Kitten first-year planner for the ACT: registration, desexing and cat containment
In the ACT, kittens must be registered once they are over 8 weeks old, microchipped, and desexed by 3 months, and every cat born after 1 July 2022 must be contained at home 24 hours a day. Around those dates sit three F3 vaccinations between 6 and 16 weeks and regular worming.
Rules last checked 24 September 2026
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- InsuranceNow
Insure your kitten before any waiting period can bite
Pet insurance won't pay for anything that shows signs during its waiting period. All six policies we compare cover cats: illness cover starts after 14 to 30 days, and some specified conditions after up to 6 months. Anything that appears before cover starts can be excluded for life, so insuring while your kitten is young and healthy matters most.
- ParasitesNow
Use cat-safe flea and tick products only
Never put a dog flea or tick treatment on a cat. Many dog spot-ons contain permethrin, which cats can't break down; even a standard dose for a small dog can kill a cat, and it is the most common way cats are poisoned. If you also have a dog, keep your kitten away from it for at least 72 hours after treating the dog. On the east coast, paralysis ticks affect cats too, so ask your vet for a kitten-safe preventative.
- Legal requirementNow
ACT: keep your kitten contained 24 hours a day
Every cat in the ACT born after 1 July 2022 must be contained on your premises 24 hours a day: indoors, in an enclosed yard or cat enclosure, in a carrier, or on a leash. Some suburbs are also cat containment areas for cats of any age.
- Parasites2–24 weeks
Worm your kitten every 2 weeks, then monthly
Kittens are commonly wormed every 2 weeks until 12 weeks old, then monthly until 6 months, then every 3 months as adults. Use an all-wormer made for cats that covers roundworm, hookworm and tapeworm.
- Vaccine6–8 weeks
First F3 vaccination
The core F3 vaccine protects against feline panleukopenia (feline enteritis), feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus (cat flu). The first dose is given at 6 to 8 weeks, often before your kitten comes home, so check the vaccination card you received.
- Behaviour8–10 weeks
Keep up gentle kitten socialisation
A kitten's sensitive period starts at about 2 weeks and begins to wane between 7 and 10 weeks, so much of it happens with the breeder. Carry it on at home: short, calm handling sessions, touching paws and nails, time in an open carrier, short car trips and a clean litter tray in a quiet spot. Let your kitten approach at its own pace.
- Legal requirement8 weeks
ACT: register your kitten once it's over 8 weeks
Cat registration is compulsory in the ACT for cats over 8 weeks old. You pay once when you first register, and renew free of charge each year through the Pet Registration Portal.
- Vaccine10–12 weeks
Second F3 vaccination
The next F3 dose comes 2 to 4 weeks after the first. Your vet may also discuss non-core vaccines, such as feline leukaemia or FIV, depending on whether your cat will go outdoors.
- Legal requirement12 weeks
ACT: microchip your kitten by 12 weeks
All cats in the ACT must be microchipped; the law requires it once a cat is 12 weeks old. Vets, RSPCA ACT and Domestic Animal Services can implant a microchip.
- Legal requirement3 months
ACT: desex your kitten by 3 months
In the ACT, a cat must be desexed once it is 3 months old unless you hold a sexually entire permit. Keeping an undesexed cat without a permit is a strict liability offence.
- Vaccine16 weeks
Final kitten vaccination at 16 weeks or later
The last kitten dose should not be given before 16 weeks, because antibodies from the mother can stop earlier doses from working in some kittens. Your kitten isn't fully protected until 7 to 14 days after this dose.
- Vaccine26–68 weeks
Your cat's first adult booster
The first adult booster is traditionally given about 12 months after the last kitten vaccination, though current guidelines allow it from 6 months of age. Your vet will then set an ongoing schedule, and an annual health check is recommended either way.