Guides for life with your pet
Places, seasons and practical tips to enjoy more time with your pet.
Seasonal
- Pet ofrenda: Day of the Dead for petsWhen pets are remembered on Day of the Dead (October 27), what goes on a pet ofrenda and how to keep the pets at home safe.
- Dog and cat costumes: Day of the Dead and Halloween ideasDay of the Dead and Halloween costume ideas for dogs and cats, and how to choose one that is comfortable and safe.
- Dog events in Mexico City: October and November 2026Events to go to with your dog in Mexico City this season: a costume contest, runs and Day of the Dead tips.
- Pet campaigns in Mexico CityNewCurrent campaigns for dogs and cats in Mexico City, with their locations and dates.
- Holidays with your pet in MexicoNewFireworks, posada and Christmas food, keeping your pet from getting lost and adopting in December.
- Pet days in Mexico: calendarNewCalendar of pet days in Mexico: dogs, cats, animals and traditions.
Places to go with your pet
- Dog parks in Mexico City: where to walk and let your dog off leashFenced off-leash dog areas in Mexico City, parks for leashed walks and their rules.
- Dog-friendly Mexico City: a guide for newcomersLiving in or visiting Mexico City with a dog: restaurants, transport, apartments and Airbnb, and local rules.
- Dog parks in Guadalajara: where to let your dog run and walkFenced dog areas in Guadalajara and Zapopan, where to walk on a leash and the basic rules.
- Dog parks in Monterrey, Mexico: where to let your dog run and walkFenced dog areas in Monterrey and San Pedro, Mexico, where to walk on a leash and the basic rules.
- Pet-friendly restaurants in Mexico CityNew50 pet-friendly restaurants in Mexico City by area, from OpenTable's 2026 list.
- Pet-friendly hotels in MexicoNewHow to find a pet-friendly hotel in Mexico and what to ask before booking.
- Getting around Mexico City with your petNewMetro, Metrobús, Uber Pet and DiDi: how to get around Mexico City with your pet.
Pet names
- Spanish pet names: ideas for dogs, cats, rabbits and moreSpanish and Mexican names for dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and small pets, and matching names for two pets.
- Mexican dog names: ideas for boys, girls and every personalityMexican dog names with meaning: boy, girl, food, Nahuatl, funny and chihuahua names, and how to teach your dog its name.
- Mexican cat names: ideas by color and personalitySpanish and Mexican cat names with meaning: boys, girls, by color (black, orange, gray, white) and food names.
- Spanish rabbit names: ideas for boys, girls and by colorNewSpanish rabbit names with meaning: boys, girls, by color (white, black, gray, brown) and Mexican names.
- Spanish hamster names: ideas for girls, boys and funny onesNewSpanish hamster names with meaning: girls, boys, by color, funny names and pairs.
- Mexican bird names: ideas for parrots, budgies and cockatielsNewSpanish and Mexican bird names with meaning: parrots, budgies, unisex and by color.
- Spanish turtle names: ideas for girls, boys and unisexNewSpanish turtle names with meaning: girls, boys, unisex, baby turtles and funny names.
- Spanish fish names: ideas for bettas, funny and cute fishNewSpanish fish names with meaning: bettas, by color, funny, cute and for a whole tank.
- Spanish guinea pig names: ideas for girls, boys and funny onesNewSpanish guinea pig names with meaning: girls, boys, fluffy, funny, Quechua and pairs.
- Ferret names: Spanish, Japanese and Korean ideas with meaningNewFerret names with meaning: boys, girls, white ferrets, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and funny.
Adopting a pet
- How to adopt a dog or a cat in Mexico CityWhere to adopt a dog or cat in Mexico City, the usual requirements and how to take an adopted dog to the US.
- How to adopt a cat in Mexico CityWhere to adopt a cat in Mexico City, adoption fairs, requirements and how to prepare your home for its arrival.
- Which pet to have in an apartmentNewHow to choose a pet for an apartment: building rules, noise, time and budget.
- The best pet for kidsNewHow to choose a pet if you have kids: who cares for it, your children's ages, time and budget.
Care and safety
- Bringing a dog to Mexico: requirements in 2026Requirements to bring a dog or cat to Mexico from the US or Canada in 2026, and to take it back to the US.
