Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm thinking of adopting a kitten but I have a thirteen year old cat who hasn't been vaccinated since he was 8. Is there anything I should worry about the kitten exposing my cat to? Aside from a feline leukemia test on the kitten, is there anything else I should get? And should I abide by the regular kitten vaccination schedule, or is there something else you recommend?

Thanks!

The only shots a cat needs is a distemper shot sometime after 8 weeks of age, one time, and a rabies shot at 13 weeks, another 1 year later, and then another every 3 years. Your older cat has already had those, so she is protected from anything the itten might be carrying. If the kitten will be staying indoors, and your cat does not have Feline Leukemia, the kitten should not get a shot for that.

My older cat has not had a rabies shot in 6 years. Would you advise getting one for him before I bring the kitten home? He's a very sensitive kitty and I remember him not reacting the best afterwards

If your cat has had a bad reaction to a vaccination, you are putting him at great risk by repeating it. Since you know that he reacted to the shot, he most likely has sufficient antibodies. You can have his titer checked if you are concerned, but in any case he should not get another shot.