When Does Kittens Need Shots

The series of kitten shots should begin when your kitten is a few weeks old or when you get a new cat.

When does kittens need shots. Kittens should be vaccinated starting at 6 weeks old with the shots ending at around 19 weeks old with boosters afterwards to keep their immunization strong. After this kittens and cats usually need booster vaccinations every twelve months. According to the american society for the prevention of cruelty to animals aspca kittens take in disease fighting antibodies from the mother cat s milk when they nurse. But after about six weeks old and eating solid food it s time for them to be vaccinated.

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. Here s the timeline breakdown of the typical cat vaccination schedule. Kittens should start getting vaccinations when they are 6 to 8 weeks old until they are about 16 weeks old. The first series of shots a kitten will usually get is a drcc fvrcp vaccination against feline distemper panleukopenia rhinotracheitis and calici virus.

Then they must be boostered a year latyer. When a kitten is at least 3 months old he will need to get a rabies shot. Some vaccines might be given together in one injection that is called a combination vaccine. Until your kitten is fully vaccinated and neutered you should keep him or her inside.

Most states require cats to have this vaccine by law. The shots come in a series every 3 to 4. 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. For this reason vets recommend that kittens get their first round of shots at 10 weeks and second round of shots at 14 weeks.

After that they ll only need annual boosters. Kittens should have their first set of vaccinations at nine weeks old and at three months old they should receive the second set to boost their immune system. Most kittens are weaned by around 8 weeks and receive their first vaccinations around the age of 6 to 8 weeks. Kittens are vaccinated once every three to four weeks until they reach 16 weeks of age or older.

Your vet will follow up these shots with regular booster visits which will continue for a few months. After the second round of vaccinations kittens will need boosters at one year and every three years after for all of their recommended vaccinations. Rabies is the other core kitten vaccination. These vaccines help protect against upper respiratory diseases herpes and fatal viruses.

See the kitten vaccine schedule for more.