My kitten is 4-5 weeks old. When should she get her first shots?

I recommend that kittens start their shots at 6-8 weeks of age, and continue every 3-4 weeks until after they are 16 weeks of age. If Calypso has never received vaccinations, then she would need one set now and a booster in 3-4 weeks. When to spay a cat depends on the individual preference of the veterinarian, I recommend doing this at 4-5 months of age since cats can come into heat as early as 5 months old.

Congratulations! What a beautiful kitten! Most vets start a vaccine series between 6-8 weeks of age, and will also deworm or check stool samples at the first visit. Following that, they typically need a visit/booster every 3-5 weeks until they are a few months old. The exact vaccines schedule will be individualized by your vet. They may also recommend parasite prevention or routine dewormers. Other things you can do at home include feeding a high quality kitten food, checking their urine and stool output and getting them used to being handled. Becoming well socialized is very important! Make sure they have plenty of vertical space like a cat tree, handle him gently and frequently - get him used to having his nail trims, etc. Don't let him bite you:) It looks like you are off to a great start!

Kittens should have their first set of vaccines between 6-8 weeks of age, so I would schedule an appointment as soon as possible. They can be dewormed as young as two weeks of age, so I would definitely go ahead and do this as well. I would recommend feeding a good quality kitten food such as Hills Science Diet or Royal Canin - these foods are complete and balanced, and contain all the nutrition needed for a growing kitten.

Starting vaccines depends on the age the kittens left their mother. Kittens that were orphaned young and no longer have the antibodies from mom's milk may be vaccinated as early as six weeks, while kittens that were with mom may be vaccinated later at 8-10 weeks of age. There is then a series of vaccines that will be given 3-4 times over a period of every 4 weeks or so to finish the course. Rabies vaccines, which must be given by a vet, are usually given at around 5-6 months of age. Most kittens are spayed/neutered at around 5-6 months of age, before they reach sexual maturity, however some shelters and veterinary clinics do spay and neutered kittens once they've reached a certain size/weight, rather than age. Checking with your vet to see their policy is best.

At this age I would recommend boostering based on the vaccine insert recommendations: typically 3-4 weeks. It’s best to deworm based on the results of a fecal analysis which your vet could perform. Otherwise broad spectrum deworming is typically recommended at 2,4,6 and 8 weeks. If your kitten has never been dewormed you could probably give a dose now and repeat in two weeks. In my area pyrantel would be the dewormer of choice.

Vaccinations are generally started at 6-8 weeks of age. Your veterinarian can help determine the age if there was no birthdate provided when you got Foxy. The first round of vaccinations usually includes the feline upper respiratory series: FVRCP. A dewormer is also commonly given at this first appointment. This combo vaccine is given every 3-4 weeks until 1 more after 16 weeks of age. At some point, your veterinarian will administer a rabies vaccine, which is required by law. Vaccinating for FeLV is optional and should be discussed with your veterinarian.

Once tapeworms and the accompanying fleas are treated, the tapeworms shouldn't come back. Cats get tapeworms from eating infected fleas while grooming, though I would recommend a repeat treatment in 3-4 weeks just to be sure. I start vaccinating kittens between 6-8 of age, so now is the perfect time to start. I would recommend starting as soon as possible to make sure that she is adequately protected. Kittens get boosters every 3-4 weeks until 1 shot after 16 weeks of age.