Protocols established by the American Association of Feline Practitioners were formulated to distinguish between “core” and “non-core” vaccines.

All kittens should receive core vaccinations during their first year of life, but after the first year booster shot, the vaccination is now considered “non-core” unless the cat is at risk (i.e. allowed to go outdoors, lives with a cat diagnosed with a particular illness, or lives in a multi-cat environment where the health status of the other cats are not known).

Vaccines work by stimulating the body’s defense system into producing antibodies to ward off the invading pathogenic microorganisms.

The core vaccines for cats include the following:

• Feline Distemper (Feline Panleukopenia Virus) – causes a highly infectious illness with a high mortality rate, especially in young felines.
• Feline Calicivirus – It is a major cause of upper respiratory infections in cats
• Feline Herpes Virus (Rhinotracheitis)—Causes a potentially serious illness with a high percentage of mortality in kittens. It can also cause permanent neurological damage to affected kittens.
• Rabies – The problem is always fatal in an unvaccinated cat.

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