Essential Items for Your Pet’s First Aid Kit (and Why You Need Them)
As pet caregivers, we know that accidents can happen at any time, often when we least expect them. While a first aid kit for your…
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Health & Welfare
A Mini Guide to Feline Health E-Book
Written by Caroline Clark, an experienced veterinary nurse and animal behaviour counsellor, A Mini Guide to Feline Health is a practical resource for cat caregivers and professionals.…
Enhancing Cat Adoption Success: Tips for Encouraging Positive Cat-Human Interactions in Shelters
Adopters usually want a cat that they can engage with. Shelter staff can encourage positive cat-human interactions and thereby improve the prospect of a cat…
How to Prepare Your Cat for Environmental Changes: Tips for a Smooth Transition During Home Renovations and Visitors
Changes to a cat’s physical environment can be disconcerting for them especially if they are exclusively kept indoors. Being ahead of the game when disruptions…
Preventing Cat Conflicts: Protocol for Non-Recognition Aggression
After a trip to the vets, cattery or groomers a cat will inevitably pick up new, strange scents. Certain procedures (bandages, medical collars, hair clipping…
Habituating a Cat to the Veterinary Experiences
Caregivers can do a lot to help habituate their cat to some of the stimuli they are likely to be exposed to at the veterinary…
Touch-Withdraw-Reward Training: A Guide to Aid Feline Socialisation and Husbandry
This training should form part of a kitten’s socialisation programme but can be useful to habituate cats of any age. However, it is unsuitable for…
Effective Litter Box Training: Ensuring Success for Kittens and Cats
Most kittens and adult cats are clean and litter training usually comes easily but sometimes, after acquiring a new kitten or adult cat, they may…
Preparing Your Home and Welcoming Your New Cat: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step One: Preparing for the new arrival A basic shopping list of necessary items Step Two: Welcoming your newcomer Step Three: Introducing them outdoors *A…
Creating a Refuge Room for Cats: Ensuring Safety and Comfort During Stressful Situations
Establishing a refuge room in the home, designed to induce a sense of safety and calm, can be helpful for a range of situations: When…
Introducing a Puppy to a Resident Cat
When introducing a puppy to a resident cat, good preparation and gradual, supervised introductions increase the chance of a positive outcome. Stage One: Preparation Stage…
Introducing New Cats to a Home with a Resident Cat(s)
Step One: Giving time to settle and adjust Step Two: Introducing Scents During scent transference, each cat should either ignore the odour or react positively…
Guidance for Veterinary Teams: Helping A Cat Feel Comfortable
Administering Medication and Taking Bloods in the Veterinary Environment Adapted from AAFP and ISFM Feline-Friendly Handling Guidelines. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, by Rodan I.…
How to Choose and Introduce a Dog Harness
Care should be taken when selecting a harness because one style doesn’t fit all and some with ‘anti-pull’ features can cause pain. Many styles c…
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How to Harness Train Your Dog
Harnesses generally tend to be more comfortable and help to control a dog without putting pressure around the sensitive structures around the neck and throat.…
Top 10 Tips for Keeping Your Dog Summer Safe
Summer is a fantastic time for enjoying being outdoors with your dog but there are lots of potential hazards both in the garden and further away from …
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Creating A Calm Environment For Cats
In this video Caroline shares some tips on how we can keep cats calm, relaxed and happy. Providing an environment that fulfills or mimics natural beha…
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Training a Cat To Accept a Carrier
A short, but useful video overview of cat carrier training from clinical animal behaviourist and registered vet nurse Caroline Clark. Includes a step-…
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Harvesting and Transferring the Cat’s Odours to a New Environment or Object
Suddenly introducing a cat to a new environment, making changes to the home or introducing new objects and furniture can disturb a cat’s familiar scent.…
Introducing Rabbits Safely
Rabbits are social animals and normally prefer to be with another rabbit, so here are some tips on how to introduce rabbits for the first time.
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Teaching a Parrot a ‘Step Up’ Cue
The 'Step Up' cue is a good basic training technique. It enables you to retrieve your bird safely but also helps build mutual trust.
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Canine Toilet Training
A helpful guide with advice on toilet training your dog/puppy with things to avoid and a simple training method.
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Rabbit Health & Welfare
Being able to recognise disease and pain in your pet is a skill that is important to develop. This short download covers some health disorders that af…
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Caring for your Rabbit
In the UK, the rabbit is the third most popular pet and, like the dog and cat, make a rewarding companion. Here are a few tips on how to keep your rab…
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Introducing Guinea Pigs for the First Time
Guinea Pigs are social animals and normally prefer to be with another Guinea Pig. If your guinea Pig has been kept alone it is important to ensure tha…
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Guide to Crate Training
Helpful information to crate/confinement training your dog, including the benefits and a simple guide.
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Claw Marking
Helpful information on why cats scratch, positioning scratching posts for your cat and the materials to use.
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Top Tips for Living with a Blind Cat
Cats and other animals always amaze me at the way they adapt to disabilities. This is certainly the case when caring for one that loses…
Understanding Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) in Cats: What Owners Need to Know
At 7 years of age and above, most cats are still playful and may appear youthful but there is an increasing risk of feline age-related…
Snake Bites: What to Do If Your Dog Encounters an Adder
Now that it’s spring and the weather is warming up, most of us will be planning some lovely long walks with the dog. Whilst out…
Healthy Together: Keeping Fit with Your Dog
Keeping in good shape mentally and physically makes sense for all of us and sharing a healthy life with your dog means that you can…
Tops Tips for Keeping Your Cat Safe During the Festive Season
Whilst Christmas and it’s preparations are a happy time for most of us, it can bring about additional stress and potential problems for our feline…
Keep Your Dog Safe in Autumn and Winter: Top Tips to Avoid Poisoning
As daylight gets shorter and we all begin to turn our thoughts to events like Halloween, Bonfire Night and preparations for Christmas. There’s lots of…
Understanding Lungworm in Dogs: Risks, Symptoms and Prevention
Lungworm is a potentially fatal disease affecting the dog. Evidence indicates that it continues to spread across the UK. Read all about this potentially fatal…
Understanding Diabetes in Dogs: Symptoms and Management Tips
Did you know that diabetes doesn’t just affect humans? In fact Diabetes Mellitus, to give it its full name, is one of the most common…
How to Deal with Cut Dog Paws in an Emergency
What if your dog has an accident whilst out on a walk? Would you know what to do? As a veterinary nurse, I am well…
Bloat in Dogs: A Critical First Aid Emergency!
Gastric Dilation-Volvulus (GDV) (Bloat) This is an extremely serious first aid situation. It occurs when the stomach becomes enlarged through a build-up of gas and…
Why Doesn’t My Cat Enjoy Hugs? Understanding Feline Behaviour
I’d like to hug my cat but they won’t let me – why? Here are 10 common reasons why most cats really don’t like too…
Promoting Rabbit Welfare: Top Tips for a Happy and Healthy Bunny
According to The World Animal Foundation there are an estimated one million rabbits kept as pets in the UK . However despite their rise in…
Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth: 6 Easy Steps
Did you know 80% of dogs over the age of three experience gum disease? Gum disease begins when bacteria sticks to the surface of teeth. It forms…
Hyperthermia: Helping Your Dog Keep Its Cool
As Summer temperatures rise year after year, it can spell trouble for your dog if they overheat. We’ve all heard about the dangers of hypothermia…