Vaccination prevents some of the most devastating infectious diseases in cats. Understanding core and non-core vaccines helps owners protect cat welfare through evidence-based prevention.
Vaccination is one of the most effective and cost-efficient welfare interventions for companion cats, preventing diseases that cause severe suffering and death in unprotected animals. Feline panleukopenia causes haemorrhagic disease with high mortality, particularly in kittens, and vaccination has dramatically reduced its impact in domestic cat populations. Balancing appropriate vaccination coverage against over-vaccination requires individual risk assessment: indoor cats with no exposure to unvaccinated animals may not require annual boosters for all core vaccines. The welfare concern around vaccine-associated sarcoma, which is associated with certain vaccine products and injection sites, is addressed through site rotation, non-adjuvanted products where available, and monitoring injection sites for unusual reactions.