Qualifications

Qualifications

RCVS Veterinary Nursing Qualification (credit) – 1997
D32/33 Assessor Award (updated later to Clinical Coach) – 2001
City and Guilds Certificate in Small Animal Nutrition – 2008
RCVS Examiners Certificate – 2009
ISFM Feline Friendly Nursing Certificate (distinction) – 2010
ISFM Feline Nursing Diploma (distinction) – 2013
ISFM Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour (distinction) – 2018

It's really important that cats are given the oppo

It's really important that cats are given the opportunity to use a litter tray indoors - especially in the colder months! ❄️❄️ 😿We are currently seeing LOTS of cats being brought to the veterinary clinic due to stress cystitis. Although this can be a multifactorial problem, a common cause of cystitis in cats is not wanting to pass urine outside because it's super cold or due to poor weather conditions 🙀Cystitis is really painful and can escalate into a life threatening and costly problem in male cats! ❄️Remember, if you it's too cold for you to do a wee outside it's too cold for your cat! 🙀

Baby it's cold outside! ❄️❄️🌬️🌬️

Baby it's cold outside! ❄️❄️🌬️🌬️
Here are some tips on keeping cats safe and warm during the winter months : ❄️Never shut cats outside if it's snowing or super cold, they can get hypothermia ❄️Try to make sure your cat has somewhere safe and warm to shelter in the cold weather. Many cats will prefer to stay inside, but some will still like to go outside too, so a cat shelter or shed/garage with a cat flap installed and cosy bed inside is a good idea. A link on how to build a outdoor cat shelter is provided at the bottom of this post ❄️Check under your car bonnet and wheel arches, at some cats will seek the heat from the engine when it's cold. You can try tapping the bonnet before the car is started to alert any hiding kitties ❄️Make sure you provide a litter tray for your cat in cold or wet weather. This is REALLY important as lots of cats hate using their regular toilet facilities outside of the weather is poor. Failure to provide adequate toileting facilities indoors can cause stress, house soiling and cystitis ❄️Beware of antifreeze poisoning! Although this is less common than it used to be, it does unfortunately still occur and is usually fatal. Signs of antifreeze poisoning include vomiting, ataxia (wobbly when walking), depression, seizures, tachycardia (fast heart rate) and increased thirst and urination. Antifreeze is found in some car coolants, water features and inside snow globes! If you suspect your cat has ingested antifreeze you should contact your veterinary practice IMMEDIATELY ❄️Elderly cats with arthritis are more likely to be affected by the cold, so extra warm and comfortable bedding should be provided in warm areas of the house ❄️If your cat is indoors more then you can spend more time playing with him/her. It's important for cats to be given the opportunity to engage in predatory play.
For more information go to :https://icatcare.org/advice/playing-with-your-cat/ ❄️For information about how to make a cosy outside cat den go: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Cat-House%3famp=1

🥩We need to be mindful that there is strong evi

🥩We need to be mindful that there is strong evidence of some serious risks associated with raw feeding, and that some of the information pet owners have been fed is based on marketing and anecdotal evidence, not facts or evidenced-based nutrition. Here are the facts: 🐈There is currently insufficient evidence that raw food provides more health benefits to cats compared to commercial cat food. 🥩Bear in mind that most food allergies in cats are caused by animal protein, not other ingredients in traditional cat food. 😿Raw food is generally quite digestible but contains bones and is higher in fat than commercial cat food (obesity risk) which is not suitable for all cats. Bones can cause health issues such as obstruction and damage of the gastrointestinal tract and broken teeth. ⚠️Home-made raw diets should be avoided as they are highly likely to be nutritionally imbalanced, which can cause serious health issues, such as heart or bone problems, especially in kittens. For this reason, providing any home-cooked diet to cats should only be done by board certified animal nutritionists. 🦠 There is evidence that even freezing raw meat does not kill all pathogens, making it a risk to human and animal health. 🦠Raw diets can carry lots of pathogens. These pathogens cause disease and even death. This is a serious risk to people who may be immunocompromised, so raw feeding should be totally avoided in household where there are elderly people, pregnant women, young babies, or anyone taking certain medications that may affect the immune system. ⚠️There is also an association between antibiotic resistance and raw food - this is a serious public health issue! 🙏If your cat is raw fed and needs to visit your veterinary practice, please inform the staff, otherwise other pets and people are at risk 🦠🧼It is easy to contaminate surfaces in the home, pet fur and people’s skin with pathogens if a pet is raw fed. For this reason, strict hygiene rule should be followed when preparing, handling, and storing raw meat. 📚*The information provided in this post is evidence based - see comments for references * There is a longer post on Facebook too

