Cat Vaccines & Kitten Shots

Kittens require vaccinations in a series; the first one comes around the age of 6 to 8 weeks. That one's followed with boosters a few weeks apart. As adults, cats need regular booster vaccinations, whose intervals vary. In many cases, if you plan to board cats or fly with them, you'll need proof of vaccination. Talk to a veterinarian to establish the best plan for vaccinating your kitten or cat.

  1. A Kitten's First Vaccines

    • The three basic or "core" vaccines recommended for kittens are for rabies, feline panleukopenia (FPV), or feline distemper, feline calicivirus/herpesvirus, and rhinotracheitis.

    Kitten Vaccine Boosters

    • Each vaccine requires a booster dose to increase the animal's immunity to disease and maintain that immunity over time. The combination vaccine for feline panleukopenia and feline calicivirus/herpesvirus must be administered again three weeks after the first shot. For rabies and other vaccines, boosters are usually given yearly or every three years. Consult a veterinarian to set up a specific vaccination schedule for your cat.

    Adult Cats

    • If you adopt a cat as an adult and are unsure whether the cat has ever been vaccinated -- or if you know it hasn't -- you will need to treat it as a kitten and set up an appointment with a vet to get all the needed shots. Throughout your adult cat's life, yearly exams are recommended, especially if you let our cat outside.

    Optional Vaccines

    • Some cat vaccines are required by law; typically in regions where particular outbreaks have been prevalent. Besides the core vaccinations, other shots are available to protect cats from a variety of ailments. These include vaccines for feline leukemia, chlamydophila, feline infectious peritonitis and feline immunodeficiency virus.