When Should Kittens Get Vaccines

When to get vaccinations done kittens usually start with a course of two injections given at nine and 12 weeks.

When should kittens get vaccines. Until your kitten is fully vaccinated and neutered you should keep him or her inside. The first vaccinations should be given to kittens from around eight to nine weeks of age. 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. 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 receive a series of vaccines over a 12 to 16 week period beginning at between 6 and 8 weeks of age. The first injection can be given from nine weeks of age with the second three to four weeks after the first injection. This is known as the primary course. Your kitten should be vaccinated against the serious core diseases as soon as they are old enough.

A booster follows this first vaccination 12 months later and then again once a year throughout the cat s adult life. How kitten vaccinations work. For any cat over 16 weeks old whose vaccine history is unknown the initial series consists of two doses given three to four weeks apart. Kittens are old enough to be vaccinated once they are 8 9 weeks old.

Kittens are vaccinated once every three to four weeks until they reach 16 weeks of age or older. Too late and kittens will be left susceptible to infection. Kittens should be kept away from other cats and stay indoors for seven days after the second injection to ensure maximum protection. 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.

For this reason initial core kitten vaccinations occur at three to four week intervals until the cat is 16 20 weeks old and maternal antibodies are out of the system. 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. They ll need two injections 3 4 weeks apart from around eight weeks of age. After this kittens and cats usually need booster vaccinations every twelve months.

Keep the vaccination record safe and check whether your vet practice offers a vaccination reminder service. Rabies is the other core kitten vaccination.