My cat is indoor, so they don’t need vaccines… right? Not exactly.

When it comes to cat vaccines, I get asked all the time which ones are necessary and when to give them—so here’s the simple break down.

Cat vaccines fall into two categories: core and lifestyle. (Start at 6-8 weeks of age)

Core vaccines are essential for all cats because the diseases are highly contagious, fatal, or widespread in the environment.

For cats, the two core vaccines are Rabies and FVRCP.

And yes—even indoor cats need these. These viruses survive in the environment even through extreme weather, and can brought in by us on our clothes or shoes. For unvaccinated kittens, infections can be deadly.

Now for lifestyle vaccines - Organizations like AAHA and WSAVA now consider FeLV (feline leukemia virus) a core vaccine for kittens under 1 year. Kittens must be tested before vaccinating and initial series of two vaccines are usually given 3-4 weeks apart.

If a cat tests positive for FeLV, it’s not an immediate death sentence, but life expectancy is shortened. These cats should be kept strictly indoors and monitored closely with regular vet visits.

To get a comprehensive breakdown of dates for these vaccines, I recommend an online search or getting a vaccine schedule from your vet to make your life easier.

For adult cats, current guidelines recommend:
• FVRCP: every 3 years if kitten series was completed.
• FeLV: usually not needed for strictly indoor cats who tested negative and completed their initial series

One last note—FeLV testing also checks for FIV. There’s no vaccine for FIV, but indoor cats are low risk and can live normal lives if positive.

Hope this clears things up. Follow for more vet tech tips 🐾