Vaccinating Kittens: At What Age and Against What Diseases Is It Necessary?
Vaccinations against certain cat diseases are an important part of health care for kittens. Below you will find out against which diseases the little four-legged friends should be immunised and at what age kittens can receive their first vaccination.
Vaccinating kittens – the main points at a glance
- Vaccinations are very important for kittens in order to avoid infection with dangerous cat diseases.
- When vaccinating their little four-legged friend, cat owners should follow the recommendations of the Standing Vaccination Commission for Veterinary Medicine.
- Certain vaccinations should be given to all kittens, while others depend on the living conditions of the four-legged friends.
- The basic immunisation for kittens can usually be started in the eighth week.
- Kittens should only be vaccinated if they are completely healthy and free of parasites.
- After vaccination, it is advisable to strengthen the kitten's immune system with a suitable food supplement.
Are vaccinations for kittens required by law?
In Germany there is no law that requires cat owners to have their kittens vaccinated. However, if you want to take your four-legged friend abroad with you at some point, you will need a so-called EU pet passport, which in turn requires full vaccination protection against rabies.
Irrespective of this, certain vaccinations are very important to avoid dangerous infectious diseases and should therefore be carried out on kittens without legal obligation as soon as the animals are old enough.
What vaccinations are recommended for kittens?
We recommend that cat owners follow the recommendations of the Standing Vaccination Commission for Veterinary Medicine when vaccinating their kittens. They follows the principle of vaccinating as little as possible but as much as necessary.
A distinction is made between vaccinations that all kittens should receive and vaccinations that only make sense under certain conditions.
The diseases against which you should definitely have your kitten vaccinated include cat flu and Feline Panleukopenia. Vaccination against rabies is also essential for outdoor cats.
In addition, depending on the housing conditions, it may make sense to have the kitten vaccinated against the following cat diseases:
- FeLV (feline leukaemia)
- FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)
- Chlamydia
- Bordetella bronchiseptica
When can kittens receive their first vaccination?
Kittens are usually vaccinated for the first time in the eighth week, with the first rabies vaccination not being carried out until the 12th week. In order to establish complete vaccination protection, a so-called basic immunisation is necessary. This means that the kittens have to be vaccinated several times at certain intervals.
After the first vaccination in the eighth week, further vaccinations usually follow in the 12th and 16th week of life as well as a booster at the beginning of the second year of the four-legged friend.
The exact intervals may vary slightly depending on the vaccine. Please also note that kitten vaccinations do not offer lifelong protection. It is therefore necessary that you regularly boost the vaccinations of your four-legged friend in adulthood.
What to consider when vaccinating kittens
You can only have your kitten vaccinated if the little four-legged friend is healthy. This also includes that the kitten must not be infested with worms.
The kittens should therefore have been dewormed beforehand. Since both the deworming and the vaccinations put a certain strain on the kitten's body, both must not be carried out at the same time. Instead, the vet will usually recommend vaccinating your kittens about two or three weeks after they have been dewormed.
Strengthening your kitten's immune system after vaccinating
Vaccinations are important for the health of your kittens. At the same time, however, they also represent a burden for the little four-legged friends organism that should not be underestimated. For this reason, it makes sense to support the kitten's immune system after vaccination.
For this purpose, we recommend supplementing the kitten's food with I love my cat Immune Kitten. The wholesome preparation is especially adapted to young animals and provides the small four-legged friends with a variety of valuable nutrients in order to strengthen the immune system in a natural way.
View Immun Powder for young cats
Vaccinating kittens – our conclusion
As you can see, you should definitely take the topic of vaccinations for your kittens seriously and ensure that the little four-legged friends receive optimal protection against dangerous diseases such as feline infectious peritonitis.
In order to strengthen the kitten's immune system after vaccination, it can also be useful to administer I love my cat Immun Kitten.