How Old Should Your Pet Cat Be When It Gets Its Shots?

Your four-legged pal needs a series of shots beginning as early as 6 weeks of age. But don̵7;t stop taking her to the vet after her initial kitten boosters are over. She̵7;ll still need to get shots throughout the rest of her lifetime -- sometimes annually, depending on the vaccination.

  1. Feline Distemper

    • The feline distemper inoculation protects your cuddly buddy from a highly contagious and often fatal viral infection. Sofia can get her first distemper shot as young as 6 weeks of age. After that, she̵7;ll need boosters every three to four weeks until she is 16 weeks old, according to WebMD. She won̵7;t need another booster until one year after her last injection from the kitten series. From that point, she̵7;ll only need a distemper vaccine every three years.

    Rabies

    • Even if you keep your fuzzy friend inside all the time, you̵7;ll still want to get her vaccinated for rabies. If she comes into contact with an infected animal, possibly from a sick rat in the basement, she can catch the rabies virus, which isn̵7;t curable. Sofia will need her first rabies vaccine as a kitten. Depending on the product your veterinarian provides, she can get vaccinated against rabies as early as 8 weeks old. After the initial dose, she̵7;ll need a rabies vaccine every year, although some varieties last for three years.

    Calicivirus

    • Calicivirus is easily transferable between kitties and causes an upper respiratory infection, joint pain, ulcers in the mouth, fever and extreme weight loss. Your purring pal can get her first calicivirus inoculation at 6 weeks of age, but after that she̵7;ll need boosters every three to four weeks up until she reaches 16 weeks old. A year after her last kitten booster, your vet will give Sofia another booster. She̵7;ll need a calicivirus vaccine once every three years after that point.

    Feline Herpesvirus

    • Both feline herpesvirus and calicivirus account for 80 to 90 percent of all feline upper respiratory tract infections, reports the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. If Sofia isn̵7;t properly vaccinated, she can catch the viral bug from another kitty and wind up having a runny nose, fever, sneezing fits and runny eyes. Once Sofia reaches 6 weeks of age, she can get her first feline herpesvirus shot. She̵7;ll need boosters every three to four weeks after that, until she is 16 weeks old. You̵7;ll only have to get her one more feline herpesvirus inoculation one year after her last kitten booster and then once every three years after that.

    Feline Leukemia

    • Feline leukemia is a highly contagious viral infection, transmitted from cat to cat, that can lead to cancer. Fewer than 20 percent of felines infected with feline leukemia survive for more than three years, the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine states. You̵7;ll need to make sure Sofia gets her first feline leukemia shot around 8 weeks of age and then once again three to four weeks later. Once she gets her series of kitten FeLV vaccines, you̵7;ll only have to vaccinate her once per year.