What Vaccines Do Kittens Need

When to give vaccines.

What vaccines do kittens need. After this kittens and cats usually need booster vaccinations every twelve months. Kitties need several immunizations during their first year to protect them against serious diseases. According to the american association of feline practitioners aafp the core vaccines those that are recommended for all cats are feline panleukopenia virus fpv feline herpesvirus 1 fhv 1 and feline calicivirus fcv as well as rabies. I recommend starting vaccinations at about 8 weeks of age continuing until the kitten is 4 months old.

First year kitten vaccinations when kittens are nursing antibodies in their mother s milk help protect them from infections. 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. This is a core vaccine considered essential for all kittens. By vaccinating your pet you will also help stop the spread of these diseases and keep other vulnerable cats safe too.

This is because the antibodies in the mother s breast milk can interfere with the vaccinations. If you have kittens or puppies the first round of vaccinations usually two or three vaccines are given at around six to eight weeks old. Fvrcp stands for feline viral rhinotracheitis calicivirus and panleukopenia. It s really important to get your cat or kitten regularly vaccinated as it will help protect them from some nasty diseases such as cat flu feline infectious enteritis feline chlamydophilosis and infectious feline leukaemia.

The final vaccine however should not be given before your pet turns sixteen weeks. Also many local and state governments have laws about vaccines like rabies. Calicivirus and rhinotracheitis are common feline viruses know to cause upper respiratory infections in cats. Kittens should start getting vaccinations when they are 6 to 8 weeks old until they are about 16.

This allows veterinarians to efficiently administer the vaccines all at once instead of having to inject a cat three separate times in one visit. Non core kitten vaccinations include feline leukemia felv feline immunodeficiency virus fiv feline infectious peritonitis fip chlamydophila felis and feline giardia vaccines. The felv vaccine is recommended by some veterinarians for all kittens while others recommend the vaccine only for those kittens at risk of disease. Fvrcp vaccine for cats the other three core vaccines are combined into a single three in one vaccine called the fvrcp vaccine.