Q: We’ve promised our daughter a kitten this summer. What’s the latest on vaccines? Is cancer still a concern? — D.W., via e-mail

A: Kittens need a series of vaccinations to protect them as they grow. Young mammals pick up antibodies from their mothers through the placenta and in the special milk, called colostrum, that they drink in the first days of their lives. These antibodies diminish over time. But until they do, they not only protect the kitten against disease, but they also may block the usefulness of any vaccine.

Although it’s technically possible to determine exactly when a kitten’s maternal antibodies have fallen to the point where a vaccine is necessary, doing so is impractical. That’s why veterinarians give a series of shots to ensure that the kitten is protected as those maternal antibodies fade.

Here are some general vaccine guidelines for kittens.

— Core vaccines: A combination vaccine gives protection against feline herpes virus, feline calicivirus and feline panleukopenia virus. The first combination vaccine is given when a kitten first comes in to see the veterinarian with additional shots at three- to fourweek intervals until 16 weeks of age.

Vaccination against rabies is highly recommended for cats and may be required by law depending on where you live. Kittens get one shot with an annual booster, and then shots at three-year intervals, or as required by law.

— Non-core vaccines: The need for all other vaccines should be discussed with your veterinarian. Some experts question how well some of the non-core vaccines work, while others recommend non-core vaccines only for those cats who are at high risk for disease, such as pets allowed to roam outside.

Feline leukemia is one vaccine that should be considered, unless you’re planning to keep your cat strictly indoors. Kittens are tested for feline leukemia, then given one shot with a booster three to four weeks later.

If you are getting multiple vaccinations for your kitten, discuss spreading the vaccines out and not having more than one or two inoculations given in any one visit. If too many shots are administered at one time, the potential for reactions or interactions may be greater.

In adult cats, the risk of vaccine site sarcoma — cancer at the injection site — must be taken into account when weighing the risks of vaccines vs. their benefits. The trend overall is to tailor vaccines to the lifestyles of individual cats, to increase the amount of time between boosters, and to give shots at various times, in different places on the body. Keep an eye on vaccine sites, and report any lump that grows or persists more than a couple of weeks.

The bottom line: Discuss with your veterinarian what vaccinations your kitten needs, what risks are involved, and how you can best minimize those risks. Keep in mind, however, that despite the risks, vaccines still prevent many times more deaths than they cause.

A good veterinarian will be following the changing view of routine vaccinations and should be up on the latest recommendations in preventive care for your new kitten. — Dr. Marty Becker