Just arrived: what your new pet needs
The first days make the difference: first vet visit, starting the vaccination and deworming schedule, microchip identification and settling in. Here is the checklist and where to start.
In its first weeks, a new pet needs a first vet visit, the start of its vaccination and deworming schedule, microchip identification and the basics at home: food suited to its age, rest, socialisation and play. Recording everything from day one builds its health record.
Key facts
- A first vet visit in the first days for a general check-up.
- The vaccine and deworming schedule starts when it's a puppy or kitten.
- The microchip identifies the animal and is mandatory for dogs.
- Specific puppy or kitten food according to weight and breed.
- Early socialisation is key to a balanced adult.
Start off on the right foot
Who this guide is for
If you have just adopted or bought a puppy or kitten, here you have all the essentials for their first weeks at home.
Families with their first pet
If you have never lived with a dog or a cat, we explain step by step what to do from day one, without jargon and with a clear order of priorities.
Those adopting from a shelter or rescue
Many adopted animals arrive with part of their health schedule already started. We help you interpret the documentation and know what is left to complete with your vet.
Homes with children or other pets
Socialisation and a good introduction shape future coexistence. Here you will find practical guidelines so the arrival is calm for everyone.
When it will be useful
Preparing the home before the arrival
Food bowl, water bowl, bed, carrier, safe products and a quiet space. Knowing what to buy avoids unnecessary expense and scares in the first few days.
Arranging the first vet visit
In Spain it is wise to see the vet in the first few days after adoption for a general check-up and to plan vaccinations and deworming.
Keeping track of the health schedule
A puppy's vaccines and dewormings follow specific dates. Having everything noted avoids missed appointments in a stage with many in a row.
Getting your pet used to its new routine
Meal, walk, rest and play times. Establishing routines early makes learning easier and reduces the animal's stress.
What you achieve by following this guide
Starting off on the right foot
You will know what to do each week without feeling overwhelmed, with a logical order that prioritises health, safety and well-being.
Health protected from the start
Vaccines and deworming on time are the best prevention against diseases that are common in puppies and kittens.
Complying with the law
In Spain microchip identification is mandatory for dogs and, in many regions, also for cats. We explain how and when.
Easier coexistence
Early socialisation and clear routines prevent behaviour problems in adulthood.
All the documentation to hand
With your pet's digital record you keep vaccines, weight, microchip and visits in one place, accessible from your phone whenever you need it.
Fewer oversights and lower costs
Keeping an orderly record avoids repeating tests, missing appointments or having to reconstruct the history later on.
Real situations
It arrives with one vaccine done
Marta adopts a three-month-old puppy with the first vaccine already given. At the first visit, her vet reviews the documentation and plans the booster doses needed to complete the course.
The home's first cat
Javier takes in a two-month-old kitten. He prepares a quiet space with a litter tray, food and hiding spots, and books the first check-up to assess deworming and the feline vaccination schedule.
A gradual introduction
Laura's family introduces the puppy little by little, supervising contact with the youngest children and respecting the animal's rest times to avoid stress.
How to organise the first few weeks
Prepare the home before it arrives
Gather the basics: food suited to its age, food bowl, water bowl, bed, carrier and, for cats, a litter tray. Remove toxic plants, cables and cleaning products within its reach.
Book the first vet visit
In the first few days, make an appointment for a general check-up. Your vet will assess its condition, plan vaccinations and deworming, and check or fit the microchip.
Create its digital record
Register your puppy or kitten in the free digital record: note name, species, date of birth, microchip number and weight. That way you will have its history centralised from day one and can log each vaccine and visit as you go.
Establish routines and start socialisation
Set meal, rest and play times. For puppies, expose the animal gradually and positively to people, noises and other animals within the guidelines your vet gives you.
Common mistakes worth avoiding
FAQ
As soon as possible, ideally in the first days after arrival, for a general check-up and to start the vaccination and deworming schedule.
Age-appropriate food, water, a resting spot, identification, and a vaccination and deworming plan with your vet.
It depends on species, breed and veterinary judgement; it is usually considered from a few months of age.
Vaccination usually starts at around six to eight weeks and is completed with several booster doses. The exact schedule depends on the species, the area and the animal's condition, so it is your vet who will set it.
Yes, microchip identification is mandatory for dogs throughout Spain and, in many regions, also for cats and ferrets. Your vet fits it and registers it in the corresponding registry.
Puppies and kittens are usually dewormed more often than adults during their first few months. Your vet will tell you the exact schedule, internal and external, based on its age and environment.
As a general rule it is wise to wait until its vaccination course is well advanced before stepping into risky areas. Ask your vet about the right time for your particular puppy.
Offer it a quiet space of its own, respect its rest hours, keep stable routines for food and play, and let it explore at its own pace. Patience in the first few days makes adapting much easier.
The digital record centralises vaccines, microchip, weight and history on your phone, avoids losing the paper one and lets you check or share the data when you travel or change vets. It is free and complements the information your vet records.
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