Are you wondering whether vaccinating your Russian Blue is necessary? Do you think that it is an added expense for you that you can avoid? If you can keep your Russian Blue away from anything that can cause infections, why give them vaccinations?
The answer lies in the fact that it is very easy for your Russian Blue to contract a disease from seemingly harmless infections. Unvaccinated cats can transmit deadly diseases to humans too. Hence, infections that can be prevented by vaccinating your Russian Blue should be something you should take care of early on.
Before I tell you about when you should start vaccinating your Russian Blue or proper Russian blue cat vaccination time and give you details about cat vaccinations, let us look at some of the vaccine-preventable infections in Russian Blue cats.
Vaccine-Preventable Infections in Russian Blue Cats
You might have seen how cats keep getting bacterial infections with the slightest lack of attention from the cat’s owners. This may have led you to believe that cats are not resilient at all. However, this is not the case whatsoever.
Russian Blues love cleaning himself or herself by licking or scratching. They love to keep themselves groomed to the best of their abilities. Nonetheless, there will be situations when they might be exposed to other infected animals, dirty water, infected foods, etc. These exposures could then cause infections.
Although, most of these infections are preventable if you simply vaccinate your Russian Blue.
So, let us look at the following vaccine-preventable infections in Russian Blues. Thereafter, we can move on to determining when you should take your Blue to the veterinarian’s to get them vaccinated.
- Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
- Feline Pankeukopenia (Feline Distemper)
- Intestinal worms (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms)
- Feline Leukemia (FeLV)
- Heartworm Disease
- Feline Herpesvirus Infection
- Feline Calicivirus Infection
- Rabies
Out of these 8 infections that can be prevented through vaccination and deworming, Rabies and some of the intestinal worms are also a danger to humans. However, you should take care of all eight of these infections quickly by vaccinating your Russian Blue!
What Age Should You Start Getting Your Russian Blue Vaccinated?
If you have a Russian Blue kitten, it is important for you to consult with your veterinarian to get the vaccination shots at the appropriate age. However, make note of the fact that vaccinating your Russian Blue starting from the age of just 6 to 8 weeks is possible.
Furthermore, the shots usually come in a series of one every 3 to 4 weeks. And your kitten will have to be vaccinated up to the age of 16 weeks old. Then, your Blue will need to get booster shots about a year later.
However, once your Russian Blue gets older, it is important to consult with your veterinarian again. They will advise you on when your Blue needs to get booster shots.
How Often Should You Follow Up With your Vet?
You should follow up with your vet at least once a year. Although, visits to the vet’s clinic for other reasons do not count here. So, if you follow up with your veterinarian at least once a year, then they will advise you on when your Russian Blue needs to get another booster shot.
Depending on the vaccination, your Russian Blue will need a booster shot once a year or once every 3 years!
Which Vaccinations Does Your Russian Blue Absolutely Need?
I mentioned some of the preventable infections by the means of vaccinations and deworming earlier. However, there are some vaccinations that are absolutely necessary and even required by law in most countries. I have listed such vaccinations below for your reference.
1. Rabies
All cats, including your Russian Blue, above the age of 3 months requires the Rabies vaccination.
Rabies is a virus transmitted through direct contact with the saliva or the nervous system tissue of an infected animal. Rabies is fatal in cats and it can also be fatal in humans too. Furthermore, humans can get Rabies too if a rabid animal bites them.
Moreover, cats are also the most common rabid domestic animal in the United States. Hence, with this statistic alone, it is best to get your Russian Blue vaccinated as soon as your veterinarian gives the green light!
The price of this vaccination is around $25 – $50.
2. Feline Leukemia Virus
The vaccination for Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is especially important if your Russian Blue will be living outdoors. Even if your Russian Blue spends the majority of their time indoors, this vaccination is one that you should not miss.
Feline Leukemia Virus is a virus that infects only cats. This means that the transmission of this virus to people, dogs, or other animals is impossible. Although, it is transmitted through saliva or nasal secretions of the infected cat.
Furthermore, it can cause serious symptoms such as enlarged lymph nodes, persistent fever, loss of appetite, and more. Hence, it is best to get your Russian Blue a shot for Feline Leukemia Virus too.
The vaccination for FeLV costs around $25 – $50.
3. Upper Respiratory and Distemper Vaccines
Your veterinarian will probably suggest giving your Russian Blue a distemper and upper respiratory vaccination once a month until s/he is 16 weeks old.
Furthermore, FVRCP also known as the “feline distemper vaccine” protects against three feline viruses (rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia). Hence, make sure to give your Blue this vaccination as well.
The cost of upper respiratory and distemper vaccinations are around $25 – $50.
Russian Blue Cat Vaccination – Things You Should Know About Cat Vaccinations
With all the above information about cat vaccinations, you may still be unsure about them. Hence, here I have accumulated some additional benefits and risks of cat vaccinations. This will allow you to understand exactly why cat vaccinations are important for your Russian Blue.
Benefits and Risks of Cat Vaccinations
As we have discussed several times by now, the benefits of getting your Russian Blue vaccinated are endless. All the vaccinations mentioned so far prevent your Blue from being infected. However, there are also some risks associated with cat vaccinations that you should be aware of.
These risks consist mainly of undesired reactions that your Blue can have to the cat vaccinations. Essentially, cat vaccinations can cause injection site tumors or immune diseases. Although, such risks are minimal and the benefits of cat vaccinations outweigh the risks by far.
Do Russian Blues Have Health Issues?
I understand why you would be concerned about how resilient a Russian Blue cat is in regards to their health. Because once you have a pet, it is awful to watch them get sick or be in pain.
However, Russian Blue cats are ordinarily very healthy cats that are not prone to suffering from inherited diseases either. And so, the lifespan of an ordinary Russian Blue cat is between 10-20 years. Furthermore, in the history of Russian Blues, some have even lived up to a maximum of 25 years!
Hence, by knowing how easily they can get sick, you may be able to prevent health issues in your own Russian Blue! So, let us keep reading to see how tolerable your Blue is to different things that can make them sick.
What are the Most Common Health Issues in Russian Blue Cats?
In general, Russian Blues are safer from being critically ill because they are not predisposed to having genetic disorders. However, like other cat breeds, Russian Blues can get infected and sick due to several reasons.
For instance, obesity and bladder stones are both common problems that Russian Blues can face in their lifetime.
Furthermore, dental diseases are also something you will have to stay on the lookout for. Although, it is also the easiest yet most tedious disease that you can prevent as your cat’s owner. All you will have to do is brush your Russian Blue’s teeth once every few days. Here you can learn how to properly brush your Russian blue teeth.
Finally, some other diseases that your Russian Blue could be prone to getting are Feline Leukemia Virus or Cat Flu, ear infections, and other rare diseases that affect your cat’s brain and eyes called Toxoplasmosis and Chlamydia respectively.
Final Words
My parting words to you would be to get your Russian Blue registered to a local vet as soon as you get him or her. Once you do this, it will be much easier for you to stay on top of things like vaccinations.
Finally, keep in mind that cat vaccinations have saved countless lives and are important to fight against feline infectious diseases. So, with the information I have provided you, I hope that you take the suggested measures and proceed from there!
