Do Indoor Kittens Need Shots

All kittens and adult cats should be vaccinated against rabies.

Do indoor kittens need shots. If a kitten will be an indoor only pet a fel fiv feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus vaccine is usually not necessary. I hear you your cat is an indoor cat. However it is recommended that your kitten get tested for fel fiv if not much information is know about the kitten and his parents. Don t assume that your cat doesn t need at least some vaccines just because he doesn t go outside.

I don t know about you but rabies scares me. Kittens need a series of three shots given three weeks apart to achieve full immunity. Most important shots all indoor cats really need rabies. Unfortunately it s a common misconception that indoor cats don t need to be vaccinated because they won t encounter other cats or disease carrying animals.

To achieve the best protection possible your kitten will need boosters over the first several months of their life at least until they are between 16 20 weeks old. Most of all this vaccine helps your cat s immune system remain ready to respond to these diseases. Then they must be boostered a year latyer. Fvrcp stands for feline viral rhinotracheitis calicivirus and panleukopenia.

The fiv s efficacy is questionable and can cause tests to show a false positive. The shots come in a series every 3 to 4. Kittens should start getting vaccinations when they are 6 to 8 weeks old until they are about 16 weeks old. Rabies is given at three months old.

Even an indoor cat can be exposed to rabies through bats that get in. If you have an outdoor only or an indoor outdoor cat then they will need shots as well. If a rabid animal enters your home or your cat winds up at a shelter you d want her to be vaccinated. Many of your kitten s initial shots will be given as a series of boosters every 3 4 weeks.

This is a core vaccine considered essential for all kittens. Calicivirus and rhinotracheitis are common feline viruses know to cause upper respiratory infections in cats. The fel vaccine can cause vaccine related sarcomas from the killed viruses in the vaccine. According to the cdc raccoons have a higher incidence of rabies than other wild animals however bites from bats are the most frequent cause of people contracting the rabies virus.

And even adult cats will need an initial series of shots and boosters for certain vaccinations to achieve the best level of protection. They ll need the feline distemper vaccine and rabies. Do outdoor cats need shots. Do indoor cats need fvrcp.