I have 2 dogs and now 5 cats 3 which are 4month old kittens. In my research I've come across several sites that say that after the first years shots, that there is no reason to have boosters every year. Is this true? My dogs and other two cats who are 13 and 2 have alwasys had yearly booster. My kittens will be going in in the next couple of week and wanted to know if there is any truth in this?

Ask the vet how long the particular brand of vaccination he is giving is effective. A lot of vaccinations are just like ours, meant to protect the young animal against "childhood" diseases. But an unvaccinated adult can still contract the illness then spread it to a younger cat, or to a kitten or to a pregnant cat affecting her fetus. Rabies of course can be contracted at any stage of life

There has definitely been a shift in thinking about vaccinations for cats. One of the risks that cats run in getting vaccinated is that they can develop vaccine-related sarcoma, a kind of a cancer. And, since vaccinations have routinely been given between the shoulder blades, that meant it was pretty much inoperable. So now a lot of vets are moving away from vaccinating every year, and will instead consider both the likelihood that the cat is exposed to the disease (indoor cats need fewer vaccines than barn cats, for example), and how long studies have shown vaccines are likely to have a protective affect. If there is proof that a vaccine is effective for 3 years, there's no real benefit to getting it yearly, and you increase the risk of vaccine-related sarcoma for no good reason.

So, talk to your vet about this. Once the kittens are through the kitten series, it's likely that they will be getting most of their shots every 3 years. Unfortunately, many spots still require annual rabies vaccines, so you may not be able to get out of that one. Also, the fact that the animals do not need yearly boosters does not mean that you should skip the annual vet visit. You will still want to get them checked out so that medical issues can be caught early.

For the most current information affecting our cats please go to this website Vaccinations for Cats: Winn Feline Foundation.

All kittens should received appropriate vaccinations and a booster at 1 yr old. Then it will depend on all the variables i.e.. Exposure, age, health, etc.

Cats inside should NOT get Felv vaccination, feline distemper or the proper name Panleukopenia has lasted up to 7 yrs in Pfizer studies, but most vets now only give the combo vac every 3 yrs after the initial series.

See this page for the exact recommendations Table 2