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Vaccinations for Your Maine Coon Cat
Obviously, you want your Maine Coon Cat to remain healthy for his entire life. The first step to ensuring his good health is vaccinations, given at the right time, and at the right frequency, throughout his lifetime.
Ideally, your breeder will administer vaccinations when the kitten is seven weeks of age. This first vaccination is called a combo, and includes vaccination for distemper, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis, and possibly for Chlamydia. Note that Chlamydia vaccines are not given, unless it is a concern.
Three weeks later, at the tender age of 10 weeks, the kitten will be vaccinated again – by the breeder, since he will still be in the breeders care at this age. This vaccination is for Feline Leukemia, also known as FeLV. It may also be combined with the Chlamydia vaccine.
At 12 weeks of age, the kitten is vaccinated for Rabies. This shot is administered by a licensed veterinarian. This is the age that you can bring your new kitten to his new home, so you will be seeing the veterinarian at this time anyway.
You will be returning to the veterinarian a week later, when your kitten is 13 weeks old, for another combination vaccine, for FeLV and Chlamydia. Between 16 and 19 weeks of age, the kitten needs a FIP vaccination. FIP is Feline Infectious Peritonitis.
After this vaccination, your kitten doesn’t need any new vaccination, and will not require any booster shots for an entire year. It is important, however, that you have your Maine Coon vaccinated yearly – by a licensed vet – for Chlamydia, FeLV, FIP, and Rabies. In fact, you will not be allowed in any shows with your Maine Cat without presenting an up-to-date vaccination certificate.
Some vaccines are administered with a syringe, while others are administered through the nose. Your Maine Coon may require more vaccines that are important to felines in your geographic region. Your vet may also determine that some boosters are not needed yearly. Before you agree to this, however, be sure to check out the rules for the various shows that you plan to enter!
You should also note that all vaccines are not fail proof. Sometimes, there may not be enough time between the vaccine and exposure to a disease. Also, do not assume that one vaccination is enough. Just as children are vaccinated for the same diseases at specific intervals, your cat must also be vaccinated at specific intervals to have full protection of the vaccination.
After having your Maine Coon vaccinated, it is important to that you watch for signs of a bad reaction to the vaccine. Your veterinary will most likely advise you on this. You can expect the site of the vaccine to be sore, and possibly even swollen, but this should subside in a specified amount of time. The Maine Coon may also experience fever, reduced activity, and a brief decrease in appetite. Again, these are normal side effects that are extremely temporary. Your veterinarian will tell you what you should be on the lookout for in terms of serious reactions, based on the vaccines given.
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Next Article: The History of the Maine Coon Cat
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