I'm not saying that vaccines aren't important. . .they are very important, especially for kittens (and puppies). And for lasting immunity, they do need to have one vaccine after 6 months, so that maternal antibodies don't interfere with the immune response. But frequent re-vaccination of adult animals is not important. Their immunity does not get stronger with repeated vaccination.
An adult cat vaccinated against rabies once IS protected from rabies for at least 7-10 years, probably for life. For legal protection, yes, the rabies vaccine has to be given according to the requirements of the municipality. So I would never advise anyone to go against the legal requirements of their area, especially if they have a lot of visitors to their home, increasing the chances of an "incident". I just think people should know that repeated vaccination is not necessary, and puts a strain on the immune system. Which causes problems in some cats.
The problems associated with repeat vaccination aren't always easily identifiable as vaccine reactions. For instance, my mom's old cat was fully vaccinated yearly until she was 8. She had irritable bowel disease her entire life. After we stopped vaccinating her, it started getting better, by the time she was 12 it was gone entirely. She's 21 now and is fine. Also, my first dog--that vet did an every-other-year vaccine schedule. In the years the dog was vaccinated, she would be far more aggressive with other dogs. In the off years, she was much less aggressive. It took me a while to link her aggression to the vaccines, but it was unmistakeable once I figured it out.
An adult cat vaccinated against rabies once IS protected from rabies for at least 7-10 years, probably for life. For legal protection, yes, the rabies vaccine has to be given according to the requirements of the municipality. So I would never advise anyone to go against the legal requirements of their area, especially if they have a lot of visitors to their home, increasing the chances of an "incident". I just think people should know that repeated vaccination is not necessary, and puts a strain on the immune system. Which causes problems in some cats.
The problems associated with repeat vaccination aren't always easily identifiable as vaccine reactions. For instance, my mom's old cat was fully vaccinated yearly until she was 8. She had irritable bowel disease her entire life. After we stopped vaccinating her, it started getting better, by the time she was 12 it was gone entirely. She's 21 now and is fine. Also, my first dog--that vet did an every-other-year vaccine schedule. In the years the dog was vaccinated, she would be far more aggressive with other dogs. In the off years, she was much less aggressive. It took me a while to link her aggression to the vaccines, but it was unmistakeable once I figured it out.
