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Recommended Care for Cats
The chart below summarizes our recommendations for vaccination and other care for cats living in lower Manhattan. The goals is to keep our patients in top health and to maintain protection from preventable diseases. The chart is based on how much exposure your cat has to the outdoors, to other animals, or to local or international travel. These are general guidelines; preventive care must be tailored to each cat’s individual needs and should consider not only travel, but diet, exercise, weight, the presence of other medical problems, and overall health status. A description of each vaccine or disease is given after the chart. The chart is printable as well.
Cats over 6-10 years of age should also have annual blood testing performed as well.
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My Cat's Travel Condition
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Other Recommendations
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Vaccine Recommendations
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| My cat never leaves my house. |
Thorough annual health exam with weight, diet, and body condition evaluation; Dental Evaluation; Periodic testing for parasites; a parasite control program should still be considered especially if young children are present in the home; Microchip Identification & Registration is strongly recommended. |
Core Vaccine Recommendations: Vaccination to prevent Feline Panleukopenia (distemper), calicivirus, and herpesvirus infections; Rabies Vaccination Not recommended: (optional): Chlamydia; FIV; FIP |
| My cat meets other cat in my building or I may even take my cat outdoors on a leash, or over to a friend’s house, or sometimes I must leave my cat at a boarding facility while I am away. |
Thorough annual health exam with weight, diet, and body condition evaluation; Dental Evaluation; Annual testing for parasites; a parasite control program that emphasizes heartworm, intestinal parasite, flea, and tick control; Microchip Identification & Registration is highly recommended. |
Core Vaccine Recommendations: Not recommended: (optional): Chlamydia; FIV; FIP |
| I will travel with my cat outside of Manhattan but only in the United States. |
Thorough annual health exam with weight, diet, and body condition evaluation; Dental Evaluation; Annual testing for parasites; a parasite control program that emphasizes heartworm, intestinal parasite, flea, and tick control; Microchip Identification & Registration. |
Core Vaccine Recommendations: Not recommended: (optional): Chlamydia; FIV; FIP |
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I anticipate international travel with my cat. |
All of above plus Microchip ID is now required for most international travel. The following website will give you specifics; click on the first letter of the country of travel. |
Core Vaccine Recommendations: |
Download Chart- Rabies vaccination is required for all cats in NYC and it is important that it be current, even for indoor cats. Rabies vaccine is given at 3 months of age and then repeated yearly. A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE AS WELL AS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF RABIES VACCINE MAY BE REQUIRED IF YOU ARE TRAVELING TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY.
- Feline Panleukopenia (distemper), calicivirus, and herpesvirus are the most serious, contagious, recurring, or fatal diseases of cats. These vaccines are combined in one shot and are given in a series to kittens, boostered at one year of age, and then again every three years.
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Feline Leukemia Virus: All new kittens and adults should be “retro-tested” meaning tested to see if they are carriers of feline leukemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus. Kittens who test negative can attain life-long protect by receiving 2 vaccine administrations between 9 and 16 weeks of age.
