I have spoken with my vet about this some in the past, but I was curious about the forum-goers (and Dr. Gaspar!) recommendations:

What vaccines do you recommend and which don’t you recommend? Why or why not?

My state requires the rabies vaccine. At what age should this vaccine be given to kittens?

How old should kittens be before they are spayed/neutered?

I of course need to set up appointments for the two new kittens, and I want to be prepare financially ahead of time.

Thanks!

Monica --

I would recommend the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) vaccine guidelines, to help you and your veterinarian formulate a health and wellness program for your kitties, based upon their lifestyle.

There are “core” vaccines (herpesvirus/calicivirus and panleukopenia, as well as rabies).  States vary at the age when rabies vaccines are to be given.  For example, in Illinois, cats and kittens over 12 weeks of age can receive a rabies vaccine.

Whenever possible, I would recommend a non-adjuvented vaccine.  Adjuvents, such as aluminum, have been implicated in causing tumors (vaccine associated sarcomas) in cats.  I use the Merial vaccine for rabies and the Heska intranasal vaccine for upper respiratory and distemper (panleukopenia) vaccines.  It is important to know that vaccination against herpesvirus and calcivirus only reduces clinical signs (so less sneezing, coughing and eye discharge), but does not prevent a kitty from getting an upper respiratory tract infection.

I do not recommend vaccines against chlamydia (which can be part of the upper respiratory tract infection complex in cats) or FIP.  Vaccination against FeLV should be considered if the cat has exposure to other cats, such as those who have an outdoors lifestyle, and/or live in a household where foster cats or strays are regularly brought in, etc. Feline leukemia virus is transmitted by heavy, prolonged saliva contact.

As far as where to vaccinate, the rabies vaccine is given sub-cutaneously (under the skin) of the right hindlimb (very far down the leg), (if used) the injectable herpes/calcici/panleukopenia ("FVRCP") is given sub-cutaneously on the right shoulder and the feline leukemia vaccine (if used) is administered sub-cutaneously on the lower left hindlimb.  Under no circumstances should vaccines be injected between the shoulder blades.

Generally, vaccines are begun at about nine weeks of age and boostered at three-week intervals, based on the clinic’s protocol.  The vaccines are then boostered at one year of age and given in three-year-intervals.  At present, the Merial rabies vaccine is only licensed as a one-year vaccine, so must be given annually.

I want to commend you on the wonderful job you are doing of preparing for your new arrivals.  Please post back with any additional questions.

Michele Gaspar, DVM, DABVP (Feline)

Thank you for being so thorough, Dr. Gaspar! I really appreciate it. It is really nice of you to volunteer your time to help out people who aren’t even your patients! I feel like I know a lot more about the vaccinations now. I have done a lot of research online, but it is difficult to tell what sources are reliable and which are just blowing smoke!

At what age do you recommend kittens be spayed or neutered? We are going to have one female kitten and one male kitten, and we want to get them spayed/neutered early enough to prevent them from trying to breed. We only need two cats right now! 

I recommend spaying or neutering kittens between five and six months of age.

Michele Gaspar, DVM, DABVP (Feline)