Recommended Kitten Vaccines
Kittens need to have a series of vaccinations in the first four and a half months of life.
FVRCP
Kitten vaccination begins with a series of innoculations which cover a group of extremely serious viruses, to which your kitten can easily be exposed. These vaccines are referred to as FVRCP, which stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus and Feline Panleukopenia. The FVRCP and Rabies vaccines are considered the Core Vaccines by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and we follow their guidelines.
The FVRCP vaccines are given at 8, 12, and 16 weeks. We administer multiple boosters for two reasons:
- 1. Each kitten gets a different level of protection from the mother cat, and
- 2. Each vaccine booster strengthens the immune response.
Rabies
The final kitten vaccine, given at 18 weeks of age, is for Rabies. Rabies is a disease fatal to both pets and people. It is commonly carried by foxes and bats, both of which are prevalent in Toronto. City by-laws require all cats and kittens be vaccinated against Rabies. In our practice we do not give the Rabies vaccine with the final FVRCP booster as we don’t want to stress the immune system.
Feline Leukemia
If a kitten is going to grow up to be an outdoor cat we recommend they be vaccinated for Feline Leukemia (FeLV) at 12 and 16 weeks of age. Feline leukemia is mostly spread in saliva so cats that get in fights or share bowls with strays are most at risk.