Vets4Pets Hayling Island

04/11/2024

Bonfire Night Animal Awareness

How do I know if my pet is worried about fireworks?
If you're unsure whether your rabbit or guinea pig is agitated by the sounds of fireworks, some signs you can look out for include:
• Stamping their back legs
• Restlessness or just staying motionless
• Attempting to escape or hide
• Aggression
• Grinding their teeth
• Reduced appetite (this can be very dangerous in rabbits and guinea pigs!)
• Change in toileting habits
If you have any questions at all, speak to a vet or nurse at your local surgery to see how you can best keep them happy and safe when fireworks are being let off in your neighbourhood.

31/10/2024

🐾 Meet Pie and chips 🐾

Aren’t they spookyyyyyy 💀👻🎃

31/10/2024

Halloween safety tips for pets🦔🐾🐱🐶

Halloween is a time for fun and games for most families but it can pose certain threats and risks to our pets.

Creating a safe space for your pet

It's a good idea to make sure your pet is used to the sounds of people knocking on the door and visiting the house to avoid distressing them.
It’s recommended that you also create a safe space for them to retreat to. Cats love to seek out cosy hiding places, so make sure they have a comfortable, quiet place to go in the house. If your cat is settled, don't try to cuddle them to keep them calm, just leave them where they are comfortable. Keep your dog in a cosy, quiet area of the house away from the door so they can't hear the knocking and regular visitors frequenting the house.

30/10/2024

https://www.vets4pets.com/pet-health-advice/halloween/

Halloween is a time for fun and games for most families but it can pose certain threats and risks to our pets. Explore more information about pet safety here.

29/10/2024

Tips for having a safe and happy Halloween with dogs.

Halloween must be a very confusing time for dogs, with many strange and unfamiliar sights and sounds.

While we revel in the spooky festivities, it can be easy to forget that our four-legged friends might have had a different holiday experience. It’s also important to be aware of the numerous hazards that can put our dogs in danger at this time of year.

We’ve written some tips to help you make this year’s Halloween a happy one for dogs and humans alike.

1. Keep chocolate out of reach
Chocolate might be an important part of Halloween for humans, but it should be kept well out of your dog’s reach. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is toxic to dogs and mainly affects the guts, heart, central nervous system, and kidneys.

Darker chocolate typically contains the most theobromine but is still found in milk chocolate. While there is very little theobromine in white chocolate, it is still laden with fat and sugar, which can cause stomach upset and, in extreme cases, may lead to serious illness.

Read our in-depth chocolate advice article for more information.

2. Stash the sweets
If you’re giving out Halloween treats this year be sure to keep them away from your dog. Many sweets, cakes and diet foods contain the sugar substitute xylitol which is highly toxic to dogs. Early symptoms of xylitol poisoning include lethargy, vomiting and loss of coordination and can lead to seizures.

Xylitol poisoning can be fatal for dogs so make sure the sweet treats are for humans only. If you opt for alternative healthy treats, keep in mind that grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants are also poisonous to dogs.

3. Reconsider costumes
Dressing your dog up for Halloween might provide some lighthearted entertainment for humans but costumes can be uncomfortable and distressing for dogs. There is a risk that they could restrict their movement or hinder their ability to see, bark or breathe.

Even if your dog doesn’t seem to mind wearing a costume keep in mind that some dog Halloween costumes are extremely flammable and can ignite in seconds, which could result in tragedy.

Image of a dog with halloween decorations hanging on a wall behind them.
4. Keep them away from activities
Groups of strangers in unusual clothes appearing at your house is part and parcel of Halloween but this can be confusing and frightening for your pet. It’s best to keep dogs in a separate room away from all the activity and any trick or treaters to ensure they’re not scared by so many visitors and, crucially, can’t escape out the door while it is open.

You should make sure your dog is microchipped and the details up to date in case they manage to sneak out the door.

5. Keep them indoors
Keeping dogs in the garden on Halloween is not recommended. Not only could they be distressed by the large, loud groups of people dressed in costumes but they are at risk of being targeted by pranksters’ who may not be considerate of your dog’s welfare. It’s best to keep them safely indoors.

6. Glow sticks
These bright, colourful tubes might look like an interesting chew toy to your dog but they contain chemicals which can irritate their mouth – commonly causing drooling, foaming from the mouth, vomiting and stomach pain.

If you’re worried your dog has ingested any of these chemicals contact your vet or out of hours, your nearest Vets Now for advice.

7. Beware of pumpkins
For many, Halloween wouldn’t be complete without a carved pumpkin lit from within by a candle. However, it’s vital that they are placed high enough that your dog can’t accidentally knock it over and cause a fire.

