“Jabs” is simply the everyday British word for vaccinations, the word most UK owners use at the vet’s front desk. If you have just brought home a kitten, taken on a rescue cat, or found an old vaccination card and wondered if it is still valid, you are asking the right question.
This guide explains each jab one by one, in plain English. You will find the kitten schedule in a single table, honest answers about indoor cats and missed boosters, what actually happens at the appointment, which side effects are normal, and what it all typically costs across the UK.
In this guide
- What are cat jabs?
- The core jabs, explained one by one
- Optional jabs: rabies, chlamydia, Bordetella
- The kitten jab schedule
- What happens at a jab appointment
- Adult cats that missed their jabs
- Do indoor cats still need jabs?
- Side effects: normal vs not normal
- Costs and keeping records
- Frequently asked questions
What Are Cat Jabs?
A jab is a vaccine given by injection, usually under the loose skin at the scruff of the neck. Each vaccine contains a safe, weakened or inactivated form of a virus or bacterium. It cannot cause the disease, but it teaches the immune system to recognise the real thing and produce antibodies. If your cat later meets the actual infection, the response is fast, and the illness is prevented or made far milder.
Vets divide vaccines into two groups. Core vaccines protect against diseases that are widespread, severe, or both, and every cat should have them. Non-core vaccines are chosen by lifestyle, such as travel abroad or cattery stays. A jab takes seconds, comes with a health check, and is recorded on your cat’s vaccination card.
The Core Cat Jabs, Explained One by One
Three diseases sit at the heart of every UK vaccination programme, with a fourth added for most kittens and any cat that goes outdoors:
- Cat flu: feline herpesvirus (FHV). One of the two main causes of cat flu. It brings sneezing, runny eyes, fever and poor appetite, and kittens suffer most. Once a cat is infected the virus stays for life, flaring up at stressful times. Vaccination cannot remove an existing infection, but it greatly reduces how ill cats become.
- Cat flu: feline calicivirus (FCV). The second major cat flu virus, causing mouth and tongue ulcers, drooling and sneezing. It spreads easily through shared bowls, bedding and air in multi-cat homes. The jab reduces the severity of illness and helps protect the cats around yours too.
- Feline panleukopenia (FPV). Also called feline infectious enteritis or feline parvovirus, and the most dangerous disease on this list. It attacks the gut and white blood cells, causing severe vomiting, diarrhoea and collapse, and it kills many unvaccinated kittens. The virus survives for months on floors, bowls and shoes. The vaccine against it is highly effective.
- Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). A virus passed between cats through saliva, grooming, shared bowls and bites. Over time it suppresses the immune system and is linked to anaemia and cancers. It is a core jab for UK kittens and for any adult cat that goes outside or lives with cats that do. If an adult cat’s history is unknown, your vet may offer a quick blood test first.
The flu and panleukopenia vaccines usually come as one combined injection (called FVRCP in American sources), with FeLV as a second injection at the same visit. A full set of jabs normally means one or two quick injections, not a long series of needles.
Optional Jabs: Rabies, Chlamydia and Bordetella
Beyond the core set, three vaccines come up for particular lifestyles:
Rabies is not needed by cats that stay in the UK, because the UK is free of the disease. It becomes essential if your cat travels abroad, recorded in a pet passport or animal health certificate. A microchip must be in place first, and travel dates are strict, so plan well ahead.
Chlamydia (Chlamydophila felis) is a bacterium causing sore, swollen, runny eyes, mostly in kittens and busy multi-cat or breeding households. Bordetella causes a kennel cough style infection and matters mainly for cats that board or attend shows. Some catteries ask for one or both on top of the core jabs, so check boarding requirements before you book, not after.
The Kitten Jab Schedule
Timing matters because of maternal antibodies. Kittens absorb antibodies from their mother’s first milk, which protect them for the first weeks of life, but the same antibodies can neutralise a vaccine given too early. As they fade, a gap opens where the kitten is unprotected but can finally respond to a vaccine. The UK schedule lands in that window, which is why two visits are needed.
| Age | Which jabs | What else happens |
|---|---|---|
| 8 to 9 weeks | First primary jab: cat flu (herpesvirus and calicivirus) plus panleukopenia. First FeLV jab if it is part of your kitten’s course. | Full health check. Many practices also cover worming, flea prevention and the microchip around this visit. |
| 12 weeks (3 to 4 weeks after the first visit) | Second primary jab: the same core jabs repeated, plus the second FeLV jab. | Second health check. Protection builds over the next two to three weeks; keep your kitten indoors until then. |
| 12 months | First annual booster: all core jabs topped up, FeLV included if your cat is still at risk. | Yearly health check. This booster locks in lasting immunity. |
| Every year after | Annual booster visit. Some components, such as panleukopenia, may be given every three years under your vet’s schedule, while cat flu cover is usually topped up yearly. | Annual health check. Your practice will send a reminder when the booster is due. |
Table 1: The usual cat jabs schedule in the UK, from a kitten’s first jab at 8 to 9 weeks through to annual boosters.
If a breeder or rescue vaccinated your kitten before you collected them, take the paperwork to your first vet visit. The vet will check what was given and continue or restart the course, so there are no gaps.
What Happens at a Jab Appointment
A vaccination visit is short and routine. Here is how it normally runs, step by step:
- You book and bring the records. Take your cat’s vaccination card if you have one, and mention any previous vaccine reaction when you book, so the vet is prepared.
- The vet does a health check first. Weight, teeth, ears, eyes, heart and temperature all get checked. Vaccines go only to healthy cats, so mention if yours has been off colour; the jab may be postponed.
