Required Vaccines for Your Kitten

Vaccinating is a vital part of preventive care for all pets, especially your kitten to offer them a healthy start! Routine vaccinations provide protection against several highly contagious and potentially life-threatening diseases, helping to safeguard your pet’s long-term health and well-being. Some diseases like rabies can even transfer from your kitten to humans, so vaccinating protects you and your family as well. Most states require this by law as it is a fatal, incurable disease. Cats between birth to 12 months old are considered to be in their kitten years. (Think about humans between birth to 15 years old.) They have a lot of energy, sharp minds, and mobile joints. But to keep that positive momentum going into their adult years, we must protect their good health today!

For kittens, there is a set of core vaccines that are recommended no matter where they live or what they do daily. These include:

Like many human vaccines, some kitten vaccines require boosters throughout life to help keep them protected. The recommended schedule of core kitten vaccines is outlined below. Vaccination should start at 8 weeks. Talk to your veterinarian about which vaccines should be given together and which should be separated. Please remember all vaccines need to be spaced at least 2 weeks apart if boosting or separating vaccines.

Panleukopenia is a highly contagious virus with no cure and low-survival rate in kittens. Calicivirus and Rhinotracheitis cause most feline upper respiratory infections and are extremely contagious to other kittens.

Rabies virus is typically transmitted to kittens through a bite from an infected animal. Across the US, animals most often infected include raccoons, skunks, and bats—all creatures your kitten may like to hunt or play with if found outdoors. Plus, bats can make their way indoors. Since it is one of the few life-threatening diseases that pets can transmit to humans, most states and/or county codes require all kittens to be vaccinated against rabies by law.

Feline Leukemia is an incurable disease, occurring by itself or in combination with the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a deadly AIDS-like virus. It is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids from an infected cat, including bite wounds. It can also be transferred from mother to newborn and through cats sharing bowls.

Is your kitten due for a vaccination? Book an appointment at your local Thrive Pet Healthcare veterinarian today.