Feline panleukopenia is a potentially fatal viral disease that is almost entirely preventable through vaccination, making immunisation one of the highest-impact feline welfare interventions.
Feline panleukopenia causes devastating acute welfare harm in affected cats through severe vomiting, diarrhoea, bone marrow suppression, and high mortality. Kittens that survive with treatment often require intensive nursing through a prolonged and distressing illness. The preventable nature of this disease through vaccination makes each case of panleukopenia in a vaccinated or vaccination-eligible cat a welfare failure attributable to inadequate immunisation. Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective welfare interventions in feline medicine, preventing enormous suffering at modest cost.