How Many Vaccinations Does My Kitten Need

These kitten vaccinations will protect them as they re growing and with boosters throughout their adulthood.

How many vaccinations does my kitten need. Until your kitten is fully vaccinated and neutered you should keep him or her inside. They ll need two injections 3 4 weeks apart from around eight weeks of age. An initial vaccination course is made up of two separate injections three to four weeks apart. This is given under the skin at the back of the neck and is well tolerated by the vast majority of cats.

Kitten vaccines are usually first given at about six to eight weeks of age and repeated approximately every three weeks until about 16 to 18 weeks of age. After this kittens and cats usually need booster vaccinations every twelve months. Giving vaccines twice ensures a satisfactory level of immunity. Kittens are vaccinated once every three to four weeks until they reach 16 weeks of age or older.

Some vaccines might be given together in one injection that is called a combination vaccine. However to avoid over vaccination most veterinarians will recommend starting the vaccine at 8 weeks of age followed by boosters at 12 weeks and 16 weeks old. A booster vaccine should be given one year later to keep immunity levels high. Vaccines are combined into a single injection so your cat only has to have one needle.

To help protect kittens they ll need two sets of vaccinations to get them started. Rabies is the other core kitten vaccination. Your kitten should be vaccinated against the serious core diseases as soon as they are old enough. The shots come in a series every 3 to 4.

According to the american association of feline practitioners aafp the core vaccines those that are recommended for all cats are feline panleukopenia virus fpv feline herpesvirus 1 fhv 1 and feline calicivirus fcv as well as rabies. Kittens must be over 12 weeks old at the time of the second vaccination. Kittens can start their vaccinations from nine weeks old and will need a second set of injections usually 2 4 weeks after their initial set to complete their course. Too late and kittens will be left susceptible to infection.

The exact vaccine will differ year on year depending on the vaccine schedule but all cats require vaccination against at least one disease annually. Two vaccines are usually needed three to four weeks apart. Then they must be boostered a year latyer. Remember your kitten won t be fully protected until several weeks after their second set of jabs so it s best to keep them indoors and away from any unvaccinated pets until your vet says they re safe to mingle with other cats and go outside.

I recommend starting vaccinations at about 8 weeks of age continuing until the kitten is 4 months old.