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).