Your cat sleeps sixteen hours a day on the same cushion, your dog demands its walk at a fixed time. These habits give the impression that everything is fine. But the well-being of a pet relies on finer balances, which recent research and regulations shed new light on.
Order of June 19, 2025: What changes for the health monitoring of dogs and cats
Since July 3, 2025, an order requires all breeders, shelters, and pet sitters to have a formal veterinary follow-up with the designation of a health veterinarian. Previously exempt structures, including small breeders, are now included.
Specifically, every professional in contact with dogs, cats, or ferrets must be listed in a national registry. The rollout will extend until 2029. For you, this means enhanced oversight: you can demand proof of vaccinations, screenings, and biosecurity from any professional who provides or houses your pet.
Several recent articles from Chiens et Chats revisit these regulatory changes and their practical consequences for owners.
Record abandonments and sterilization: prevention as a lever for well-being
The SPA took in over 9,500 animals in the summer of 2026 across its 64 shelters. This figure reflects a real saturation of reception structures. The government has presented an action plan centered on two axes: strengthening sterilization and improving animal protection.
Have you noticed that unwanted litters remain the primary cause of overpopulation in shelters? Sterilizing a cat before puberty significantly reduces this risk. For dogs, sterilization also limits certain behaviors related to territorial stress.
Identifying your pet: a concrete gesture often overlooked
The microchip remains the most reliable means to identify your pet. Tattoos, still used, fade over time and become difficult to read on an older animal.
Identification is mandatory in France for dogs and cats. It also conditions coverage by a pet health insurance, a rapidly growing market.
Food and supplements: sorting marketing from real needs
Ranges of kibble and wet food are multiplying, with claims that are sometimes hard to verify. A simple guideline: prioritize a diet suitable for the age, size, and health status of the animal rather than a brand or packaging.
Dietary supplements for dogs and cats are in high demand. Some provide real benefits in specific situations (convalescence, joint problems in older dogs, dull coats). Others are more about marketing.
Before adding a supplement to your pet’s diet, ask yourself three questions:
- Has your veterinarian identified a deficiency or specific need during a recent check-up?
- Does the product mention a detailed composition with precise dosages, and not just vague terms like “with natural herbs”?
- Does the animal show an observable symptom (hair loss, joint stiffness, difficult digestion) that justifies supplementation?
If the answer is no to all three, the standard diet is sufficient in the vast majority of cases.
Mental health of cats and dogs: signals often confused with character
A cat that urinates outside its litter box is not being capricious. It is often territorial marking triggered by environmental stress: moving, the arrival of another animal, changes in the layout of the home. The first step is to rule out a medical cause (urinary infection, stones).
In dogs, separation anxiety manifests as destruction or vocalizations, not just “bad training.” A dog that destroys in your absence is expressing distress. The response involves gradual desensitization, not punishment.
Environmental enrichment: beyond the toy bought at the pet store
Enrichment is not limited to a cat tree or a ball. It includes sensory variety: changing the location of food bowls, offering different textures on the ground, creating vertical pathways for the cat.
For dogs, varying walking routes stimulates more than the duration of the walk itself. A twenty-minute walk in a new environment (smells, sounds, surfaces) provides more than an hour on the same sidewalk.
- For the cat: hide treats in food puzzles, set up high observation posts, offer fresh catnip
- For the dog: alternate free walking in nature with short obedience exercises, practice scent games (hiding a scent-soaked object), provide chewing times on suitable objects
- For both species: respect rest times without stimulation, as overstimulation generates as much stress as boredom
Pet health insurance: a changing market that impacts your veterinary budget
Consultations and specialized procedures are more expensive in certain urban areas. In response to this increase, pet insurance is becoming a tool for managing health budgets rather than just a comfort.
Compare contracts on three criteria: the annual reimbursement limit, the waiting period (initial period without coverage), and breed or hereditary condition exclusions. A cheap contract with a low limit and many exclusions offers poor protection in case of major surgery.
The well-being of a dog or cat is built on simple but regular actions: identification, annual veterinary follow-up, appropriate diet, daily mental stimulation. Recent regulatory developments strengthen health guarantees. Staying attentive to your pet’s behavioral signals remains the best indicator for acting before a problem arises.
