Vaccinations Your Kitten Should Receive

Did you know that a kitten’s ability to fight disease begins with a healthy mother cat?

When kittens nurse, they absorb disease-fighting antibodies from their mother cat’s milk. Most kittens are weaned by 8 weeks and receive their first vaccinations between 6 and 8 weeks. Boosters will be given every three to four weeks until the kitten is 16 weeks old or the entire series of vaccinations is completed.If you adopt a cat older than that, your veterinarian will help you determine which vaccines are recommended, when you should start giving the shots, and how long they will need to be given.

Adopting a new kitten means going through many milestones together, including bringing your cat home for the first time, litter training her and introducing her to other animals to name a few. Other important first steps will take place in your veterinarian’s office. From vaccinations to spaying and neutering, being a new pet parent comes with new responsibilities.

To help you prepare, here’s a list of the most common kitten vaccinations vets recommend and why they’re important for your new family member. Educate yourself first, and then work with your vet to create a vaccine schedule right for your family.