Vaccines will help protect your kitten against several serious diseases. For this reason, vaccines are a critical component of your kitten’s preventative health care plan.
When do kittens get their first shots?
Kittens can receive their first vaccinations at 8 weeks of age.
How often do my kittens need vaccines?
Kittens receive a series of vaccinations over 3 sets that occur at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks of age. Kittens receive maternal antibodies from their mother through nursing that may inhibit the effectiveness of the vaccine, therefore, boosting the vaccine at multiple intervals will prime the immune system and overcome this issue.
Does my kitten need only core vaccines?
Core vaccinations include feline rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia and rabies virus. If your kitten will be an outdoor kitten or is likely to escape, we recommend that they are vaccinated as well for the feline leukemia virus, which they may pick up from contact with other cats.
Are there any risk associated with vaccines?
Any vaccine has the potential to cause a vaccine reaction, however, they are not common. These can include but are not limited to lethargy, inappetence, vomiting, diarrhea, hives, neuropathies and rarely anaphylaxis. In rare cases, a tumour called fibrosarcoma may develop at the injection site. However, this has been found to develop in only specific individuals who are genetically predisposed to form these tumours, secondary to any type of infection or inflammation.
