Cattery Vaccination Protocol: 8, 12, and 16 Weeks

Most cattery outbreaks start in one of two places: a new cat that was not isolated, or a kitten that left for its new home before the vaccine series finished. A written protocol with dates, lot numbers, and a 14-day intake rule prevents both. The schedule below is the one most breeders and feline-only vets converge on, and it fits on one page taped inside the kitten room door.

Booster the queen before mating, not after

FVRCP antibody passes to kittens through colostrum, and the amount depends on how recently the queen was boosted. Vaccinate her 2 to 4 weeks before mating, while she is cycling and not pregnant, so the peak response lands before conception. Modified-live vaccines are avoided during pregnancy; if a booster is genuinely needed mid-pregnancy, a killed product is the safer choice. FeLV vaccination belongs to queens that are FeLV-negative and live with a risk of exposure, and rabies follows local law rather than breeding convenience. A queen vaccinated more than 12 months before mating, or one with an unknown history, should be boostered and the date recorded. If you are still mapping the calendar, heat cycle timing explains how to place the booster in the 3 weeks before the planned mating rather than during it.

The kitten series: 8, 12, and 16 weeks

Kittens carry maternal antibody that blocks the vaccine, and the level falls unpredictably between 6 and 16 weeks. That is why the series is repeated rather than given once: 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks, with the final dose at or after 16 weeks. High-risk catteries, or litters from an unvaccinated queen, often extend the last dose to 18 or 20 weeks. Each injection is 1 ml subcutaneously, given 3 to 4 weeks apart, and the series counts as complete only when the last dose was given at 16 weeks or later. A kitten that arrives at 12 weeks with one prior vaccine needs two more, not one. Rabies is a single dose at 12 to 16 weeks, then at 12 months, and FeLV needs two doses 3 to 4 weeks apart in kittens, starting from 8 to 9 weeks.

Write down five things for every injection

A vaccine record that cannot answer a lot recall is not a record. For each injection, log the product name, the lot or batch number, the expiry date, the injection site (left or right, hind limb preferred for FeLV), and the date. Add the kitten's weight that day, because a 0.6 kg kitten and a 1.4 kg kitten are not the same patient. Photograph the vial label before you draw the dose; lot numbers fade and boxes get thrown out. Keep the log for at least 3 years, which is longer than most vaccine-related questions take to surface. When a new owner calls about a reaction, the lot number is what lets you check whether the rest of the batch behaved the same way.

Adverse reactions: watch 30 minutes, then 48 hours

Stay in the room for 30 minutes after injection. Facial swelling, vomiting within minutes, hives, or difficulty breathing is anaphylaxis and needs a vet immediately; mild cases respond to antihistamine, severe ones need adrenaline and fluids. The slower pattern is lethargy, reduced appetite, and a firm swelling at the site lasting 24 to 48 hours, which is common and usually settles. A lump still present at 3 months, or one larger than 2 cm, needs aspiration. Record every reaction with the product and lot, and do not repeat that product: switch antigen type, or split the combination into separate injections 2 to 4 weeks apart. A kitten that reacted once should be pre-medicated and observed for 60 minutes at the next visit.

Age	Vaccine	Note
Queen, 3 weeks before mating	FVRCP booster	Killed product if pregnant; record lot
6 to 8 weeks	FVRCP dose 1	Only if the kitten is over 0.9 kg and healthy
8 to 9 weeks	FeLV dose 1	FeLV-negative test first
12 weeks	FVRCP dose 2, FeLV dose 2, rabies	Separate sites, separate syringes
16 weeks	FVRCP dose 3	The dose that completes the series
12 months	FVRCP, rabies, FeLV booster	Then per label interval

Intake quarantine: 14 days, minimum

Fourteen days is the floor, not a target. Ringworm can take 21 days to show, and a cat incubating feline calicivirus looks normal for 5 to 7 days. House the new cat in a separate room with its own litter box, bowls, and shoes that stay at the door, and handle it last each day. Test for FeLV and FIV on arrival, then repeat the FeLV antigen test 30 days later, because a cat infected days before arrival can still test negative. A stud cat travelling between catteries follows the same 14 days when he returns, which is one reason stud cat management is mostly about who enters the building and when.

FeLV testing every 12 months

Every breeding cat gets an FeLV antigen test at intake and then every 12 months, and any cat that has been to a show, a stud, or a vet hospital gets retested 30 days after the event. A positive result is confirmed with a second test 4 to 6 weeks later, since a single positive can be transient. Kittens born to an FeLV-positive queen are tested at 8 to 12 weeks and again at 6 months, because maternal antibody can mask the antigen early on. Keep the negative results with the vaccination log; buyers increasingly ask for them, and they cost less than a single outbreak. Age matters when you report results, and the cat age calculator converts weeks to months when you are filing records.

Between litters: the 10-minute clean

Feline panleukopenia virus survives on surfaces for a year and resists most household disinfectants. Between litters, clean hard surfaces with a 1:32 dilution of household bleach, leave it wet for 10 minutes, then rinse and dry. Remove porous items — cardboard, rope, worn bedding — rather than disinfecting them. Change shoes at the door, and keep a dedicated pair for the kitten room, because parvo travels on soles more often than on hands.

The protocol on one page

1. Booster the queen 2 to 4 weeks before mating, and record the lot number.
2. Book kitten vaccines at 8, 12, and 16 weeks, with the last dose never earlier than 16 weeks.
3. Log product, lot, expiry, site, weight, and date for every injection.
4. Hold new cats 14 days in a separate room, and test FeLV on day 0 and day 30.
5. Retest every breeding cat for FeLV every 12 months, and keep the paperwork.

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