Also, be sure to throw your pumpkin away before it gets old as mouldy food can contain dangerous mycotoxins which are highly dangerous to dogs.

8. Fireworks
Whilst Halloween is not a traditional time for fireworks, its proximity to bonfire night means that early fireworks could be set off in your area. Be alert, and if there are any concerns, make sure you keep your dog indoors.

If they have a fireworks phobia, be prepared to take steps to shield them from the noise and explosive light displays.

28/10/2024

Protecting your pet from burns

With candles being a big part of Halloween decorations, pets need to be kept away from anything they can injury themselves on. Using electric candles to minimise the risk of singed whiskers and more serious burns is a great swap in place of traditional candles.

Children also need to be careful with sparklers as these can be very frightening to some pets - therefore if you plan to use them, keep your pets indoors and dispose of them correctly in a bucket of cold water before throwing them away.

27/10/2024

Black cats have a very varied history, spanning over different cultures and time periods. In Ancient Egypt, black cats were worshipped and sacred as they were believed to bring good luck and provide protection due to their divine energy, making it illegal to kill a cat. Contrastingly in the Middle Ages in Europe, black cats were associated with evil and witchcraft as many believed witches could transform into black cats, resulting in a large persecution of cats during the ‘Witch Hunt Trials’. This led to the modern superstition of black cats bringing bad luck when crossing paths, causing people to not want to own any black cats. Thankfully, people are now aware that the colour of a cat does not determine bad luck, or any negativity and they are symbols of Halloween, as many people began to campaign for them and created the National Black Cat Day to help spread awareness.

22/10/2024

❌ Update❌

Please be aware that the road will be closed and limited road access due to pipe work. Please allow extra time to arrive to the practice or call the team for more assistance.

Dates:
28th October - 8th November

Thank you Hayling Island Team

19/10/2024

🐾 Meet Peanut 🐾

Peanut came into the practice on Friday for surgery. Peanut was one of the three boys, who joined us this week for castrations.

Peanut recovered very well after his surgery, here is a picture of him curled up after this recovery. 🐰🐇(Pink bandage, is his IV placement).

10/10/2024

World Mental Health Day!

In many ways, every day is World Mental Health Day. But in a more specific way, today is World Mental Health Day, designated for the purpose of drawing attention to one of the more taboo topics that affects all of us.

In the past few years, it seems that there has been a shift in the way we approach mental health. The stigma is starting to lift and people are feeling more confident in opening up about how they are feeling. This has been a radical and important change which has undoubtedly helped us as a society deal with the way we approach mental health.

This year, the topic of World Mental Health Day is perhaps the most difficult of all – su***de. The ultimate extreme of mental illness manifested in the most shocking and unfathomable fashion. Of all the points to address in mental health, this is the one that people really don’t like to think about. However, we should be thinking about it, especially as it is well known that the rate of su***de in veterinary is one of the highest of any profession. This is probably due to factors such as the level of stress experienced on a daily basis, as well as the perfectionist attitude that many veterinary workers possess – it is not a profession for people who can relax too easily. Also, constantly dealing with owners who are bereaved, or animals that are suffering, is a heavy weight to carry.

We will never have all the answers to a problem this profound, but there are ways and means of ameliorating the stress that is felt on a day-to-day basis. Those who have clinical depression and suicidal feelings should of course seek professional help, but people who simply feel a low, continuous sense of lethargy and despondency, people who have lost the enthusiasm for life they once had and want to get it back, may benefit from self-help. We have a few different courses which are professionally designed to help you find a more positive balance in your life. Utilising scientific concepts drawn from psychotherapy and studies of human behaviour, these courses can teach you new insights that can enable you to take control of your inner mental processes and direct yourself away from depressive thoughts and find new agency in your life.

As a BVA member you already benefit from many avenues of support. The BVA legal helpline might be able to offer you reassurance on any queries relating to your work or personal life. Our workplace guides may be able to support you in implementing the safest methods of practice. Maybe just the fact of realising that at BVA we are a family, and that you are part of that family through AVS, the Young Vet Network and beyond will be a reassurance for you today. If you do feel that you would like further support today, or any other day or night, please remember that Vetlife is available to anyone within the veterinary community.. You can reach the 24 hour Vetlife helpline on 0303 040 2551 or by anonymous email. If you’re in Scotland or Northern Ireland, Vet Support Scotland and Vet Support NI can also help you access non-emergency confidential support from a local colleague, and will respond within 24 hours of contact.

