One of the most significant contributions in the field of veterinary vaccines in the past 20 years has been the successful commercialization of several recombinant vaccines based on the canarypox vector (ALVAC) platform. With ALVAC, two innovative (and counter-intuitive) concepts were discovered and introduced in veterinary vaccinology, ie the use of a non-replicative vaccine vector and non-interfering anti-vector immunity. The registration of ALVAC-based vaccines, both in Europe and in North America reflects the excellent and robust properties of this vector combining the safety of a killed vaccine and the efficacy of a modified live vaccine. The ALVAC technology brings decisive advantages to the end-user, such as quick onset of immunity, DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) capability and efficacy in the presence of maternally derived antibodies. The ALVAC-FeLV and ALVAC–rabies vaccines are still the only commercially available non-adjuvanted vaccines for cats on the market. In the past few years, research has focused on further improving the platform through optimisation of the transgene, the addition of immunomodulators and the use of adjuvant formulations. It is expected that in the foreseeable future, new vaccines based on the ALVAC platform will become available for the veterinary industry.