Cat health is important. When we have a new pet in the house, most of us know that a full set of vaccinations is the first need for a new kitten. We ourselves receive many vaccinations as children against many diseases and illnesses.

However, some veterinarians are beginning to take a stand against the rate at which we vaccinate dog and cat species and consider vaccines dangerous to the animal's health.

In the past, felines were vaccinated against distemper and rabies. Slowly, more vaccines for cat health have been added to the list. Individuals are often afraid that if their pet doesn't receive its vaccinations, it may contract a fatal disease.

Some feline diseases can be transmitted to humans. However, it's interesting to note that the rate of disease in cats has increased over time regardless of these vaccinations. Many veterinarians are noting that our pets aren't as healthy as in times past and that the cats' lifespan is shorter.

Today, many veterinarians skilled in cat health suggest shots for distemper in felines, Chlamydia, and one to prevent an upper respiratory infection known as rhinotracheitis, to name but a few. All of these vaccines are repeated year after year for the lifespan of your cat. Are our cats getting too much of what we believe to be a good thing? Think about it.

Would you want to be vaccinated for chicken pox every year of your life? One would think there would be some adverse effects from too much vaccination. Reports show that most of the illnesses that veterinarians deal with on a daily basis have roots in over-vaccination. Homeopathy has a term for this: Vaccinosis.

In Celeste Yarnall's book Cat Care, Naturally, Dr. Jeff Levy, DVM explains the evolution of new diseases that stem from vaccinosis: "I believe that feline leukemia evolved because of vaccination for panleukopenia. Then with the vaccination for feline leukemia, the cat just came up with a different disease, FIV (Feline AIDS).

You can see this in vaccinated cats that later turn up with all the symptoms of feline leukemia but still test negative. The disease is coming from the cat, and each subsequent incarnation that is necessitated by vaccination."

Allopathic medicine and the greed of the pharmaceutical industry are as harmful to our pets as it is to us. The same companies who are selling the vaccines fund the schools that are training new veterinarians. Only a handful of veterinarians are brave enough to dare to step outside those boundaries and practice holistic medicine on animals.

Over the years, humans have suffered as well from over-vaccination. Leukemia, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and many other diseases are a result of the negative effects of vaccination.

Yarnell also quotes studies of the smallpox vaccine in humans as having been harmful. She claims, "Smallpox (along with other infectious diseases, including diphtheria and scarlet fever) declined with sanitation reforms instituted in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

Government health records from all over the world showed that, during the most intensive periods of vaccination, the incidence and death rate attributed to smallpox increased, though these statistics were actually on the decline when vaccination began."

So what are we as pet owners supposed to do? Rely on your veterinarian's advice regarding cat health because veterinarians are the professionals and should know what they're doing. If your cat is an indoor cat, then you may be safe in only getting the initial shots when your cat is a kitten.

If your cat is an outdoor cat and encounters other cats often, then you might consider a little more protection. Alternatively, you could find a veterinarian who practices holistic medicine and find out what alternatives are available to help your cat live a healthier and longer life.