Advice ASAP

I posted about a month ago about a local shelter doing a neutering day, its 30 dollars including neuter and rabies shot..Which is a deal around here anyway...
Well its tomorrow so I need advice fast, my mind started wondering. I have several strays, or unclaimed outside cats outside of my new apartment..Shelters have my number and are willing to take them once they have room. I am willing to foster them once maybe they are checked out. Cant put risk to my own babies..

Well this is what I am stumbling over. Today when I spoke to the woman, she said they are offering a distemper for 15, I was wondering if anyone knew what petsmart, and petco offer it for..
Not to be cheap, but I am a single mother, and a mother to 4 kittys of my own. Plus just moved, etc...
My whole thing is, If it lasts a yr, or so, and does them good, I will do it..
Im still not sure how many I will be able to get in the morning, maybe 2-5...
Its late and I just got off work, so I am not going to capture till the sun comes up...They are all tame though..
This is the other problem, some /half are kittens, not babies, but younger then a yr. SOOO ..Dont they need more then just one??
I would do it, but if the others arent followed up on time, etc. I feel like I am wasting money I could be putting away for my URI babies Im dealing with at home..
I feel awful saying that, but I already have to pick up 3 more tubes of eye ointment, and 1 more bottle of antibiotics to treat my kitties..

But like I said, if its worth doing I will..Also I am paying a surcharge so that they can spend the night. I work evenings, and they wont be done by the time I go in..
So pretty much, how does the distemper series go??
I would ask them, but im sure the next time I will talk to them is when I take the cats in, and I have to pull out all the cash in the morning, since that is all they take..
The selfish part of this, is..I want to do it before more babies are outside of my door, the neutering that is..and so they dont spray my door, smelling my kittys..
But the warm hearted side is worried about their overall health. I just remember seeing alot post about not vaccinating strays or ferals I shall say

Originally Posted by alliread

Today when I spoke to the woman, she said they are offering a distemper for 15, If it lasts a yr, or so, and does them good, I will do it..

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Actually it often lasts more than one year, 2-3 years in grown fully vaccinated cats.

However, Im not sure how it is with new cats.

Homegrown cats here in Sweden gets 2 shots when they kittens, the next after one year, and therearfter nowadays every second year. (They changed it about two years ago, before that it was every year.)
There are some who say it could be once in three years, but the flu vaccine given in the same shot is good for two years.

I have heard opinion this two shots start is for kittens. Grown ups start with one shot. But Im not sure and dont want to hang myself on "someones" opinion.

Point in my letter here is distemper shots in good circumstances are good for two years, not only one.

I am looking at my cat's records from when she was a young cat:

At the shelter she received:

Distemper shots, two total, spaced one month apart! This type of thing does present a problem for you and anyone trying to help strays.

(She was also wormed, three times, spacing ten days apart for each.

Feline Leukemia test, once.

Flea and ear mite treatments and had a rabies vacinne.)

The thing I'm thinking about is the Feral Cat Catch and Release program. They capture them in a cage, bring them in for neutering and other shots then release. They don't have to catch them again for the follow up shot.

So perhaps just bring them in once captured and tell the vet what you intend to do and not do and let them help decide what's the best thing to do for these strays.

So nice that you are doing this for these creatures. Thank you!

Rabies is the important one. Distemper does require the follow-up, so if it's not going to be practical or possible, I wouldn't spend the money on it. As Vik61 pointed out, the TNR programs generally do not provide the Distemper vaccination.

And I agree - thank you for what you are doing for these kitties in need!