07/10/2024

🐾 Meet Elmo 🐾

Elmo celebrated his 16th birthday a couple of weeks ago🥳🎂🎉 Happy birthday to Elmo.

04/10/2024

World Animal Day unites us to raise awareness and educate globally, striving for a world where animals can live the lives they deserve.🐾🌎

Together we can change the way the world works and end animal cruelty and suffering. Forever.
To support this important moment, we’ve put together a guide on why this day is essential and how you can show your support for wild and farmed animals who need your help.

What is World Animal Day all about?
World Animal Day is an annual event on the 4th of October, celebrating animal rights and welfare across the globe. It’s an important day and has been marked since 1925, with a growing international community striving to end the needless suffering of all animals.

By increasing awareness and improving education worldwide, those involved are helping to create a space recognising wild and farmed animals as sentient beings with thoughts, feelings, and individual personalities. Their welfare and treatment must reflect this.

With its international reach, many people around the world celebrate World Animal Day in different ways. Businesses and individuals can give a voice to animals by celebrating World Animal Day in various ways, whether that’s through a fundraising event for charities supporting protection efforts, a goods donation drive or education sessions, there are so many options for everyone to get involved.

01/10/2024

Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Day 🎊⭐🎊⭐🎊
A big thank you to our fabulous reception team! They are the forefront of the practice and bring with them a multitude of skills that are required in this challenging role.
We are lucky to have on our team Nikki G, Claire, Sylvia and Nikki N.
These ladies go above and beyond in all that they do and we are so very lucky to have them as part of our team ❤ ❤❤
Here is Dottie, one of Sylvia's dogs trying to learn her mums role!

30/09/2024

🐾 Meet Barney 🐾

Barney comes into the practice every 4 weeks to see one of our nurses. He knows he gets a treat after his pedicure. 🐾🐶

27/09/2024

Tomorrow is International Rabbit Day!🐇🐰🐾

A day dedicated to showing appreciation of our bouncy friends and promoting their welfare. Here are some interesting facts about rabbits:

1: Rabbits' Teeth Never Stop Growing - A rabbit’s teeth grow continuously throughout its life. To prevent overgrown teeth, they need constant access to hay and chew toys, which help naturally wear their teeth down.

2: They Communicate Through Body Language - Rabbits have a complex way of communicating with subtle body movements. For example, they can "binky" (jump and twist mid-air) when they’re happy or thump their hind legs as a warning signal when they sense danger or are upset.

3: They Have Nearly 360-Degree Vision - Rabbits have eyes positioned on the sides of their heads, giving them an almost 360-degree field of vision. This helps them spot predators from all angles, though they have a small blind spot directly in front of their nose.

4: They Groom Themselves regularly - Rabbits are very clean animals and spend a lot of time grooming themselves, similar to how cats clean their fur. However, they still appreciate some help with brushing, especially during shedding seasons to prevent hairballs.

5: Rabbits Are Crepuscular - Rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk, which means they naturally do much of their hopping, exploring, and feeding during these hours. This makes them ideal pets for people who are busy during the day but home in the early morning or evening.

Featured below Loki🐾

23/09/2024

🐾 Meet Maple 🐾

Maple came in a couple of weeks ago to see one of our nurses. She made herself very comfortable. 🐶🤩

19/09/2024

Polite notice to clients 📍📍

Our carpark is now open again, we do still have builders around the area so there might be some delays.

16/09/2024

🐾 Meet Brok 🐾

Brok came into the practice to see one of our vets Federica. He needed surgery on his eyes due to his eyelids roll inward, causing eyelashes to rub against the eye. Which is called Entropion, which is a common eyelid issue in dogs. 🐶👀

If you have any concerns about their eyes, please contact the team on" 02392 636 950.

10/09/2024

🐾 Meet Bailey 🐾

Bailey came to see us for his annual vaccinations with Jess. He needed an extra cuddle from the nurses for his nails. He seems very happy to be here. 🐶😎

03/09/2024

❗️Polite Notice From Hayling Island Vets4pets❕

Our car park is still currently unavailable.

We are currently having maintenance done on our car park, this will limit our spaces available to clients.

Car parking available:
- We have public space outside of the practice, which allows you to park for 20 minutes.
- St Mary Car Park which is located down St Mary's Road. This is a short 2-3 minute walk to the practice.
- Legion Hayling Island which is located down Legion road. This is around a 5 minute walk from the practice.

If you cannot carry or walk your patient to the practice. Please call us and we will help as best as we can. With prior notice to needing assistance, we can try and arrange a member of the team to help you carry/ drop off your pet before the appointment.

