Kitten Vaccination Schedule: Which Shots, at What Age, and What Comes Next

Most kittens start their core vaccines at 6 to 8 weeks of age, get a booster every 3 to 4 weeks until they are 16 to 20 weeks old, and then get one more booster at about 6 months. On top of that combination shot, a kitten gets a rabies vaccine at the age its label allows (usually 12 weeks or older) and two feline leukemia (FeLV) doses 3 to 4 weeks apart from 8 weeks, with both boosted a year later. That is the pattern in the 2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines and the WSAVA 2024 vaccination guidelines, but your veterinarian sets your kitten’s actual schedule, based on its age, health, lifestyle, local disease risk, and your state’s rabies law.

A kitten series means several vet visits in the first year or so, each with a different mix of shots, and the dates are easy to lose. If you want one place to keep them, you can create a free profile for your kitten on Creatures and log each shot as a vaccination record; the follow-up date you enter becomes a reminder for the next visit, as explained in health and medical records. The rest of this guide explains each vaccine, why kittens need a series, and what to watch for afterward.

A typical kitten vaccination schedule, week by week

Here is how the guidelines usually translate into visits for a healthy kitten that comes in for its first shots at 8 weeks. Treat it as an illustration of the pattern, not a prescription. Your vet may start earlier, space doses 3 weeks apart instead of 4, add a dose, or move rabies depending on the product and local rules.

• 6 to 8 weeks: FVRCP dose 1, never before 6 weeks. The FeLV test usually happens at this visit or the next.
• 9 to 12 weeks: FVRCP dose 2 and FeLV dose 1 (the FeLV series can start from 8 weeks).
• 12 to 16 weeks: FVRCP dose 3, FeLV dose 2, and rabies at the age the vaccine label and local law allow.
• 16 to 20 weeks: a final FVRCP kitten dose if needed, because the last kitten dose should fall at 16 weeks or later.
• About 6 months: an FVRCP booster, to catch kittens whose maternal antibodies blocked the earlier doses.
• About 1 year after the kitten series: FeLV and rabies boosters, then the adult schedule your vet recommends.

A kitten that starts at 6 weeks and is boosted every 3 weeks will fit more doses in before 16 weeks than this example shows, and in a high-risk setting such as a shelter or a multi-cat household with sick cats, WSAVA suggests continuing to 20 weeks. The goal is the same either way: a final kitten dose at or after 16 weeks, then the 6 month booster.

The core vaccines every kitten needs

“Core” means recommended for every cat, whatever its lifestyle, because the diseases are widespread, serious, or both. Breed does not change the list either: a pedigreed kitten of any breed on the Creatures cat species page needs the same core vaccines as a shelter kitten. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines list five for pet kittens:

• Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV). Often called feline distemper. The Merck Veterinary Manual describes it as highly contagious and often fatal, says the virus can survive in the environment for more than a year without strong disinfectants, and says kittens under 5 months are the most likely to die from it. This is the component where vaccination works best, and the main reason the kitten series matters.
• Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1). One of the two main causes of cat flu: sneezing, eye and nose discharge, and fever. The vaccine does not always prevent infection, but vaccinated cats generally have milder illness.
• Feline calicivirus (FCV). The other common cause of upper respiratory disease, sometimes with mouth ulcers. As with herpesvirus, the vaccine reduces how sick a cat gets more than it prevents infection outright.
• Rabies. Fatal and transmissible to people. Core in the United States and anywhere rabies is present.
• Feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Core for kittens and cats under 1 year in the AAHA/AAFP guidelines, because young cats are much more likely to develop progressive infection. After the first year it becomes a lifestyle decision.

The first three come together in one combination shot, usually written FVRCP on vet invoices (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia; rhinotracheitis is the disease feline herpesvirus causes). Both guidelines agree on those three as core worldwide. The difference is FeLV: WSAVA, which writes for vets around the world, calls it core for young cats in regions where the infection is common, while the North American AAHA/AAFP panel treats it as core for every kitten.

Why kittens need a series of shots, not just one

A kitten gets its first protection from its mother. It absorbs her antibodies from colostrum, mostly in the first day of life, and those maternal antibodies protect it for its first weeks. The catch is that the same antibodies also neutralize a vaccine before it can teach the kitten’s own immune system anything.