At my place of work we are an accredited cat and r

At my place of work we are an accredited cat and rabbit friendly clinic, so we recently made the decision to only see cats and rabbits every other Wednesday morning 🐱🐰 If it's successful, we will do this every Wednesday 💪❤️😸🐰 I looked after this perfect specimen of absolute gorgeousness today 😻😻 He's still pretty sleepy here, but he was such a confident little fella during his stay! If there were a prize for the most kneeding and purring he would have won it! 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛ Yes, we talk to all our patients like this 🤣 *Permission to post *

Sometimes new kitten owners use their hands or fee

Sometimes new kitten owners use their hands or feet to play with their kitten because it’s cute to watch them play this way 😻 🙀Owners may then be pounced on and bitten or scratched because the kitten associates their owners’ hands or feet with play, which can continue into adulthood If this occurs you should: 🐈 Look for signs that the behaviour is play and not aggression. If misdirected play, there will be a lack of vocalisation and the cats body posture will be low, with the ears facing forward – as if stalking prey 🐈Speak to your veterinary team for advice – a vet check may be required first to rule out any medical issues. Referral to a suitably qualified animal behaviourist may be required for some cats 🐈NEVER use your hands or feet to play with a cat or kitten. Moving your feet around under the duvet for a kitten to pounce on may be cute or funny at first, but I can assure you this is super painful when an adult cat does it and will only lead to problems! 🐈Use toys that keep distance between you and the cat during play. A good example of this is a fishing rod toy 🐈Try to keep still and not make a shrieking noise if the kitten or cat attacks. This will only stimulate it further making it more likely to scratch and bite (think moving, squeaky prey!) 🐈Once the cat lets go, very slowly remove your hands/feet 🐈Distract the cat with a different toy that move e.g. fishing rod toy 🐈Wear thick clothing around the hands, arms, feet, and legs whilst the cat is being weaned onto a more appropriate play target 🐱Offer puzzle feeders and toys for self-play such as toy mice, ping-pong balls or kicking toys 🐱Spend time playing with the cat each day using appropriate toys (avoid catnip if the cat becomes very excitable) 🩺If you have been injured by your cat or kitten, seek medical attention immediately 📚References: Atkinson, T., 2018. Practical feline behaviour: Understanding cat behaviour and improving welfare. 1st ed. Wallingford: CABI. Trevorrow, N., 2021. Behaviour focus: inappropriate play. [online] Cats Protection. Available at: <https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/behaviour-focus-inappropriate-play>

The forgotten dead. Millions of animals died in wa

The forgotten dead. Millions of animals died in war too. Lest we forget. 💜💜

I'm super excited to announce that I will be speak

I'm super excited to announce that I will be speaking at the College of Animal Welfare Behaviour Congress in April 2022! 🤩🤩🐈🐈 I'll be talking all about reducing stress in hospitalised feline patients❤️🐈‍⬛, so if you want to know more about how to do this book yourself a space! 💻 Other topics being covered include : 🐾Managing behaviour in a multi cat household
🐾Fear and anxiety in cats and dogs
🐾Phantom pregnancy - the silent killer
🐾Behaviour modification for dogs who are fearful of the vet Go to: https://www.caw.ac.uk/events/behaviour-congress/ for more details and to book 👍💻

Cats are the second most popular pet in the UK and

Cats are the second most popular pet in the UK and for many people they are an important part of the family, but did you know there are health benefits associated with cat ownership too? 🤔❤️🐈 These include: 🐈Improved mood
🐈Reduced depression
🐈Reduced feelings of loneliness
🐈Reduction of minor health issues (headaches, tiredness, worrying, inability to concentrate)
🐈Overall improvement of wellbeing
🐈Social support
🐈Continued or improved physical activities
🐈Reduced heart rate and blood pressure
🐈Reduced mortality I know my cats help me to feel better if I'm in pain or feeling low. How have your cats helped you? 🤔 📚Reference:
Sparkes, A., 2020. Cats in society. In: Platinum book. The new discovery in feline communication: A reference guide. Libourne: Ceva, pp.20-21.