If a cat is vaccinated for Feline lukemia when it is a kitten are they immune to it forever?

Question

OK... I am kinda worried about this... I have a two year old cat that was negative for feline lukemia when she was a kitten. We got her all of the vaccinations for FL when she was little. When we went to the vet with her a few months ago the vet said she did not need another shot because she was an indoor cat. We recently brought home a cat from the adoption shelter and now my fiancee is worried that the kitten may have lukemia.. Is my cat at risk even thoughtshe has already been given her shots???

Answer 1

Your cat does not need a FELV vaccination if it's an indoor cat AND you do not expose it to outdoor cats or cats who's FELV status is uncertain (like a kitten!). The vaccine needs to be boostered yearly (at least at this point in time, that is the recommendation based on what we know).
You need to test your kitten for FELV (and FIV while your at it) before you introduce your cats!!! And even if the tests are negative, I usually recommend a "quarantine period" anyhow, as young kittens often have upper respiratory infections, and I would rather treat only one cat for this than two or more!
This quarantine usually works out well anyhow, at the cats usually need to be gradually introduced anyways.
The good news is that even if the kitten IS FELV positive, there is a chance that your older cat would not get the disease, but it depends on exposure, so ask your vet when you go to get your kitten his exam (which you should do ASAP).
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Answer 2

Unfortunately, she is. Any cat who is around other cats can become infected with FL. Cats that are outdoors or are thought to come into contact with other cats should be vaccinated twice as a kitten and then once yearly.
Call the Adoption shelter and see if the new cat was tested and vaccinated, some shelters do that. If not, have the kitten tested, if she's negative, and she will also be indoors, you may or may not want to have her vaccinated for FL. I find it strange that a vet will vaccinate a cat once but not yearly. Why even do it once if a cat is not expected to come into contact with any other cats? The immunity a vaccination gives to a cat wears off in time, so I'm stumped as to your vets suggestion. I think a test is enough and if it is negative then your cat should be safe. (I am a bit tainted tho, I had an indoor cat that tested negative for FL, I had her vaccinated against it and then she came down with it, so I'm a little scared about giving the vaccine at all, esp if your cat is negative and won't be around stray cats.)
Next time, check before bringing home a new kitten.
And thank you for rescuing a new kitten.

Answer 3

well first off Bless ya for giving a lil kitten a good loving home!
did the adoption shelter Not test the kitten before placing it with a family?
they should have as well as checked it out to see if it was ill!

check you paper work from them to see,before calling them .
IS the kitten weaned yet and if so is it eating and potting good?
It may need to be bottle feed .
walmart has the bottles for $1.97 each and the kitten formula too.
also the kitten food .
Also what is the kitten doing to make you think it has feline Luke?
If you are not sure then make an appt to see your Vet asap.
It could be an upper respiratory infection that it needs anti-biotic for .Resp. infection can cause them to die.
As far as your older Cat not needing any more Luke vaccines even tho 'it is a indoor cat does not matter because she could get out and pick up the disease from another infected cat.
Yes! it should have its vaccine as well as rabies.

tell her it would make you feel better if the cat had them ,however since she is the Vet and has the expert opinion she knows best!
if you have a Q.about it call around and ask some other Vet's their opinions!

Either way contact you Vet to see about kitty or call the adoption shelter!

Hope both Cat & kitten will be fine!
Not a Vet but >fosters animals/rescuer.welfare advocate for over 25 yrs!

The Internet Vet is correct all the way!!!

Answer 4

A Feline Leukemia vaccination is only good for one year. As a kitten, it should've had the first one around 9 weeks of age, and then it should've been boostered 3-4 weeks after that. Once it has had the first two rounds of kitten Feline Leukemia shots, they should have the booster done annually along with the yearly distemper vaccination.

Now, your vet was correct in saying that its chances of contracting Feline Leukemia are less if the cat is kept indoors, but that's only because if it's kept indoors, it's not likely to come into contact with an infected stray. The fact that you brought another cat into your home could have put your first cat at risk, because you don't know where the rescue cat came from.

Get both of your cats tested right away. If the rescue cat comes back negative, then you should be okay. However, because you don't know where the rescue cat came from and where its been recently and what other strays it came into contact with recently, I would have both cats retested in another six months. If they come back negative again, then chances are neither of them have it. If they're going to be outside cats AT ALL, then they should have the Feline Leukemia vaccination done every year.

If the test(s) come back positive, there unfortunately is no cure for Feline Leukemia, but you can treat the symptoms. Many positive cats have lived long, healthy lives despite the Leukemia. Granted, it's not as long as they would've lived without the Leukemia, but it's not to say that if they're positive they're going to die tomorrow.

If the rescue cat comes back positive, and your first cat comes back negative, the best way to prevent your cat from contracting it is to not only have the Feline Leukemia vaccinations done yearly and on time, but be sure to wash your hands after handling, holding, or playing with the rescue cat.

The most common symptoms of feline leukemia are cold symptoms like sneezing, runny eyes, and coughing. If either of your cats are exhibiting any of these conditions, I would definitely have them tested right away. One Feline Leukemia/FIV screen should run between $30 - $40, depending on what area you're from.

Good luck with them, and bless you for opening your home!!

Answer 5

Has the new cat been vaccinated and tested? You should never expose your cat to a new cat without first having the new one tested. Different vets have different protocols for this vaccine. Most at least vaccinate for the first couple of years of their life, and then stop for indoor only cats. Outside cats should be vaccinated every year to every 3 years, depending of the vet and the area.
If you new cat was negative, then you have nothing to worry about as long as they stay inside.
I vaccinated all my cats when they were kittens and when they were 1 year. That was it for leukemia vaccine for my cats. They are indoor only. There are some risks of cancer at the site of injection. This is why most vets do not continue to vaccinate indoor only cats. They have to way the risks. Outdoor cats should always be vaccinated. The higher the risk of being exposed to leukemia, the less the risk of cancer should be considered. Leukemia is a horrible, deadly disease. That is certain. Cancer at the injection site is not certain.

The question you asked here does not have a simple, straight forward answer. The person you should be asking is your vet.

Answer 6

Most shelters are now testing kittens for feline leuk and aids.. check your paperwork first to see if they hav. If not , make an appointment with your vet. i agree with your vet (I am a vet tech) that since your cat is an indoor only cat you do not need the leuk vaccine.

They need to have contact through bodily fluids, bite wounds, blood to blood and sexual contact. If your pets are avioding each other as most cats do in the beginning then you should be fine.

I would be more worried about intestinal parasites, so i would keep them separated with different litter boxes until the kitten has been properly de-wormed. (Worms will not kill your existing cat, just cause possible diarrhea or extra money to treat)

Answer 7

She could be, the feline leukemia vaccine is a yearly booster. Even is she's an indoor cat, insist she get it. It's not very likely that your new kitten has it though. Is it acting sick, showing any symptoms? Keep them seperated for a few days and have the kitten checked at the vets - he'll need his shots anyway. Try not to panic, most likely everything is fine.

Answer 8

listen to internetpetvet--he is correct. :) The vaccine only protects from casual exposure--it is not meant to be challenged daily from a positive cat. Have the new cat tested and quarantined.

Answer 9

Early Vaccination in a cat can later on in life get the disease.
You should take you new cat and get it tested,or vaccinated,and then check your other cat and take it to the vet. -Hope This Helps; `Kalira(Kal)

Answer 10

Yes, she may still be at risk for the disease. Take the other cat to the vet and have her checked for feline leukemia. Hopefully it won't have the disease and your cat will still be fine. Good luck!