Maternal antibodies fade on a different timetable in every kitten, depending on how much protection the mother had and how much colostrum the kitten drank. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines note that some kittens keep high levels for months. Since nobody can tell by looking which week a particular kitten’s immunity will switch over, vets give a dose every few weeks so that one of them lands soon after the maternal antibodies drop. In between there is a gap, called the window of susceptibility, when a kitten has too little maternal antibody to be protected but enough to block the vaccine.

That is also why the extra 6 month booster was added. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines cite studies suggesting that up to one third of kittens may fail to respond to a final core dose at 16 weeks, and some may still have blocking antibodies at 20 weeks. The older advice was to wait until the cat’s first birthday for the next dose; both guidelines now recommend revaccinating at about 6 months instead, to close that gap sooner. It does mean one more visit, because FeLV and rabies boosters still fall about a year after the kitten series.

Two practical points follow. First, a kitten is not fully protected until the series is finished, so keep a young kitten away from unvaccinated cats and places where many cats have been until your vet says otherwise. Second, spacing matters: the AAHA/AAFP guidelines note that doses less than 2 weeks apart can interfere with immunization, and for killed (inactivated) vaccines, other guidelines recommend restarting the series if more than 6 weeks pass between the first two doses. If a visit slips, ask your vet whether the plan changes rather than simply picking up where you left off.

Rabies: the label and the law set the timing

Rabies is the one vaccine where your state or local government, not just your vet, has a say. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines tell vets to follow the vaccine label and local law, and point out that rabies vaccination of cats is required by law in many, but not all, US states. In many states only a licensed veterinarian can legally give a rabies vaccine, and the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control (2016 edition) says rabies vaccines should be given only by or under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

The same compendium lists the rabies vaccines licensed for cats in the United States. Most were labeled for cats from 3 months (12 weeks) of age, with a booster 1 year later, then either annual or three-yearly revaccination depending on the product. It also says that whatever age a kitten gets its first rabies shot, the booster should be given 1 year later. Your vet will choose the product, and the certificate they give you is the document a groomer, boarding facility, landlord, or local licensing office may ask to see, so keep it with the kitten’s other records.

Indoor cats are not exempt. The CDC reports that cats are the most frequently reported rabid domestic animal in the United States, with roughly 200 to 300 reports a year, and a bat that gets into a house can expose an indoor cat. If an unvaccinated cat is bitten by a wild animal or bites a person, the AAHA/AAFP client guidance notes that it may have to be quarantined or euthanized, which is a hard outcome to face over a missed shot.

FeLV: test first, then two doses

Feline leukemia virus spreads through close contact between cats: bite wounds, mutual grooming, and shared food dishes and litter boxes, according to the Cornell Feline Health Center, which estimates that FeLV affects about 2 to 3 percent of cats in the United States and Canada. Kittens are far more likely than adults to develop progressive disease after exposure.

The kitten plan has three parts:

1. Test before vaccinating. Both guidelines say only FeLV-negative cats should be vaccinated, and Cornell advises testing any cat before it joins a household. The vaccine does nothing for a cat that is already infected.
2. Two doses, 3 to 4 weeks apart, starting as early as 8 weeks of age.
3. A booster 12 months after the second dose. After that, AAHA/AAFP recommend yearly FeLV boosters for cats at ongoing risk (outdoor access, fighting, or living with FeLV-positive cats or cats of unknown status) and a longer interval, or none, for low-risk indoor adults, depending on the product and your vet’s judgment.

Cornell sums up why the vaccine is now considered core for kittens: their higher risk of developing progressive infection. Whether an adult indoor-only cat keeps getting it is a conversation to have with your vet around the first birthday.

Non-core vaccines your vet may mention

Non-core vaccines are given only when a cat’s lifestyle or location makes the disease a real risk. For pet kittens, the WSAVA 2024 guidelines list:

• Chlamydia felis. A bacterial cause of conjunctivitis. Used mainly in multi-cat homes and catteries where the infection has been confirmed. If given, the first dose can go in from 9 weeks and the second 2 to 4 weeks later.
• Bordetella bronchiseptica. An intranasal vaccine that WSAVA says is not routinely used in pet cats, but may be considered for cats kept in unusually large groups.
• FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). WSAVA notes that the only FIV vaccine ever licensed was taken off the US and Canadian markets in 2017 and is now available only in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, so a US kitten will not be offered it.

WSAVA does not recommend the feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), Giardia, or ringworm vaccines sold in some countries for pet cats. If a breeder or cattery asks about a non-core vaccine, the question to put to your vet is simple: is this disease actually present where my kitten will live?

