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Schedule OnlineBy Michael Wesselink, DVM
The Pet Advocate Spay Neuter & Wellness | Tracy, California
Most kittens start their core vaccine series at 8 weeks of age and finish the important final doses after they turn 4 months old, with shots spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart in between.
I'm Dr. Mike Wesselink, a UC Davis-trained veterinarian who runs The Pet Advocate, a busy spay, neuter, and wellness clinic right here in Tracy, California. In my years guiding kitten owners through this process at our clinic, I've learned that clear information helps owners make confident decisions for their new cats.
This page walks you through the exact schedule we follow, explains what each vaccine protects against, covers California's rules on rabies, shows how our pricing works without surprise exam fees, and answers the questions I get asked most often in the exam room.
What sets this guidance apart from many national websites is the focus on California's specific rules, our walk-in no-exam-fee model, and the honest explanation of why the series works the way it does—drawn from daily experience in a real Tracy clinic.
The bottom line is simple: kittens need the full series because early protection from their mother can block vaccines from working, and the shot they get after 4 months of age is usually the one that builds real, lasting immunity.
Kittens get a series of core vaccines spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart. We begin around 8 weeks and make sure the final doses happen after the kitten reaches 4 months. Sticking to those intervals matters because vaccines given too close together don't give the immune system enough time to respond properly.
Your kitten's exact dates might shift a little depending on when you bring them in and their individual health, but these ages give us the best chance at solid protection.
These are the vaccines I recommend for every kitten that walks through our door, no matter their future lifestyle. You can read more in our cat vaccination guidelines.
The FVRCP shot is really three vaccines in one. It guards against:
This combination forms the foundation of the kitten series. We give the first dose at 8 weeks, the second at 12 weeks, and the final one at 16 weeks.
Rabies is a deadly virus that affects the nervous system and can spread to people. I recommend it for all cats because even indoor cats can come into contact with infected wildlife through open windows or carried-in items. At our clinic we give the first rabies vaccine once a kitten is at least 3 months old, usually as part of the 16-week visit. The first dose lasts one year, and subsequent boosters last three years as long as the previous one stayed current.
You will see conflicting advice online about whether the feline leukemia vaccine is core or only for certain lifestyles. This is where some sources create confusion, but current guidance is clear. The American Animal Hospital Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners list it as core for every cat under one year of age.
In my practice we treat it as core for all kittens, indoor or not, because the virus spreads easily through saliva, shared litter boxes, and grooming, and kittens are especially vulnerable.
We give the first FeLV dose at 12 weeks and the second at 16 weeks. When a kitten's history suggests it, we run a quick test for FeLV before starting that vaccine so we know exactly what we're dealing with.
Newborn kittens pick up protective antibodies from their mother's colostrum in the first day or two after birth. Those antibodies do an excellent job early on, but they also latch onto vaccine particles and stop the kitten's immune system from learning to make its own protection.
The maternal antibodies start to fade somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks, though no one can predict the exact day for any one kitten. It depends on how much colostrum the kitten got, how good the quality was, and whether it absorbed it well in that narrow window after birth.
Because of that uncertainty, we begin vaccinating at 8 weeks to cover kittens whose protection may already be dropping. The 12-week dose acts as a booster once most maternal antibodies have cleared. The shot given after 4 months of age is the one that typically creates the strongest and most reliable immune response in the majority of kittens. That final visit is the one I emphasize most with owners.
California law requires rabies vaccination for all dogs over 4 months of age. There is no statewide requirement for cats. A handful of cities and counties have added their own rules for cat vaccination or licensing, so checking your local ordinances is a good idea if you live outside Tracy.
Even without a legal mandate, I still recommend the rabies vaccine for every cat we see. Public health experts agree because the disease is fatal in almost every case once clinical signs appear, and any cat can potentially encounter an infected bat or other wildlife.
You can check the latest details on the California Department of Public Health rabies page.
Owners often ask me why vaccine prices seem to vary so much between clinics. At The Pet Advocate you pay for the vaccine itself. We do not add an office exam fee for walk-in vaccine visits. For example, the FVRCP vaccine is $30 per dose here. See our current pricing for the full list.
Many other practices quote a per-shot price that looks lower on paper but then charge a separate $50 to $130 exam fee on top of it.
Our walk-in wellness services for vaccines run Monday through Friday from 12 to 3 PM with no appointment required. This keeps the process simple and the total cost transparent for families who just need to get their kitten protected.
I explain my recommendations clearly and then let the owner decide what fits their situation and budget. That same approach applies to any non-core vaccines or optional services that might come up during a visit. We respect owners who choose to opt out, including the dedicated trap-neuter-return volunteers who bring in feral cats and need to make every dollar count for as many animals as possible.
This philosophy keeps things honest. Owners know we are not bundling services they do not want or need.
The majority of kittens experience either no reaction or very mild, short-lived effects after a vaccine. Common mild signs include:
These usually pass within 24 hours.
True adverse reactions are uncommon, but they require prompt attention. Contact us right away if your kitten shows any of these rare but serious signs:
We send every client home with clear after-care instructions so you know what is normal and what needs a call.
Kittens can begin their core vaccine series at about 8 weeks of age. Starting earlier is usually not effective because maternal antibodies from nursing are still strong enough to neutralize the vaccine.
Most kittens receive a series of three FVRCP doses, two FeLV doses, and one rabies vaccine, all spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart and finishing after 4 months of age. The exact number can vary slightly if a kitten starts later than 8 weeks.
At our clinic you pay only for the vaccines themselves with no exam fee added for walk-in visits. The FVRCP runs $30 per dose, and our other core vaccines follow a similar accessible pricing structure. Costs vary by region and clinic, but skipping the bundled exam fee makes a noticeable difference in the final total.
We give the first rabies vaccine once a kitten reaches at least 3 months of age. We usually time it for the final kitten visit around 4 months so everything lines up in one trip.
Mild side effects, when they occur, typically resolve within one to two days. Serious reactions are rare, but any facial swelling, persistent vomiting, or breathing changes should prompt an immediate call to us or your nearest emergency clinic.
Yes. Even kittens that will live strictly indoors still need core protection. FVRCP viruses can be tracked in on clothing or shoes, FeLV spreads through shared resources in multi-cat households, and rabies remains a risk from wildlife that might enter the home or yard.
Start the series at 8 weeks, keep the 3-to-4-week spacing between doses, and do not skip that final set of shots after your kitten turns 4 months old. That last visit is where the strongest protection usually takes hold.
If you are in or near Tracy, feel free to walk in for vaccines any Monday through Friday between 12 and 3 PM. There is no exam fee for shot-only visits. You can also book a convenient time online through our scheduling page if that works better for your schedule.