Does Kittens Need Vaccinations

There is also a vaccination that offers protection from the feline leukaemia virus which can affect the immune system.

Does kittens need vaccinations. After this kittens and cats usually need booster vaccinations every twelve months. Then they must be boostered a year latyer. Kittens under 6 months of age are most susceptible to infectious diseases so they are considered a primary focus of vaccination recommendations. Core vaccines are considered essential for kittens in most geographical locations.

Your kitten should be vaccinated against the serious core diseases as soon as they are old enough. All kittens need certain core vaccines which provide immunity against the most dangerous and widespread diseases. Kittens should start getting vaccinations when they are 6 to 8 weeks old until they are about 16 weeks old. 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.

This is given under the skin at the back of the neck and is well tolerated by the vast majority of cats. Kittens need a course of two vaccinations to protect them from potentially fatal infections feline infectious enteritis which can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea and feline influenza also known as cat flu. Most vaccinations are best given to your kitten when they are young and your vet will help you put together a vaccination schedule. Vaccines are combined into a single injection so your cat only has to have one needle.

These are all diseases that are ubiquitous in nature and frequently found in the general cat population. Talk to your veterinarian about your kitten s risk of exposure to these diseases. The shots come in a series every 3 to 4. These kitten vaccinations will protect them as they re growing and with boosters throughout their adulthood.

Until your kitten is fully vaccinated and neutered you should keep him or her inside. All kittens should receive a vaccination that protects against feline rhinotracheitis feline calicivirus and feline panleukopenia fvrcp. Maternal antibodies passed on from the mother are meant to confer some degree of protection against diseases but they also interfere with or even inactivate the body s response to vaccination. The exact vaccine will differ year on year depending on the vaccine schedule but all cats require vaccination against at least one disease annually.

Protection against all three of these viruses is generally provided in a combination vaccine. Once a kitten is weaned and home with you they need their own protection. I recommend starting vaccinations at about 8 weeks of age continuing until the kitten is 4 months old. Depending on your location and your kitten s environment certain non core vaccines may also be recommended.

By getting them vaccinated you are reducing the risk of them falling seriously ill.