If your kitten is older, or its history is unknown

A kitten adopted at 4 or 5 months, or a stray with no paperwork, does not need to start over with a full baby series: an older kitten generally needs fewer first doses than a young one. Maternal antibodies can still matter at this age, though. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines note that some kittens still have blocking antibodies at 20 weeks, so a dose given at 4 or 5 months may not take in every kitten. A typical catch-up plan:

• FVRCP: the AAHA/AAFP guidelines call for one or two doses of a modified live combination vaccine (two doses 3 to 4 weeks apart if the vaccine is inactivated), and WSAVA generally recommends two doses 2 to 4 weeks apart. Both guidelines also advise considering a revaccination at about 6 months of age rather than waiting until the first birthday, for the same antibody reason as in a younger kitten. Your vet will fit that dose around the catch-up doses and the vaccine label, and the adult schedule starts after it.
• FeLV: a test first, then two doses 3 to 4 weeks apart and a booster a year later, the same as for a younger kitten.
• Rabies: a single dose, with the booster 1 year later.

If a breeder or shelter says the kitten has had shots but cannot show a record with dates and vaccine types, most vets treat those doses as unknown. Ask for the paperwork before you pick the kitten up, and bring it to the first vet visit.

Indoor kittens still need their core vaccines

“My cat never goes outside” is the most common reason people skip boosters, and it is the reason the guidelines address most directly. The AAHA/AAFP client talking points say that even cats living exclusively indoors need regular vaccination, because they can still be exposed when traveling or boarding, at a veterinary practice, through contact with other cats, or through viruses carried in on an owner’s hands or clothing. Panleukopenia is the clearest example: the virus can survive in the environment for more than a year, and the guidelines note it can be carried in on clothing or shoes.

What an indoor lifestyle does change is the non-core list and, after the first year, often the FeLV plan. The core kitten series, the 6 month booster, and rabies stay the same. The Cornell Feline Health Center likewise lists panleukopenia, herpesvirus, calicivirus, rabies, and FeLV among the vaccines recommended for indoor household cats.

After the shots: normal reactions and when to call a vet

Most kittens are fine after vaccination. In the largest survey cited by the AAHA/AAFP guidelines, covering more than 1.25 million doses given to nearly 500,000 cats, adverse reactions within 30 days were recorded in about 0.52 percent of cats.

Normal for a day or two: sleepiness, a slightly reduced appetite, a mild fever, or a small tender swelling where the shot was given. The guidelines describe these as short-lived reactions that resolve without treatment.

Call a veterinarian now if, within a few hours of the shots, your kitten starts vomiting, develops hives or a swollen face, scratches intensely, has trouble breathing, or collapses. These are signs of an allergic reaction. Serious reactions are rare, roughly 1 to 5 per 10,000 vaccinations for anaphylaxis according to the guidelines, but they need care immediately.

Keep an eye on the injection site afterward. A rare tumor called an injection-site sarcoma can develop where a vaccine was given. The guidelines tell vets to have a lump checked if it is still there 3 months after vaccination, is larger than 2 cm across, or is still growing a month after the shot (the “3-2-1 rule”). This is also why many vets now give feline vaccines low on a leg or in the tail and record exactly which vaccine went where. If your vet notes the site, write it down with the rest of the record.

For breeders: vaccinating a litter before the kittens go home

If you breed cats, the vaccination plan starts before the litter does. Both guidelines advise against giving modified live vaccines to pregnant queens, and against vaccinating kittens under 4 weeks old, so ask your vet to bring the queen up to date before breeding. Our guide to how long cats are pregnant covers the timeline, and the cat gestation calculator gives you a due date to plan around.

From there, a sensible breeder plan looks like this:

• Ask your vet when to start the litter’s series. Usually 6 to 8 weeks, or earlier boosters in a cattery with a known disease problem.
• Keep an individual record for every kitten, with the vaccine type and date of each dose, the FeLV test result, and any deworming or health checks. Buyers’ vets need this to continue the series without guessing.
• Be clear about what is left. A kitten that goes home at 12 weeks is partway through its series. Tell buyers which doses are done, which are due and when, and that the 6 month booster and first year FeLV and rabies boosters are theirs to arrange.
• Hand the record over in writing, not just on a sticker in a booklet that can get lost.

