Street cats and kittens die of panleukopenia the way street pups die of parvo — fast, and preventably. One vaccine series stops it. Whether you've adopted a rescue or feed a colony, this is the schedule that protects them and the rabies cover that protects everyone.
Start with a health check
Vaccinate healthy animals: the first vet visit is an exam and a deworming plan, with vaccines starting once the cat is stable. If you can, have unknown adults tested for FeLV/FIV before they join a home with other cats — it changes household planning, not their right to a home.
Kitten schedule (start 6–8 weeks)
- 16–8 weeks: first core combination vaccine (panleukopenia + herpesvirus + calicivirus — the 'tricat' shot).
- 2Boosters every 3–4 weeks until 16 weeks old — usually 2–3 shots total. The full series matters; one early shot fades with maternal antibodies.
- 312 weeks or later: anti-rabies vaccine, boosted as your vet schedules.
- 4Keep kittens indoors and away from unknown cats until a week after the final core shot.
Adults with unknown history
Treat as unvaccinated: one core combination shot, a booster 3–4 weeks later, and rabies on the first visit. After that, annual boosters as your vet advises. For colony cats you feed, the rabies shot given during sterilisation at an ABC/TNR programme is the single highest-value intervention — free at most municipal centres.
Deworming and parasites
- Kittens: deworm at 3, 5, 7, and 9 weeks, then monthly to 6 months.
- Adults: every 3 months; monthly for outdoor/colony cats.
- Dose by weight, and use cat-specific products only.
- Fleas are the everyday enemy: a monthly spot-on prevents the itching, tapeworms, and anaemia they cause in kittens.
Never use dog products on cats
Permethrin-based dog spot-ons and sprays are lethal to cats — a common and heartbreaking accident. Check the label, or better, buy only what the vet hands you for this specific animal.