Experts warn that a current nationwide shortage of cat vaccines could cause a “potentially catastrophic” pandemic for cats and kittens in Australia.
The vaccine in critically low supply is the general F3 vaccine that all kittens should be getting.
It’s mainly used for three diseases, including for cat flu (feline calicivirus and feline viral rhinotracheitis) and another disease that could be fatal.
She said the shortage made it difficult for owners to vaccinate their cats against this “very preventable” disease.
“We’re saying to cat owners: it’s okay to hold off while we wait for these cat vaccines to come back in while still stressing the importance of vaccinations,” she said.
The vaccines are expected to return to Australia from overseas in February 2024, when the shortage from supply issues post-COVID-19 is solved. There is no manufacturer of the vaccines in Australia.
Until then, she said general cat owners have many strategies to avoid risks to their pets.
Animal Shelters Face ‘Disastrous’ Consequences
However, Dr. Wilde said the environment at an animal shelter was high-risk and more “disastrous.”“Lost Dogs Home, we’re an open shelter, and we take in animals from all over Victoria, and so that’s where not having vaccinations, which is one of our core ways of preventing disease, is going to be a real problem for us,” she said.
Therefore, the Lost Dogs Home will ask for a limited number of vaccines to get cats into new homes.
It said reducing the number of cats in the high-risk environment would be “vital” for the health of the herd and individual animal because it would help reduce disease spreading.
RSPCA Warns About ‘Large-Scale Mortality’
Meanwhile, RSPCA New South Wales (NSW) will have its own safety measures in shelters statewide.RSPCA NSW will be placing a temporary hold on accepting any surrendered or stray felines for the next month at all sites except for the Blue Mountains and Illawarra.
RSPCA NSW Chief Veterinarian Dr. Liz Arnott added the hold was about avoiding “large-scale mortality.”
“Although feline panleukopenia is rarely encountered in pet cats and flu symptoms are typically manageable, they are much more commonly seen in a shelter environment and can have dire consequences,” she said.
“These illnesses can spread rapidly in a shelter.”
At the same time, Dr. Arnott worried that their sheltering restrictions would affect newborn kittens this upcoming breeding season.
She urged owners to desex their animals from four months of age and for the community to start thinking about adapting to a safe-at-home lifestyle for their feline friends.
“In light of these vaccine shortages, the limited sheltering options and the upcoming kitten season, it’s never been more crucial for people to educate themselves on adopting responsible cat ownership practices, as well as what to do if they find a cat or a litter of kittens,” she said.
“While our shelters are currently unable to accommodate these kittens, we urge you to provide care for them for the next four to six weeks until RSPCA NSW has vaccinations in stock,” RSPCA said.
Independent Rescuers Say the Pressure Is on Them
However, rehoming service operator Lisa Brittain told ABC News that shelters not accepting cats will place pressure on other services.“If they’re not doing that [taking cats], then who does that fall on? It comes down to independent rescues like ourselves to take on those numbers,” she said.
Ms. Brittain was worried because cats in independent rescues were at an all-time high due to the cost of living crisis.
“Surrenders are increasing dramatically, and cost of living and finding rental properties and things like that is probably the biggest reason we get for surrenders,” she said.