If you also sell pedigreed kittens, the free cat pedigree chart maker produces a printable three-generation pedigree to go home with the kitten alongside its health record.

Keep your kitten’s vaccination record on Creatures

A kitten’s first year produces more paperwork than any other: several FVRCP doses, a FeLV test and two FeLV doses, a rabies certificate, and at least two boosters due months later. Creatures gives each animal a free profile with a Records tab, so the whole history lives in one place instead of a folder of receipts. This is what doing it looks like:

1. Add your kitten. Create a free profile with its name, date of birth, and a photo. You can start without an account and sign up as you save. The steps are in adding an animal to Creatures.
2. Log each vaccine as a Vaccination record. Open the kitten’s Records tab and add a record. A vaccination record needs the vaccine name and the date it was given; copy the vaccine name and type from your vet’s invoice or certificate. You can attach the certificate itself, which is especially useful for rabies.
3. Enter the follow-up date your vet gives you. On vaccination records, a follow-up date creates a linked reminder for the next booster automatically, so the 3 to 4 week boosters, the 6 month dose, and the one year FeLV and rabies boosters each show up in the kitten’s care schedule and on its Today’s care list. You can also add a notification a set number of days before a due date, so you have time to book the appointment. How this works is covered in reminders and upcoming care.
4. Decide what is public. Each record has a “Make public” setting; public records can appear on the kitten’s profile, private ones stay private. Reminders are always private planning items.

What you get back is a dated, attached record of every shot and a reminder for every booster, which, where Download packet is offered on the Records tab, you can save as a PDF for a new vet, a boarding facility, or a pet sitter.

Breeders get two extra shortcuts. After you record the birth and create a litter, you can apply one record to the whole group, which writes an individual vaccination record to each kitten’s profile in one step (with individual rows if one kitten was skipped or got a different product). And when a kitten goes to its new home, you can transfer it to the new owner with its profile, records, pedigree, and ownership history; the buyer can join from the invitation, and the first transfer is free. The new owner’s reminders then pick up where yours left off.

You can start the kitten’s profile as a guest; saving records and reminders needs a free account.

Frequently asked questions

When should a kitten get its first shots?
Usually at 6 to 8 weeks of age. Both the AAHA/AAFP and WSAVA guidelines say the first FVRCP dose should not be given before 6 weeks. FeLV vaccination can start from 8 weeks, and rabies follows the vaccine label, most often from 12 weeks.

How many shots does a kitten need?
Typically three to five FVRCP doses 3 to 4 weeks apart ending at 16 to 20 weeks, a FVRCP booster at about 6 months, two FeLV doses, and one rabies vaccine, followed a year later by FeLV and rabies boosters. The exact count depends on the age at the first visit, so a kitten that starts at 6 weeks needs more doses than one that starts at 9 weeks.

What is the FVRCP vaccine?
The core combination vaccine for cats. It protects against feline viral rhinotracheitis (caused by feline herpesvirus 1), calicivirus, and panleukopenia (feline distemper). It is sometimes called the “distemper shot” or the three-in-one.

Does an indoor kitten need to be vaccinated?
Yes, for the core vaccines. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines say indoor-only cats can still be exposed through boarding, vet visits, other cats, and viruses carried in on people’s hands and clothing, and rabies vaccination of cats is required by law in many US states. An indoor lifestyle mainly changes the non-core vaccines and the adult FeLV plan.

Is it safe to vaccinate a kitten that is sick?
That is your vet’s call. The guidelines note that illness, stress, and poor nutrition can all reduce how well a kitten responds, so a vet may postpone vaccines for a kitten that is unwell. Tell your vet about sneezing, diarrhea, poor appetite, or fleas before the shots are given.

What happens if a booster is late?
Call your vet and ask whether to continue or restart. A short delay usually just means the next dose is given as soon as possible, but for some inactivated vaccines the guidelines suggest repeating the series if more than 6 weeks pass between the first two doses. Until the series is complete, keep the kitten away from unvaccinated cats.

How often does an adult cat need vaccines?
After the 6 month booster, both guidelines suggest FVRCP about every 3 years for lower-risk adult cats and more often for cats at higher risk. Rabies follows the label and local law (every year or every 3 years, depending on the product), and FeLV depends on the cat’s exposure risk.

Do this next on Creatures

Whether you have just brought a kitten home, are still looking for one, or are raising a litter, Creatures keeps the records, the reminders, and the people in one place.