CLÍNICA VETERINARIA SANTA PONSA

Whether we decide to add a dog or a cat to the family, it is necessary to keep in mind the great responsibility involved in both cases, although it is true that felines are somewhat more independent than dogs and therefore are more suitable for those owners who have less free time or prefer to spend it at home. In any case, although felines require less dedication, they do need specialized care, as well as periodic visits to the veterinarian for vaccinations, deworming and check-ups.

What should I take into account if it is the first time I have a cat?

Cats are independent pets as a general rule, so they do not need as much dedication as dogs since it is not necessary to take them for a walk, we simply have to provide a litter box (which must be cleaned frequently) and provide our feline with food, water, a comfort zone to rest, toys and an area for scratching. We must also take into account that cats are very sensitive to changes, so we have to take this into account before making any substantial change at home and consult the veterinarian about the best way to proceed in order to avoid health problems associated with stress (adding a new member, furniture changes, renovations...).

  • Vaccination

Even if our cat is not going to leave the house, it is important to apply at least the essential vaccines, since we ourselves when entering and leaving the house could introduce several diseases that could seriously affect the health of our pet. Therefore we recommend to apply at least the essential ones although it is always advisable to make a vaccination as complete as possible. If our cat is going to have access to the outside, it is advisable to apply in addition to the essential vaccines, the leukemia vaccine (this disease is very frequent in cats of colonies and has no treatment), microchip and sterilization.

Essential vaccines

1st Dose: trivalent vaccine: it is applied at around 8 weeks of age. It is important to deworm previously

2nd Dose - trivalent vaccine: applied 1 month after the first dose. Annual revaccination

Optional vaccinations

Leukemia vaccine: it requires a previous test to rule out a positive test for the disease, once the test is negative we can proceed to vaccinate and apply the reminder one month later. This vaccination can be done in combination with the essential vaccine or once the latter has been completed. It is revaccinated annually

Rabies vaccination: mandatory by law when traveling and must be accompanied by a microchip. It is revaccinated annually.

Calendario vacunal del gato

  • Microchip

Although it is not mandatory to implant the microchip in cats, it is highly recommended, since our feline companions tend to be curious and adventurous and even if they live in an apartment sometimes they find a way to escape, so if they have a microchip the probability of recovering it is much higher than if they do not have identification.

  • Sterilization

It is advisable to sterilize both females and males, regardless of whether they go outdoors or not, since in addition to preventing diseases and unwanted pregnancies, we avoid unwanted behaviors such as marking or intense meowing during the mating season and fights with other cats for those who go outdoors.

  • Deworming

Our pets can be infected by both external and internal parasites, many of which are also known as zoonoses, which means that they can be transmitted to us.

children, the elderly and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. It is therefore important to carry out periodic deworming for their health as well as ours.

External parasites: are those that live or feed on the outside of the cat as fleas, ticks, mites ... All of them can cause more or less disease or health problems, so we must apply quality treatments that prevent as far as possible as many external parasites, although it is true that there is no infallible treatment usually have a high rate of protection.

Internal parasites: are those that lodge inside the animal, they are more difficult to detect than the external ones, they can cause vomiting, diarrhea, apathy, nervousness .... It is very important to carry out internal deworming every 3-6 months, if our cat goes outdoors and has hunting skills it is convenient to keep it protected all year round since mice, birds, insects... can spread a high amount of parasites. They are usually prevented or treated using tablets, syrup or pipettes.


  • Periodic check-ups and analysis

At each visit our veterinarians will carry out a complete physical check-up of your pet, but as our companions get older it is advisable to carry out revisions beyond those that we routinely perform when applying their vaccines, therefore we recommend for those patients over 11-12 years old to carry out a complete annual blood test to prevent and make an early detection of the most common diseases associated with age.