First year kitten guide EU: vaccinations, Pet Passport, vet visits, laws

What’s different about EU kitten care

• European pet passport required for travel between EU countries (European Commission).
• Microchip required for that travel. For cats that stay at home, chipping and registration rules are national and differ: ask your vet.
• Rabies vaccination required for travel. Some countries have their own rabies rules as well. ABCD refers vets to national or regional legislation.
• Indoor-outdoor habits vary by country and between city and countryside.
• Cat registration rules are national. In April 2025 the European vet federations FVE and FECAVA called for mandatory identification and registration of cats across the EU.

First year by month

Month 1 (8 to 12 weeks): arrival + first vaccines + chip

• Microchip: national rules on when a kitten must be chipped differ. For travel the chip must be in place before the rabies vaccination.
• First core vaccination at 8 to 9 weeks per the ABCD vaccination recommendations: feline panleukopenia virus, feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus (the last two cause cat flu). In the US this combination is called FVRCP.
• Second core vaccination at 12 weeks.
• Worming on the plan your vet sets. International Cat Care commonly recommends roundworm treatment every two weeks from 3 to 8 weeks of age, then monthly to 6 months. Flea and tick risks differ by region.
• European pet passport from an authorised vet, if you plan to travel.
• Pet insurance enrollment.
• Litter box training.
• Register with vet.

Month 2 to 3 (13 to 16 weeks): final vaccines + rabies

• Third core vaccination at 16 weeks (ABCD). ABCD notes this dose is particularly important for kittens whose mothers had high antibody levels.
• FeLV vaccination for kittens at risk, such as those who will go outdoors or live with cats of unknown FeLV status: at 8 or 9 weeks and 12 weeks, together with the core vaccines, after an FeLV test (ABCD FeLV guideline).
• Rabies at 12 weeks or older if you will travel or your country asks for it.
• Ask your vet when protection is in place after the final dose.

Month 4 to 6: neutering

• Neutering: International Cat Care says neutering should routinely take place at around four months of age, before cats reach sexual maturity. Practice varies by country. Discuss timing with your vet.
• Outdoor introduction if planned (microchip + ID essential).

Month 6 to 9: adolescence

• Continued growth.
• First booster approaching: ABCD places it at 10 to 16 months.
• Dental care.

Month 10 to 12: adult transition

• Diet transition to adult formula at around 12 months for all cats. Large breeds such as Maine Coons and Ragdolls keep growing for longer, and your vet decides what that means for their food. The AAHA 2021 Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines say to feed a growth diet until skeletal maturity, for cats typically until about 1 year of age. Talk it through with your vet, then switch gradually.
• First booster (ABCD: 10 to 16 months) + check.
• Insurance review.

EU kitten vaccination schedule (typical)

This is the standard kitten protocol in the ABCD vaccination recommendations (June 2025). It is expert guidance, not EU law. Your vet adapts it to your country, the vaccines licensed there and your kitten.

The WSAVA global table for cats follows the same logic: doses every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks of age, and it asks vets to consider the next dose at about 6 months instead of waiting until 12 to 16 months.

FIV: there is no FIV vaccine on sale in Europe, and ABCD does not recommend the one sold elsewhere (ABCD FIV guideline).

Country variations:

• FeLV is less common than it was in many European countries, but rates stay high in some regions, particularly in southern Europe (ABCD). In high-prevalence areas ABCD advises vaccinating all kittens.
• Rabies booster timing follows national or regional law.
• Parasites differ by region. Ask your vet what matters where you live and where you travel.

EU Pet Passport for cats

Same framework as dogs (European Commission, Your Europe):

• Issued by an authorised vet, to owners who live in the EU.
• Holds the microchip code, the rabies vaccination record, and owner and vet details.
• The kitten must be at least 12 weeks old at rabies vaccination, and the microchip must be in place first.
• The vaccination becomes valid no sooner than 21 days after the primary course is complete, so plan the first trip after that.
• Valid for life as long as the rabies vaccination stays in date.
• Certain EU countries allow in kittens that are too young to be vaccinated or still inside the 21 days, and others do not. Check the rules of the country you travel to.

Pet insurance for cats in the EU

Policies and premiums vary by country. We do not name or rank insurers. Compare policies on what they cover, the waiting periods and how pre-existing conditions are treated.

Plan for routine visits too: the first year brings consultations, the vaccine visits, microchipping, spay or neuter and the annual exam with booster, and each one is paid. Ask your practice what it charges.

Common EU cat breeds

• European Shorthair / Domestic: majority across EU.
• Maine Coon.
• British Shorthair.
• Persian.
• Ragdoll.
• Bengal.
• Norwegian Forest Cat.
• Sphynx.
• Russian Blue.

EU pet legislation for cats

• Microchipping: EU rules require it for travel between member states. Rules for cats that stay at home are national.
• Animal welfare, outdoor access and registration rules are set nationally and sometimes locally. Ask your vet or your national authority what applies to you.

Indoor vs outdoor (EU context)

Habits differ across Europe and between city and countryside. International Cat Care says there is no right or wrong answer between indoor-only and outdoor access. Outdoors brings traffic, fights with other cats and infectious disease; indoors brings a higher risk of obesity, boredom and stress unless the home is enriched. Weigh it for your own cat and home, with your vet.

Choosing food in the EU

We do not name or rank pet-food brands or shops. The WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines include a toolkit on selecting a pet food. Prescription diets come through your vet.

What to track in Flok

• Vaccination dates, with vaccine and care reminders.
• Rabies certificate and other vet papers, scanned and filed.
• Microchip number and registry.
• Symptom notes in your own words, with a photo.

Related

• First year kitten guide (international pillar)
• First year puppy EU
• First year kitten UK
• First year kitten US
• First year kitten CA
• Indoor vs outdoor cat