Please call the practice if you have any questions regarding this notice. 02392 636 950.
Kind comments only, we do not have control over the car park maintenance.

29/08/2024

We welcome the law that came into force over the weekend, making the theft of a cat or taking or detaining a dog a criminal offence in England and Northern Ireland.

Under the Pet Abduction Act 2024, anyone found guilty of stealing a cat or dog could face up to five years in prison as well as a fine.

Research suggests that 2,290 dogs were reported stolen in 2023, equivalent to six animals a day.

Steps you can take to keep your pet safe include:

- Getting them microchipped (this is a legal requirement).
- Not letting your dog out of your line of vision on walks.
- Not leaving your dog outside a shop unaccompanied, even if you're only popping in briefly.
- Not leaving your dog in the garden unattended.

Our team have plenty of availability for microchipping. This is a quick, straight-forward procedure and will give you the best chance of being reunited with your pet in the unthinkable event they go missing.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pet-abduction-bill-becomes-law

New legislation creates specific offences for dog and cat abduction in England and Northern Ireland

27/08/2024

Is your pet lame? Does your pet seem in pain? Have they developed a new lump?

As mentioned in our post last week, we have vet, Leonardo, joining us this week. Leo has a background of internship in different referral centres as a surgeon in Orthopaedic and Soft Tissue procedures; he is also about to complete his PG certificate in Small Animal Surgery.
For this week only, if you have any Orthopaedic or Soft Tissue concerns relating to your pet and would like a consultation with Leonardo, please give us a call on 02392 636950.
We are happy to offer a limited number of " specialised" consultations with Leo at a reduced cost of £20.00 (or free of charge if your pet is on a Complete Care Plan - so the consultation will not even be taken off your allowance). Please be aware that this offer is on a first come, first served basis for any Orthopaedic/Soft Tissue concerns but everyone will be welcome to see Leo at the normal fee for anything else.

Vets4Pets is committed to bringing you affordable, high quality care via a modern, well equipped prac

19/08/2024

We have an exciting opportunity for our clients and patients here at Vets4Pets Hayling Island.
For one week, we have Leonardo joining our team who is specialising in orthopaedics. Leo has a background of internship in different referral centres as an orthopaedic surgeon and is about to complete his PgCertificate in Small Animal Surgery- in October.
He will be with us from Tuesday the 27th to Friday the 30th of August and Monday the 2nd of September.
If you have any ORTHOPAEDIC concerns about your pet and want to ask for a first or second opinion to Leo, please feel free to contact us on 02392636950.
We are happy to offer a limited number of “specialised” consultations with Leo at a reduced cost of £20.00 (or free of charge if your pet is on a Complete Care Plan – so the consultation will not even be taken off your allowance). Please be aware that this offer is on a first come, first served basis for any orthopaedic concerns but everyone will be welcome to see Leo at the normal fee for anything else.
Take care everyone, Daniele

Vets4Pets is committed to bringing you affordable, high quality care via a modern, well equipped prac

30/07/2024

❕❗️Polite Notice From Hayling Island Vets4pets❕❗️

We are currently having maintenance done on our car park, this will limit our spaces available to clients.

Car parking available:
- We have public space outside of the practice, which allows you to park for 20 minutes.
- St Mary Car Park which is located down St Mary's Road. This is a short 2-3 minute walk to the practice.
- Legion Hayling Island which is located down Legion road. This is around a 5 minute walk from the practice.

If you cannot carry or walk your patient to the practice. Please call us and we will help as best as we can. With prior notice to needing assistance, we can try and arrange a member of the team to help you carry/ drop off your pet before the appointment.

Please call the practice if you have any questions regarding this notice. 02392 636 950.
Kind comments only, we do not have control over the car park maintenance.

25/07/2024

We have unfortunately had a cat brought into our practice on Monday evening.

Male, ginger and white. He is microchipped. We have tried to contact the owners but believe the details are not up to date.

Please call on 02392 636 950 if you think they may be yours.

25/02/2024

When Kelly from our Colton store's Pets Grooming salon discovered a lump on the tail of nine-year-old Rufus she suspected something wasn't right, so alerted his owners Les and Andrea so they could get it checked out. They brought him to Vets for Pets Leeds Colton where it was confirmed he had a cancerous tumour which needed surgery.

Les, who adopted Rufus from Dogs Trust in Leeds as a puppy, said: “Rufus is such a big part of our life; we’re absolutely besotted with him. We probably wouldn’t have noticed the lump if not at the groomers as the tail isn’t somewhere you would usually stroke and feel. Kelly loves Rufus and really looks after him, so we want to say a big thanks for spotting it. Who'd have known what would have happened if she hadn’t noticed.”