- Lost dog or cat in Mexico: what to doWhat to do if your dog or cat gets lost in Mexico: first hours, a poster in Spanish, where to post and official contacts.
- I found a dog on the street in Mexico City. What do I do?What to do if you find a lost or abandoned dog in Mexico City: help it safely, look for its family and who to contact.
- Free rabies vaccine and spay or neuter in Mexico City (2026)2026 rabies vaccination dates, free rabies shots year-round and requirements for free spay and neuter in Mexico City.
- Dog and cat vaccines in Mexico: schedule and vaccine recordWhich vaccines dogs and cats need in Mexico, the rabies rule and how the vaccine record (cartilla) works.
- How often to deworm a dog or a catHow often to deworm a dog or cat by age, and signs that it has parasites.
- How to tell if your dog is sickSigns of fever, dehydration, poisoning and parvo in dogs, and when to go to the emergency vet.
- My dog has diarrhea: what to doWhat to do if your dog has diarrhea and the signs that mean a vet visit.
- My cat won't eat or is vomiting: what to doWhat to do if your cat stops eating or vomits, and why you shouldn't wait.
- My cat isn't peeing: when it's an emergencyWhy a cat that can't pee is an emergency and what blood or peeing outside the litter box mean.
- What dogs can eat and what's toxicFruits and foods dogs can eat, the toxic ones and what to do if your dog ate one.
- Can I give my dog Tylenol (acetaminophen)?Why not to give your dog or cat acetaminophen, ibuprofen or other human medicine.
- Ticks on dogs and ehrlichiosisHow to remove ticks from your dog, get them out of your home and spot ehrlichiosis.
- Screwworm in dogs and cats in MexicoSigns of screwworm in dogs and cats, what to do with a wound, where to report it and how it affects travel.
- Scorpion sting in dogs and catsSigns of a scorpion sting in dogs and cats, first aid and when to go to the emergency vet.
- My dog bit a toad: what to doWhat to do if your dog bit or licked a toad, and the signs of poisoning that can't wait.
- My dog is scared of fireworks: what to doHow to help a dog scared of fireworks before, during and after Mexico's fiestas.
- Spaying or neutering your dog or cat: age and aftercareAt what age to spay or neuter dogs and cats, and home care after surgery.
- How to socialize your puppyWhen and how to socialize your puppy with dogs, people and noise, even before its vaccines are done.
- How to choose a dog walker, daycare or boardingNewDog walker vs daycare vs boarding, what to ask and the red flags.
- Cost of owning a dog in Mexico CityNewWhat's free, official prices for vaccines, deworming and vet visits, and monthly costs.
- Cost of owning a rabbit in MexicoNewThe expenses of having a rabbit in Mexico: getting started, every month and the unexpected.
- Cost of owning a budgie in MexicoNewThe expenses of having a budgie in Mexico: buying it legally, every month and the unexpected.
- Cost of owning a hamster in MexicoNewThe expenses of having a hamster in Mexico: getting started, every month and the unexpected.
Laws and paperwork
- Is it legal to own an axolotl in Mexico?NewWhen owning an axolotl is legal in Mexico, what to ask the breeder for and what is banned.
- Can I have a parrot in Mexico?NewWhich parrots are illegal in Mexico, which ones you can keep and what to ask for when buying.
- Which pets are legal in Mexico?NewWhich pets need no paperwork in Mexico, which need a Semarnat permit and which you can't have.
- RUAC Mexico City: how to register your dog or catNewHow to register your dog or cat in Mexico City's RUAC, what you need and what no one can charge you.
- Mexico City's animal protection law: what pet owners must knowNewWhat dog and cat owners must do in Mexico City, what is banned and the fines.
- Pet insurance in Mexico: what it covers and what to checkNewWhat pet insurance in Mexico covers, what it doesn't and what to check before buying.
- Flying with your dog or cat in MexicoNewCabin or hold, carrier, weight and documents to fly with your dog or cat in Mexico.
- Bringing a dog from Mexico to the United StatesNewCDC form, microchip, minimum age and screwworm certificate to bring your dog from Mexico to the US.