Vaccines protect cats from serious diseases by inducing antibodies and cellular immune
responses. Primary vaccinations and boosters are given according to vaccination guidelines provided
by industry ...and veterinary organizations, based on minimal duration of immunity (DOI). For certain
diseases, particularly feline panleukopenia, antibody titres correlate with protection. For feline
calicivirus and feline herpesvirus, a similar correlation is absent, or less clear. In this review, the
European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) presents current knowledge and expert opinion
on the use of antibody testing in different situations. Antibody testing can be performed either in
diagnostic laboratories, or in veterinary practice using point of care (POC) tests, and can be applied
for several purposes, such as to provide evidence that a successful immune response was induced
following vaccination. In adult cats, antibody test results can inform the appropriate re-vaccination
interval. In shelters, antibody testing can support the control of FPV outbreaks by identifying
potentially unprotected cats. Antibody testing has also been proposed to support decisions on
optimal vaccination schedules for the individual kitten. However, such testing is still expensive and
it is considered impractical to monitor the decline of maternally derived antibodies.