- The jab itself takes seconds. The injection goes under the loose skin at the scruff. Most cats notice it less than the car journey, and a few treats afterwards settle the matter.
- Parasite prevention is sorted at the same visit. Jabs and flea and worm protection are the two halves of routine prevention, and vets review both together. That is when a monthly spot-on such as Revolution for cats might be prescribed, or a worming tablet given, and it is a natural moment to arrange the microchip if your cat lacks one.
- You get aftercare advice and the next date. The vet stamps and signs the vaccination card, tells you what mild effects to expect, and sets the booster date. Many practices send a reminder when it comes round.
Adult Cats That Missed Their Jabs
Plenty of adult cats arrive with no history at all: rescues, strays, cats rehomed through friends. The good news is that it is never too late to start. An adult cat with unknown or badly lapsed vaccinations simply restarts a primary course: two jabs, three to four weeks apart, just like a kitten, followed by annual boosters.
If only a booster is overdue, the picture is softer. Depending on the gap and the vaccine used, the vet may restart the course or give a single top-up, because some components hold protection far longer than the paperwork suggests. Do not assume protection has vanished, and do not assume it has held. One visit settles it, and your cat leaves with a clean, valid record.
Do Indoor Cats Still Need Jabs?
Yes, for the core jabs at least, and this is the question indoor cat owners ask most. The honest reason is that “indoor” is not the sealed bubble it feels like: cat flu and panleukopenia viruses travel in on shoes, clothing and hands, and panleukopenia survives for months in the environment. Visiting pets, a cattery stay, or one dash through an open door can all expose an unprotected cat. Most catteries refuse cats without up-to-date core vaccinations, which owners often discover the week before a holiday.
The one genuine judgement call is FeLV. A strictly indoor solo cat has very low exposure to a virus needing close contact to spread, and some vets happily leave FeLV off for that cat, keeping flu and panleukopenia firmly on. Have that conversation with your own vet, but it is not a reason to skip the core jabs.
Side Effects: What Is Normal and What Is Not
Cat vaccines have a long safety record, and most cats show nothing at all. The effects vets see are mild and pass within a day or two: a quieter, sleepier cat, a slight fever, eating a little less, and sometimes a small, painless lump at the injection site that fades over days or weeks. A kitten sick once on the evening after a jab, then perky and eating normally, has usually just had a stressful day plus a mild immune response. If sickness repeats, though, or comes with other symptoms, it deserves a proper look, and our guide to why is my cat vomiting explains the patterns that matter.
Call your vet the same day for repeated vomiting, swelling of the face or lips, difficulty breathing, severe lethargy or collapse: those signs can point to a rare allergic reaction and need prompt treatment. Also book a check if the injection site lump keeps growing, feels hard, or is still there after several weeks, because a very rare type of tumour can develop at injection sites, and early removal makes the difference. None of this should put you off: the core diseases are far more dangerous than the jabs that prevent them.
What Cat Jabs Cost, and Keeping Records
Prices vary by practice and region, with city practices, especially in London, at the top of the range. As broad typical figures, a kitten’s primary course often totals £60 to £120 across the two visits, an annual booster commonly costs £40 to £70 including the health check, and a rabies jab is often £50 to £90. Many practices offer monthly health plans that spread boosters, flea and worm prevention and check-ups into one payment. Always confirm the price with your own practice before you book, because these ranges are a guide, not a quote.
Finally, look after the paperwork. Every jab goes on a vaccination card with the date, vaccine batch and the vet’s signature or practice stamp, and your practice keeps the same record on its system. You need that proof for cattery boarding, some insurers ask for it, and rabies records are legally required for travel. Photograph the card as a backup, keep microchip details current, and note the booster month somewhere you will see it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What jabs do cats need in the UK?
Every UK cat needs the core jabs: cat flu (feline herpesvirus and calicivirus) and feline panleukopenia. Most kittens, and any cat that goes outdoors, also need the feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) jab. Kittens get two jabs, at 8 to 9 weeks and 12 weeks, then boosters, usually every year. Rabies is only needed for travel abroad.
How much do cat jabs cost in the UK?
Prices vary by practice and region. A kitten’s primary course typically totals £60 to £120, and an annual booster is usually £40 to £70 including a health check. Many vets offer monthly health plans that spread the cost. Ask your practice for current prices before booking.
Do indoor cats need vaccinations?
Yes. Cat flu and panleukopenia viruses reach indoor cats on shoes, clothing and hands, and panleukopenia survives for months in the home. Catteries require up-to-date core jabs too. The only real choice is FeLV, which a solo indoor cat may not need, with your vet’s agreement.
What happens if my cat misses a booster jab?
Do not panic, and do not assume protection has gone. If the gap is short, your vet may simply give a top-up jab. If vaccinations have lapsed badly or the history is unknown, your cat restarts a primary course: two jabs, three to four weeks apart, then annual boosters. One visit sorts it out.
Can cat jabs make my kitten ill?
Mild effects are common and pass within a day or two: sleepiness, a slight fever, eating less, or one episode of sickness after a stressful visit. A small injection site lump is also normal and fades slowly. Repeated vomiting, facial swelling, breathing problems or collapse are not normal: see a vet the same day.
Conclusion
Cat jabs are one of the simplest, cheapest forms of protection you will ever buy your cat. Two kitten visits at 8 to 9 and 12 weeks, a booster each year, and the core diseases, cat flu, panleukopenia and feline leukaemia, become problems you rarely have to think about. Keep the card safe, keep the boosters current, and let your vet tailor the optional extras to the life your cat actually lives.
