Your cat's first year: what to do and when
What to do in your cat's first year: vet visits, vaccines, worming, microchip, neutering, food and a home set up for them, in the usual order.
The first year shapes a lot of your cat’s health and character. The essentials fit into four things: an early first vet visit, vaccines and parasite treatment kept up to date, a microchip and neutering, and a home with their own spots. This is the usual order; your vet adjusts the exact dates.
The first week
- Take them to the vet in the first few days, even if they look healthy. The vet will check their condition, weight and any parasites, and give you a vaccination plan.
- Ask for their records from whoever hands them over: vaccines, worming and microchip, if they already have them.
- Give them time. Many cats hide at first. A quiet room with a litter tray, water, food and a hiding place works better than the whole house at once.
The year at a glance
| When | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| 6–8 weeks | First dose of the core vaccines |
| Every 2–4 weeks | Further doses until 16 weeks or later |
| First months | More frequent worming, as your vet advises |
| Before 6 months | Microchip and neutering (see below) |
| 26 weeks | Core vaccine booster |
| Around one year | Check-up and, if advised, a move to adult food |
Each vaccine is covered in the cat vaccine schedule, and parasite treatment in how often should you deworm a cat.
Microchip and neutering
In Spain, Law 7/2023 on animal welfare requires all cats to be microchipped and neutered before six months of age, except breeding cats registered to a licensed breeder. The vet fits the chip and registers it with your region’s database. Ask your vet when is best to neuter your cat, and check whether your region or town council has its own rules. Outside Spain, rules differ.
Food and water
- Feed a kitten food while they grow and switch to adult food when your vet says so, gradually, mixing the two for a few days.
- Split the ration into several meals: kittens eat little and often.
- Keep fresh water available at all times, away from the food and the litter tray. Many cats prefer moving water or wide bowls.
- No cow’s milk or table scraps without asking first.
A home for a cat
- A clean litter tray in a quiet spot. With several cats, one more tray than the number of cats is a good rule.
- A scratching post from day one, so the sofa doesn’t become one.
- High places and hiding spots: they make cats feel safe.
- Windows and balconies secured with netting. Falls are a common accident for city cats.
- Daily play, with wands or balls, ideally in several short sessions.
Worth writing down
Every vaccine, every worming treatment, their weight every few weeks and what the vet tells you at each visit. That makes the next appointment quicker and no date slips by; there is a useful checklist in what to note down for the vet. In Miloop you can keep their vaccines, worming and weight with reminders, and export a PDF for the appointment.
This guide is for information only. Your vet decides your cat’s vaccines, treatments and when to neuter.