When Does Kittens Need Shots

When a kitten is at least 3 months old he will need to get a rabies shot.

When does kittens need shots. These vaccines help protect against upper respiratory diseases herpes and fatal viruses. Kittens are vaccinated once every three to four weeks until they reach 16 weeks of age or older. The shots come in a series every 3 to 4. Most states require cats to have this vaccine by law.

Some vaccines might be given together in one injection that is called a combination vaccine. 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. Your vet will follow up these shots with regular booster visits which will continue for a few months. Until your kitten is fully vaccinated and neutered you should keep him or her inside.

After the second round of vaccinations kittens will need boosters at one year and every three years after for all of their recommended vaccinations. Kitties need several immunizations during their first year to protect them against serious diseases. But after about six weeks old and eating solid food it s time for them to be vaccinated. Most kittens are weaned by around 8 weeks and receive their first vaccinations around the age of 6 to 8 weeks.

For this reason vets recommend that kittens get their first round of shots at 10 weeks and second round of shots at 14 weeks. 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. Then they must be boostered a year latyer. Rabies is the other core kitten vaccination.

The first series of shots a kitten will usually get is a drcc fvrcp vaccination against feline distemper panleukopenia rhinotracheitis and calici virus. 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. 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. 6 8 weeks old or when you get your new cat.

See the kitten vaccine schedule for more. 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. After this kittens and cats usually need booster vaccinations every twelve months. When kittens are nursing antibodies in their mother s milk help protect them from infections.

Here s the timeline breakdown of the typical cat vaccination schedule.