When Should Kittens Have Vaccinations

When should i vaccinate my cat.

When should kittens have vaccinations. Before you pick up your new kitten and take it home make sure that they have had their first vaccination. 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. Kittens are old enough to be vaccinated once they are 8 9 weeks old. 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. This first vaccination starts to build your kitten s defences against any potentially serious diseases. First year kitten vaccinations when kittens are nursing antibodies in their mother s milk help protect them from infections. Kittens should start getting vaccinations when they are 6 to 8 weeks old until they are about 16 weeks old.

They will have an initial injection and then a second about 3 weeks later as well as a thorough health check and discussion about all aspects of kitten care including neutering flea and worm protection diet and behaviour. The first vaccinations should be given to kittens from around eight to nine weeks of age. The shots come in a series every 3 to 4. Then they must be boostered a year latyer.

Until your kitten is fully vaccinated and neutered you should keep him or her inside. There is also a vaccination that offers protection from the feline leukaemia virus which can affect the immune system. Kittens need a course of two vaccinations to protect them from potentially fatal infections feline infectious enteritis which can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea and feline influenza also known as cat flu. After this kittens and cats usually need booster vaccinations every twelve months.

Too late and kittens will be left susceptible to infection. How do vaccines work. Rabies is the other core kitten vaccination. This timing is important too early and the antibodies they receive from their mother will interfere with the immune response to the vaccine preventing it from working properly.

Kittens can start their vaccinations from nine weeks old and will need a second set of injections usually 2 4 weeks after their initial set to complete their course. Some vaccines might be given together in one injection that is called a combination vaccine. Kittens are vaccinated once every three to four weeks until they reach 16 weeks of age or older.