Cat vaccine schedule: what to expect from kitten to adult

A typical cat vaccine schedule starts core kitten shots at 6 to 8 weeks, repeats them every 3 to 4 weeks until at least 16 weeks, adds a dose at about 6 months, then boosts adults every 1 to 3 years depending on the vaccine and risk. Your vet sets the dates. Below is what WSAVA, AAHA and AAFP say.

Key points

• Core for every cat: feline panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus 1 and feline calicivirus, usually in one injection.
• Kittens: start no earlier than 6 weeks, repeat every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks, or 20 weeks in high risk cases.
• About 6 months: WSAVA and AAHA and AAFP both suggest considering another dose here, instead of waiting until the first birthday.
• Adults: low risk cats every 3 years for the core shots, more often for higher risk cats. Feline leukaemia and rabies follow their own rules.
• Not veterinary advice. Guidelines differ by country, and your vet knows your cat and your area.

Which vaccines does a cat need?

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association, WSAVA, splits cat vaccines into core and non core. Core means every cat should have them, wherever it lives.

• Core everywhere: feline panleukopenia, also called feline infectious enteritis, plus the two cat flu viruses, feline herpesvirus 1 and feline calicivirus.
• Core in some places: rabies, where the disease is present. WSAVA says to follow local regulations first.
• Feline leukaemia virus, FeLV: core for cats under 1 year where FeLV is common, and for older cats that keep facing risk, such as cats that roam outdoors without supervision. The cat should test negative first.
• Non core: Chlamydia felis, for multi cat homes where the disease has been confirmed, and Bordetella, which WSAVA says isn't routinely used in pet cats. An FIV vaccine exists only in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
• Not recommended for pet cats: vaccines against feline infectious peritonitis, Giardia and Microsporum canis, per WSAVA.

What is the kitten vaccine schedule?

Here's how the two big guidelines line up. The American Animal Hospital Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners publish theirs together, so I've called it AAHA and AAFP.

Age	Core shots, FPV, FHV 1, FCV	Feline leukaemia, where advised	Rabies
6 weeks	Earliest first dose, per WSAVA and AAHA and AAFP	Not yet	Not yet
8 weeks	Next dose if started at 6 weeks, or a first dose	First dose, as early as 8 weeks, after a negative test	Follow local law
Every 3 to 4 weeks after	Repeat	Second dose 3 to 4 weeks after the first	Follow local law
16 weeks	Last kitten dose, per WSAVA. AAHA and AAFP say 16 to 20 weeks	Done	Follow local law
About 6 months	Consider another dose	No dose listed	Follow local law
About 1 year	No dose if given at 6 months	Booster 1 year after the series, per WSAVA	As required

So a kitten starting at 8 weeks often ends up with core shots at about 8, 12 and 16 weeks. One starting at 6 weeks may get four. Neither is wrong. Your vet picks the spacing.

The RSPCA in the UK describes a shorter version: two sets of vaccinations, at nine weeks and a booster set at three months. If your vet follows it, ask whether they also want a dose at 6 months, since both WSAVA and AAHA and AAFP now suggest one.

Why the dose at 6 months?

Kittens carry antibodies from their mother for a while, and those can block a vaccine. You can't tell from the outside when they fade. A dose at about 6 months, rather than at 12 to 16 months, closes the gap for any kitten whose earlier shots didn't take. I find that reasoning convincing. It's one extra visit to cover a risk you can't measure.

How often do adult cats need boosters?

It depends on the vaccine, and this is where most of the confusion comes from.

• Core shots, low risk cats: WSAVA says revaccinate at 3 years of age and then no more often than every 3 years. AAHA and AAFP list every 3 years for the injection.
• Core shots, higher risk cats: up to every year, for example cats that go into boarding catteries. WSAVA suggests a booster 1 to 2 weeks before a stay. The nose drop version of the cat flu vaccine is given yearly.
• Feline leukaemia: yearly for cats at continuing high risk. For lower risk adults, every 2 to 3 years depending on the product.
• Rabies: whatever your local law or the product says.

The RSPCA says adult cats usually need boosters once a year, and that some vaccines are given every year. That doesn't really clash with the 3 year rule. A yearly visit can include some vaccines and not others. Ask your vet which ones each visit covers.

What if my adult cat has no vaccine history?

WSAVA says cats over 16 weeks with no known history get two doses of the core vaccine 2 to 4 weeks apart. A rescue cat with no paperwork usually starts here.

Do indoor cats need vaccines?

WSAVA lists the core vaccines for every cat, indoor or not. Whether an indoor cat needs feline leukaemia or rabies vaccines depends on where you live and how your cat lives. Ask your vet.

How do I keep track of my cat's vaccine dates?

Write them down the day your vet gives them. That's the whole trick. A card in a drawer works. So does an app.

I built Pawlarm: Pet Care Reminders for this kind of thing. For a kitten it adds a Vaccine series check in reminder 14 days after you set it up, so you remember to ask your vet for the dates. Adult cats get a yearly checkup and vaccine review. Add each date your vet gives you as its own reminder. Pawlarm doesn't choose vaccines or dates, and it's on the App Store and Google Play. See Pawlarm.

For the day to day side of a young cat, meals, play and handling, see my kitten care schedule.

To see around when each dose falls for your own kitten, enter its birth date in the kitten vaccine schedule tool.

Frequently asked questions

When should a kitten get its first vaccine?

WSAVA and AAHA and AAFP both say the core kitten series can start at 6 weeks of age, with doses every 3 to 4 weeks after that. The RSPCA describes a first set at nine weeks. Many kittens have had one dose before they go home, so bring any paperwork to your vet.

How many shots does a kitten need?

Usually three or four core doses, depending on when the series starts, given every 3 to 4 weeks until at least 16 weeks. Some vets use two sets, as the RSPCA describes. A dose at about 6 months may follow. Feline leukaemia, where advised, is two more doses.

Do cats need vaccines every year?

Not always. WSAVA says low risk adult cats need core boosters no more often than every 3 years. Higher risk cats, cats with FeLV risk and cats that use catteries may need some vaccines yearly. Rabies follows local law. Your vet decides which apply.

Is the FeLV vaccine necessary?

WSAVA calls it core for cats under 1 year where FeLV is common, and for older cats that keep facing risk, such as cats roaming outdoors. AAHA and AAFP call it core for kittens and non core after 1 year. The cat should test negative first.

How I wrote this

On 24 October 2026 I read the WSAVA 2024 vaccination table for cats, the AAHA and AAFP feline vaccination schedule based on their 2020 guidelines, and the RSPCA page on cat vaccinations. I checked Pawlarm's reminder rules in the app's code. I'm not a vet, and this post summarises their guidance rather than adding to it.

This is general information, not medical or veterinary advice. Ask your doctor or vet.

By John Osakwe, founder of Etest Tech Hub. I have built apps and websites since 2015, including Etest CBT, FizzFree and Pawlarm.