Kitten Vaccination: Giving Your Kitten the Best Start

Why one injection is never enough

A kitten begins life with some immunity passed through its mother’s first milk. That protection is valuable, but it fades at a rate we cannot predict, and while it is present it can also stop a vaccine from working properly.

This is why we give a course of vaccinations spaced a few weeks apart rather than a single dose. Each injection is timed to build protection as the mother’s antibodies decline, so that by the end of the course your kitten has reliable immunity of its own.

Rushing the course or missing the final dose can leave a gap in protection at exactly the age when a kitten is becoming curious, exploring the house and meeting other cats.

What we vaccinate against

Core protection for a kitten in Tanzania covers the most serious feline diseases.

• Feline panleukopenia (feline parvovirus) — a severe and often fatal disease causing vomiting, diarrhoea and a collapse in white blood cells
• Feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus — the two main causes of cat flu, which can leave lasting eye and nasal problems
• Rabies — recommended for every cat, and required for travel and some boarding
• Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) — given where a kitten’s lifestyle and risk make it appropriate

What happens at the clinic

A vaccination visit is a full appointment, not just an injection. We start with a gentle physical examination — listening to the heart and lungs, checking the eyes, ears and mouth, feeling the abdomen and assessing weight, coat and behaviour.

The vaccine itself is given under the skin, usually between the shoulder blades, and takes only a moment. Most kittens barely notice it. We record the product used, the date and the next due date, so nothing is forgotten.

If your kitten is unwell, we may postpone vaccination until they have recovered. A vaccine works best in a healthy body, and giving it during illness helps no one.

Keeping your kitten safe before the course is complete

You can still enjoy your kitten while protection is building — just choose their world carefully.

• Keep them indoors or in a secure, cat-proofed area until the course is finished
• Avoid contact with cats whose vaccination status you do not know
• Wash your hands and change your shoes after visiting households with cats, to avoid carrying infection home
• Do not let your kitten share bowls or bedding with unfamiliar cats
• Ask us about safe socialisation, so your kitten grows up confident rather than fearful

The vaccination schedule at a glance

When to see us

Contact Mecco if your kitten sneezes repeatedly, has runny eyes or nose, stops eating, vomits, has diarrhoea, seems weak or is quieter than usual. Kittens can become unwell very quickly, and early treatment makes a real difference.

If you are unsure whether a kitten is well enough to be vaccinated, call us — we would much rather see them and decide together than have you guess.