What is FVRCP vaccine?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
FVRCP is the core combined vaccine for cats. It protects against feline viral rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus), calicivirus and panleukopenia. Indian cards often show a brand name from the vial sticker instead, such as Tricat. Kittens start at 6 to 8 weeks, with doses every 2 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks or older, then a booster at about 26 weeks.
Also called FVRCP, Tricat, tricat vaccine, feline core vaccine, cat 3-in-1 vaccine, RCP.
Key facts
- Core vaccines for cats in every country protect against feline panleukopenia virus, calicivirus and herpesvirus. WSAVAstudy
- The Tricat Trio vaccine is a weakened-virus injection that protects against feline panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus. MSD Animal Health New Zealand
- The first kitten dose is at 6 to 8 weeks and never before 6 weeks; ICAR-IVRI starts at 8 to 10 weeks. WSAVA
- Herpesvirus and calicivirus vaccines reduce how sick a cat gets but may not prevent infection. International Cat Care
- Cats that board regularly may need the herpesvirus and calicivirus parts up to every year. WSAVAstudy
What do the letters in FVRCP mean?
Three diseases, five letters. The same vaccine can appear under different names on a card.
- FVR: feline viral rhinotracheitis
- The disease caused by feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1), a main cause of cat flu. International Cat Care
- C: calicivirus
- Feline calicivirus (FCV), the other main cause of cat flu, often with mouth ulcers. International Cat Care
- P: panleukopenia
- Feline parvovirus (FPV), a severe and often fatal gut disease, also called feline infectious enteritis or feline distemper. Merck Veterinary Manual
- RCP or Tricat on the card
- The same three diseases. A vet may write the brand from the vial sticker, such as Nobivac Tricat Trio, instead of FVRCP. MSD Animal Health New Zealand
When does a kitten get FVRCP?
The first dose is given at 6 to 8 weeks of age, and never before 6 weeks. Doses follow every 2 to 4 weeks, most often every 3 to 4, until the kitten is 16 weeks or older. WSAVA and AAHA/AAFP then advise a booster at about 26 weeks rather than waiting a year; European ABCD guidance gives it at 10 to 16 months. ICAR-IVRI's leaflet starts kittens at 8 to 10 weeks.
Rabies is a separate injection from 12 weeks, and FeLV is given only to cats that need it, after a negative test. Neither is part of FVRCP.
How often do adult cats need FVRCP?
It depends on the cat's lifestyle and on whose guidance your vet follows.
| WSAVA 2024 | ICAR-IVRI (India) | |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor cat that never boards WSAVAstudy | Every 3 years or longer | Every year |
| Cat that boards or meets other cats WSAVAstudy | Herpesvirus and calicivirus parts up to every year; panleukopenia every 3 years | Every year |
| Before a cattery or a sitter's home WSAVAstudy | Booster 1 to 2 weeks before the main yearly stay | Not stated |
ICAR-IVRI's calendar is from its 2020 leaflet on vaccinating dogs and cats. Your vet decides.
Does an indoor cat in a flat need FVRCP?
Yes. WSAVA calls all three parts core for every cat. Panleukopenia virus survives in the environment for more than a year and travels on objects, and cat flu viruses spread on hands, clothes and bowls, so a cat that never goes out can still be exposed. An indoor cat may need boosters less often than a cat that mixes with others.
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Questions owners ask
Is Tricat the same as FVRCP?
- Yes, in what it covers. Nobivac Tricat Trio, made by MSD Animal Health, protects against feline panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus, the three diseases in FVRCP. Vets often stick the vial's peel-off label on the record, a practice WSAVA encourages, so the brand name appears where a US card would say FVRCP.
Does FVRCP include rabies?
- No. Rabies is a separate vaccine given from 12 weeks of age and recorded on its own line. WSAVA says all cats in rabies-endemic areas such as India should be vaccinated against rabies, even indoor cats, so check the card shows both.
Can my cat get cat flu after the FVRCP vaccine?
- Yes, a mild case is possible. The herpesvirus and calicivirus parts usually prevent severe disease but may not stop infection, and herpesvirus can flare up under stress. The panleukopenia part gives solid, long-lasting protection.
