New Kitten - How Soon to First Vet Visit, Shots, Spay, etc?

I have just gotten a new kitten who is 6 months old. She has had no preventive medical treatment yet and I am wondering how long to wait until she goes to the vet for her first shots and exam. I've heard that it's best to get a cat spayed as soon as possible because the younger they are when it happens, the easier it is on them. On the other hand, I've only had her a few days and she is still going through the stress of relocating to both new surroundings and new people in her life at the same time.

I have read that it's best to wait at least 4 months to allow her to get fully accustomed to her new life and over the stress of relocating before getting her spayed. That seems like a long time but on the other hand, this relocation seems to have been a lot of stress for her and I would hate to have to take her out to another new environment too soon and have her overly stressed by all of the rigors of her first vet visit.

The same thing goes for her shots. She will need a rabies shot as soon as possible of course (it is mandatory but I would want her to have it anyway) but since she is going to be kept strictly indoors at all times and not given the opportunity for contact with other animals, I am not too concerned about waiting a month or two to do that. The same goes for her FeLV shot. I will want her to get one at least initially but with our previous cat, the vet said it wasn't really necessary to keep giving FeLV shots as she got older since she never went outdoors and was never exposed to any other animals.

The wild card in all of this is that I don't know too much about what kind of environment she lived in for the first 6 months of her life or what she may have been exposed to there. I do know that she has been taken outdoors for a few car rides and has been around other cats in her own litter. I just want to make sure that she has not been exposed to something harmful already. A good sign is that she seems extremely healthy now with no signs of fleas, mites etc. and her coat is beautiful

So, can I wait a few months to get her spayed and get her shots or do I need to get her in to the vet as soon as possible to get an exam and at least get her shots? Thanks for any advice.

I would be getting her in for an exam and the first shots asap.  2 weeks later spaying & microchipping and 2 weeks after that the second (final) round of shots. I would never do FelV or anything above the 3 in 1 shot. We don't have rabies here so can't advise on that.

If you wait 4 more months to spay her, she'll be in heat pretty much constantly, and that will be a lot worse stress than spaying her now. I second missymotus' advice.

My kitten Zoe is 3.5 months. I picked her up on Saturday this past weekend and she went into the vet for her first check-up yesterday. They took blood, and gave her shots, and did her check-up and gave me the stuff I needed for a stool sample. These are all very important things to have done. I would say don't wait more than a few days to take her in. They also recommended to me that 5.5-6 months is when they should be spayed/neutered. So don't delay.

3 weeks after her first vet visit, she may need to go back for boosters.

I find it a good rule to take any new pet to the vet right away, just to have them looked over.  She could have fleas, worms, ear mites that a vet could catch if they are not obvious enough for you to detect.  Also, I'd do the spay right away.  Two of my friends who tried to wait until 6 months (on recommendation of their vet) ended up with cats in heat, one came home pregnant.  You are already to the 6 month point so I'd get her in asap.  Sure the vet is stressful, but that is not enough reason to wait in my opinion.

Thanks for the helpful responses. Which shots (besides Rabies) does a new, young cat usually need initially?
 

She should have a FVCRP shot (sometimes referred to as a "distemper" shot), a rabies shot, de-worming, a FeLV/FIV test, and a full exam. Don't let the vet talk you into giving her a FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) shot if she doesn't go outside---it has a lot of possible side effects and isn't worth it for a cat with a very low chance of exposure. Shedule the spay while you're there--I would give her at least a week to let the vaccines take, maybe 2 weeks. But don't wait much longer than that.

Ditto just about what everything everyone posted.  After the shots and exams, microchipping etc. I would talk the the vet about spaying as soon as possible.   I waited on my last cat because no one had a clue how old she was.  So I waited and was very sorry I did Her heat cycles were misery.
 

Why more than one call?  Once the kitten is large enough she can be spayed however old she is or isn't.