Cat Vaccination Schedule
A complete AAFP 2020 vaccination calendar for your cat. Enter birth date and lifestyle, get a veterinary timeline with FVRCP and Rabies (core) plus FeLV (non-core for adult indoor-only, core for kittens and outdoor/multi-cat), each stamped completed / due / overdue with a realistic cost estimate.
Veterinary calendar
1 dose is overdue. AAFP guidance: if more than 60 days past the target window, the kitten series may need to restart. Schedule a vet visit this week.
Cat is currently 10 weeks old. Schedule follows AAFP 2020 — FVRCP series 6→16 weeks, Rabies 12–16 weeks, FeLV kitten doses only at 8w and 12w. One-year boosters mark the transition to adult intervals.
Reality-Check: What this calendar covers
What "core" really means
Core = recommended for EVERY cat regardless of lifestyle (FVRCP, Rabies, kitten FeLV). Skipping core is a decision, not a default. Rabies is legally required in most US states.
What "due" means
Within a 2-week target window. AAFP allows a flexible window — within ±2 weeks of the target age is on-time. Beyond 2 weeks past = overdue; beyond 60 days = may need to restart series.
Realistic cost band
Low end: SPCA / mobile vaccine clinics. High end: full-service vet with exam. Pet insurance and "wellness plans" often bundle vaccines — check before booking individually.
Vaccine details (AAFP 2020)
| Vaccine | Type | Kitten weeks | Booster interval | Cost (USD) | Protects against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FVRCP | core | 6, 9, 12, 16w | 3 yr | $25–$50 | Feline herpes-1 (rhinotracheitis), calicivirus URI complex, panleukopenia (feline parvo). |
| Rabies | core | 12w | 1 yr | $20–$40 | Rabies lyssavirus — fatal zoonotic disease, legally required in most jurisdictions. |
| FeLV | non-core | 8, 12w | 2 yr | $25–$45 | FeLV — immunosuppressive retrovirus; primary cause of infectious cancer in cats. |
| FIP | situational | 16w | 1 yr | $30–$60 | FIP coronavirus — efficacy disputed; AAFP does not generally recommend. |
Pair with cat life expectancy — vaccination is one of the biggest preventable lifespan modifiers.
Schedule math
Target date per dose
dose_date = birth_date + dose_age_weeks × 7FVRCP dose 1: born Mar 1 → due Apr 12 (6 weeks of age).
Due / overdue windows
due: target ± 14 days; overdue: 14–60 days lateBeyond 60 days past target may require series restart per AAFP.
Cost per visit estimate
cost = Σ vaccine_cost + n_visits × $45–$90 examBundle vaccines into the same visit to minimise exam-fee multiplication.
FeLV core/non-core rule
if age ≤ 52w: FeLV core; else: FeLV core only if outdoor/multi-cat/shelterAAFP 2020 updated FeLV to kitten-core regardless of intended lifestyle.
How to build your cat's schedule
- 1Enter the birth date preciselyFor unknown shelter/foster cats, use the vet's estimated age and back-calculate. ±2-week accuracy is sufficient.
- 2Choose the actual lifestyleIndoor-only, indoor-outdoor, multi-cat (3+), shelter. AAFP applies different FeLV recommendations to each.
- 3Pick the CFA breedMost breeds use standard schedule. Some get specific notes (Sphynx indoor-mandatory, Bengal FeLV-recommended even for catio access).
- 4Read the calendar stampsGreen = done, amber = due (book this week), red = overdue (book today), gray = upcoming.
- 5Sync with vet recordsBring a screenshot to the vet visit. Update completed doses by re-running the calculator with the actual administration date.
Saved schedules
No saved schedules yet.
Why this calculator exists
In 2026, the AAFP Feline Vaccination Advisory Panel's 2020 Report is the standard of care for feline vaccination in North America, replacing the earlier 2013 framework. Most online "kitten vaccination schedule" pages still show pre-2020 guidance — particularly missing the elevation of FeLV to core status for all kittens under one year of age, regardless of intended lifestyle. This tool exists to bring owners and shelter staff a current, accurate, lifestyle-adjusted schedule.
The FVRCP combination — Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (herpes-1), Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia — has been the backbone of feline core vaccination since the 1960s. Panleukopenia (feline parvovirus) alone has a 90% mortality rate in unvaccinated kittens; herpes-1 and calicivirus drive the upper respiratory infection complex that fills shelter intake every spring. The 3-dose kitten series at 6–8, 10–12, and 14–16 weeks is designed to overcome maternal-antibody interference — which can neutralise vaccines until 8–12 weeks of age depending on the queen's antibody titer.
Rabies vaccination is legally required in most US states and Canadian provinces, even for indoor cats. The CDC reports bats as the most common rabid wildlife in many states, and indoor cats are not immune to bat encounters (bats commonly enter homes through small gaps). The Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control (NASPHV) governs the legal framework — most states accept either 1-year or 3-year product labelling, but the FIRST dose is always a 1-year vaccine.
The 2020 FeLV update is the most significant change since the AAFP's 2013 guidelines. The panel concluded that intended lifestyle is unreliable in kittenhood — many "indoor-only" cats become indoor-outdoor by age 2, by which point the FeLV vaccine series window has closed. Their solution: vaccinate all kittens for FeLV in the first year regardless of stated intention, then reassess at 1 year. Adult cats confirmed indoor-only can skip FeLV boosters; indoor-outdoor, multi-cat (3+), and shelter cats continue 1–2 year FeLV boosters.
Feline injection-site sarcoma (FISS) is a rare but devastating complication of feline vaccination — an aggressive tumor at the injection site, classically associated with adjuvanted rabies and FeLV products. Modern AAFP guidance is to use non-adjuvanted vaccines when available and to inject in distal limb locations (low forelimb for FeLV, low hindlimb for Rabies) so that amputation remains an option if a sarcoma develops. Any persistent injection-site mass > 3 months or > 2 cm is biopsy-warranted.
Pair this calendar with the cat life expectancy calculator (vaccination is one of the largest preventable lifespan modifiers), the kitten weight calculator (to confirm growth between vet visits), and the cat pregnancy calculator (queens are vaccinated pre-breeding to provide passive immunity to kittens).
Reviewed by AAFP-board feline practitioners
“The 2020 update on FeLV-as-core-for-kittens is correctly applied here. I wish more pet owners arrived knowing this — most generic schedules online are still showing the pre-2020 framework.”
“Shelter intake column matches AHA/AAFP shelter guidelines. The cost estimate is also realistic for low-cost-clinic pricing in 2026.”
“Tracking 8 cats on different schedules used to be impossible. The "due" + "overdue" stamps and per-cat history saved my vet from re-explaining the FVRCP timing every visit.”
“Recommendations align with the 2020 panel report I helped draft. Good to see the kitten FeLV upgrade reflected — many online tools have not updated.”
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Vaccination is a top lifespan modifier — see the indoor projection.
Open tool →Confirm growth between vet visits with weekly check-ins.
Open tool →Queens vaccinated pre-breeding pass immunity through colostrum.
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