Why does a kitten need several FVRCP doses?
- Antibodies passed on in the mother's milk can block early vaccine doses, and nobody can tell without a blood test when they fade in a given kitten. Doses every 2 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks or older make sure one takes, and the booster at about 26 weeks catches the few kittens still unprotected.
Keep reading
Related terms
More in vaccines and parasites
- BabesiosisBabesiosis is a disease of dogs caused by Babesia, tiny parasites that live in and destroy red blood cells. It is spread mainly by ticks, and in India one species, Babesia gibsoni, also spreads through dog fights and blood transfusions. Signs are anaemia with pale gums, weakness, jaundice and red or brown urine. Dogs that recover can relapse.
- Booster vaccineA booster is a repeat dose of a vaccine that tops up or confirms a pet's protection. Puppies and kittens get a booster at about 26 weeks after their first course. After that, modern core vaccines for distemper, parvovirus and panleukopenia protect for years, while leptospirosis, kennel cough and most killed vaccines need a booster every year.
- Brown dog tickThe brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is the most common tick on dogs in the tropics, including India. Unlike most ticks it lives and breeds indoors, in homes and kennels, as well as outdoors. It spreads ehrlichiosis and one form of babesiosis, the infections Indian owners call tick fever, so tick control is needed all year.
- Core vaccinesCore vaccines are the vaccines every dog or cat should have, wherever it lives, because they protect against widespread, serious diseases. For dogs they cover distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus; for cats, panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus. In India rabies is core for both, and WSAVA also treats leptospirosis vaccine as core for dogs where the disease is endemic.
- DewormingDeworming is giving a pet medicine, chosen by your vet, to kill intestinal worms such as roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. Puppies can be born with roundworms and catch more from their mother's milk, so deworming starts in the first weeks of life. Some dog and cat worms can infect people, especially children, so regular deworming protects the family too.
- DHPPi vaccineDHPPi is the combined core vaccine for dogs printed on many Indian vaccine cards. The letters stand for distemper (D), hepatitis from canine adenovirus (H), parvovirus (P) and parainfluenza (Pi). DHPPiL adds leptospirosis (L). It is the same vaccine group that US cards call DHPP or DA2PP, and puppies start it at 6 to 8 weeks.
- EhrlichiosisEhrlichiosis is a disease of dogs caused by Ehrlichia canis, a bacterium carried by the brown dog tick. Signs appear 1 to 3 weeks after infection: fever, dullness, bleeding such as nosebleeds or bruising, and enlarged lymph nodes. Some dogs seem to recover but carry the infection silently and later develop a severe chronic form.
- Flea and tick preventionFlea and tick prevention means regularly protecting a pet from these parasites with a product your vet recommends, plus checking the coat and treating the home. Tropical guidelines say dogs and cats in places like India should be protected all year, including indoor pets. Use products licensed for the species, and never put a dog product on a cat.
- FleasFleas are small, wingless, blood-feeding insects. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is the most common flea on dogs and cats worldwide, and the main flea on dogs studied in India. Fleas cause itching, flea allergy, tapeworm and, in heavy infestations, anaemia in puppies and kittens. Most of the flea life cycle happens in the home.
- HeartwormHeartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, is a long worm that lives in the heart and lung blood vessels of dogs and, less often, cats. It is spread by mosquito bites and is widespread in tropical regions, including parts of India. Signs include coughing, tiring on exercise and weight loss. It can be prevented, and dogs should be tested yearly.
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- MSD Animal Health New Zealand: Nobivac Tricat Trio (product page) (opens in a new tab)
- WSAVA: Core and non-core vaccines for pet cats (opens in a new tab)
- International Cat Care: Cat flu (upper respiratory infection) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Feline panleukopenia (opens in a new tab)
- European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD): Guideline for maternally derived immunity and vaccination (opens in a new tab)
- ICAR-IVRI: Vaccination of dogs and cats (Hindi leaflet, 2020) (opens in a new tab)
- WSAVA: 2024 guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats (WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group, Journal of Small Animal Practice) (opens in a new tab)
- AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2020): 2020 AAHA/AAFP feline vaccination guidelines (opens in a new tab)