Prepare your cat carrier/crate with a thick towel or blanket so it is ready for the cat to go into. The towel/blanket is important to keep your cat warm after the operation.
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Do not feed your cat (food or water) after 8pm. An empty stomach ensures that the cat doesn't vomit or choke during/after the operation.
What to expect after the sterilisation?
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When you bring your cat home, leave your cat in the crate overnight. The cat will feel groggy and stumble while walking after the operation so it's best to let it rest.
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You may want to change the towel in the carrier/crate if it is wet
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DO NOT feed your cat until the next morning. If any thread from the stitches comes loose, you can cut it off.
