What Shots Do Kittens Need To Go Outside
Non core kitten vaccinations include feline leukemia felv feline immunodeficiency virus fiv feline infectious peritonitis fip chlamydophila felis and feline giardia vaccines.
What shots do kittens need to go outside. First year kitten shots many of your kitten s initial shots will be given as a series of boosters every 3 4 weeks. The most secure means of identification is a microchip. After that they ll only need annual boosters. The aafp advisory panel recommends administering felv vaccines to all kittens but considers the vaccine to be noncore for cats after their one year booster unless they are at risk of exposure.
An initial vaccination course is made up of two separate injections three to four weeks apart. I recommend starting vaccinations at about 8 weeks of age continuing until the kitten is 4 months old. To achieve the best protection possible your kitten will need boosters over the first several months of their life at least until they are between 16 20 weeks old. Kittens must be over 12 weeks old at the time of the second vaccination.
The felv vaccine is recommended by some veterinarians for all kittens while others recommend the vaccine only for those kittens at risk of disease. Make sure they are identifiable. They ll need the feline distemper vaccine and rabies. The specific shots your kitten should have will depend on where you live whether your cat will roam the neighborhood or stay inside and whether you have other cats co ruling your home.
Before your kitten can go outside freely. If you have an outdoor only or an indoor outdoor cat then they will need shots as well. 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. The feline viral rhinotracheitis calicivirus and panleukopenia vaccinations often come in a combination shot fvrcp which is sometimes called the distemper shot your cat may need extra shots.
In the uk most kittens have their first vaccination at nine weeks old and the second at 12 weeks. The current recommendations are to vaccinate all cats against feline leukemia until 1 year of age. Regardless of vaccine status outdoor cats should be retested every year to determine if they have been exposed.