During the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump claimed without any evidence that immigrants of Haitian origin were eating their neighbors' cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio. This had no real basis, and in any normal country it would have led to the politician's absolute disqualification, but in the United States, as everyone knows, Trump won the elections by a landslide. I've been thinking about this these days, seeing that some Spanish media outlets, mainly from the far-right sphere, have published news items denouncing that immigrants from Ceuta devour cats, pigeons, seagulls, and any other animal that runs through the streets. In one of these news items, a photograph was attached showing a dead cat next to a dumpster. Fortunately, the service of fact-checking from the Efe agency carried out the relevant checks and ruled that the photograph was not from now or from Ceuta, but rather from 2025 and from Gran Canaria.

Heat waves don't just affect humans. High temperatures, humidity, and tropical nights can also take a toll on our pets, which is why it's important to adapt their environment and daily activities so they can get through the summer in the best possible way. As veterinarian Jaume Martínez, from the El Masnou Veterinary Center, explains, who has been dedicated to looking after the health of pets for nearly forty years, heat, "if they didn't live with us, they would experience it very well, because they would be still during the day, they wouldn't do anything, they would be in the shade, in a cool place. And even more so for cats, who are specialists in finding the coolest place to shelter". As Martínez reflects, they would spend the day resting, trying to hydrate themselves when they could, "and it's at night that they would be more active: they would go to eat, they would go hunting, they wouldn't be making useless efforts". With us it's different: "Things change because we, obviously thinking of dogs, take them for walks in places that can be asphalted or with surfaces that get very hot, and this makes them suffer from the heat in a very different way".

Anxiety, nervousness, tremors, escape attempts, and excessive salivation. These are just some of the symptoms that many animals can suffer due to firecrackers and fireworks on a night like Sant Joan. According to the College of Veterinarians of Catalonia, between 25% and 50% of dogs and cats are afraid of the noise of firecrackers. This is why they recommend paying attention to any physical symptom or behavioral change in the animal, such as hiding under the bed or sofa or increasing the number of meows or barks.

For this low-impact but very healthy exercise, you'll need the following equipment:

Jaume Fatjó, director of the Foundation chair Affinity Animals and Health, a clinical veterinarian from Vet Partners, gives us some useful tips for traveling with a dog or cat. When traveling by car with a dog, they must first get used to the vehicle. It's not advisable to take a long trip if the animal is unfamiliar with the car or van. This requires learning: starting with short trips with a pleasant experience (using toys or treats, for example). These can be gradually lengthened. However, the response will vary greatly depending on each dog's personality. If there is an initial negative reaction, Fatjó recommends contacting the veterinarian, who can provide medication to prevent motion sickness or dietary supplements to help them cope better with stressful situations.

As every year, road trips increase in number, coinciding with the arrival of summer and the long-awaited holidays. It is estimated that there are more than 11 million pets in Spain, 85% of which are dogs and cats, and a significant proportion travel with their owners or families during leisure and recreational trips during the summer months.

When the street cats hear the noise of the dilapidated car, they come out of their hiding places, because they already know it's time to eat.

When the street cats hear the sound of the dilapidated car, they come out of their hiding places, because they already know it's time to eat.