Core vaccines protect cats from life-threatening diseases. Evidence-based vaccination protocols provide maximum protection while minimizing unnecessary procedures.
Cat vaccination is a core welfare intervention but one that has evolved as science has improved. Modern evidence-based protocols prioritize core vaccines with demonstrated disease prevention benefit while moving away from unnecessary annual boosters that provided no additional protection. The welfare calculus is clear: vaccination prevents diseases that cause significant suffering and death; over-vaccination creates unnecessary injection-site risks and stress. Current guidelines from the American Association of Feline Practitioners recommend triennial core revaccination for most adult cats, reflecting the actual duration of immunity.