MSD Animal Health Study Flags Feline Vaccination Gap

MSD Animal Health has published the results of a 14-country survey of cat owners and veterinarians, revealing significant perception gaps and communication barriers that continue to constrain feline vaccination compliance globally. Announced on 20 July 2026 and published in Veterinary Sciences, the study was also presented at the 2026 World Feline Congress in June, and surveyed 1,330 companion animal veterinarians and 5,071 cat owners across 14 markets.

The survey found only 16% of cat owners named vaccination as a key contributor to feline health, compared with 69% of veterinarians. Owners ranked high-quality diet first (94%), followed by veterinary checkups (39%), affection (35%) and playtime (17%). Among owners of vaccinated cats, the primary drivers were maintaining the cat’s health (62%) and the veterinarian’s recommendation (57%), while 71% of veterinarians reported their recommendation was a top driver. Owners who chose not to vaccinate most commonly cited beliefs that vaccines were unnecessary for healthy cats (27%) or indoor cats (27%), broadly consistent with veterinarian perceptions of client misunderstanding (53%) and misinformation (51%).

The starkest gap sits between owner demand and veterinary communication: 58% of cat owners cited veterinarians as their primary source of vaccine information, but only 23% of veterinarians report actively sharing educational materials on vaccination importance. Melissa Bourgeois, DVM, PhD, Global Technical Director for Companion Animal Biologics at MSD Animal Health, framed the finding as a clear opportunity for veterinarians to close knowledge gaps and improve vaccination rates through routine client conversations.

The commercial signal is a large, structurally underpenetrated feline vaccination market where the primary constraint is communication rather than access or availability. MSD Animal Health’s Nobivac feline franchise stands to benefit directly from any lift in compliance driven by better vet-owner engagement, and expect Zoetis, Elanco, Ceva and Boehringer Ingelheim to sharpen their own feline vaccine detailing and practice support tools.

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