Rufus had to have his tail removed, but is now making a good recovery. He's been visiting Kelly for a groom every six weeks for the last three years. She said: “You get to know everything about a dog as you groom them. I’ve discovered similar things before on other dogs so I mentioned it to the owners so they could get it checked out. Dogs are my life and you do worry; I’m so pleased they caught it. Now he’s got a fully docked tail like a little bunny rabbit. It’s lovely and suits him – when he gets washed he wiggles his bum.”

21/02/2024

Arthur's owner Louise says he "looked like a brand-new tortoise" after having his beak filed at Sutton in Ashfield Vets4Pets.

Louise adopted the four-year-old Horsefield Tortoise from a family member in October. Although she has had other pets, Arthur is her first tortoise, so she has been doing some research on how to best care for him.

Louise said: "I noticed Arthur's beak was unusually long, so I brought him in to Vets for Pets; I bring all my pets there. When he came out, I thought 'you beautiful boy, look at you – you look so handsome!"

Vet Steph, who looked after Arthur, says that tortoise beaks continuously grow and normally grind down themselves while they're eating. She said: "Arthur needed a little help as his jaw isn't perfectly aligned; his lower jaw is further out than his top jaw, so I filed it around half a centimetre. He was really good; a real cutie."

18/02/2024

Owner Claire says she couldn't be more grateful to Vets4Pets Hamilton after their quick diagnosis saved the sight of six-year-old Alba.

Claire knew there was something terribly wrong with her miniature dachshund cross when she called her in from the back garden last summer and Alba ran headfirst into a closed patio door. She rushed her to the vets, where investigations led the team to diagnose her with uveitis – an eye condition which causes inflammation of the middle layer of the eye.

Claire said: "It all happened so suddenly; Alba must have heard my voice and guessed where to go. It was quite scary seeing how bad she was. We couldn't be more grateful for the team in Hamilton spotting the uveitis as quickly as they did, otherwise Alba would have gone blind within a matter of days. Their knowledge saved Alba's sight. I still can't believe it happened. It's taken months of treatments, but it's such a relief to have our girl back to being her funny, bossy self."

Vet Neil, one of the team who treated Alba, said: "Alba's pupil was really narrow and wouldn't respond to light properly, which can be a sign of uveitis. Once we had ruled out other conditions, we were able to get her to an eye specialist for ongoing treatment. She's now doing really well."

16/02/2024

Ducky's owner Antonia was in a state of panic when she saw a fox had dug its way into the field where she keeps him – killing two of her other ducks and chickens.

Antonia was about to move her brood into their pen for the evening when she saw what had happened and noticed that Ducky had severe bite wounds under his wing. She rushed him to Vets4Pets Vets Milton Keynes for emergency surgery – and after having his wound stitched up the one-year-old duck is now making a good recovery.

Antonia said: "I was so worried. You don’t often hear of ducks recovering from fox attacks, but there is something about Ducky and the way he was so brave. I'm sure he was protecting a lady duck, as he's a bit of a romantic. It's the first time we've gone to Vets for Pets, and the team were amazing; they've done an incredible job."

Vet Becca, who treated Ducky, said: "He's a really lucky duck, as it was quite a big wound. When he first came in, he was understandably subdued and quiet but when he came back for his stitches to be taken out, he wanted to explore and tuck his head into everyone’s shoulders."

07/02/2024

Well done to the team at Vets4Pets Guildford who've been awarded a silver level certificate for being a rabbit-friendly clinic.

After head veterinary nurse Ella noticed that more customers were bringing in rabbits the practice took a series of steps to give them as stress-free an experience as possible. Ella, who also fosters rescue dogs in her spare time, said: "There was a long list of things that we needed to prove that we did from making sure the rabbits are kept separate from other animals and not booked in at the same time as barking dogs, to providing heated kennels for those who need to stay in, and using special equipment made especially for rabbits."

Practice manager Kevin said: "All of our vets have plenty of experience with rabbits we have some real rabbit geeks here, so it was a big thing to us. There are so many good people in this world and I'm so proud to be around them."

28/01/2024

Beautiful Bear was born deaf, so he's learned to follow his owner Lisa's visual commands.

Lisa, who shops at our Tamworth store – "it's my second home!" – got two-year-old Bear as a kitten and suspected he was deaf when he didn't respond to her voice. She had it confirmed by her vet soon after. She said: "He was very scatty, and scared of people he didn’t recognise. He wasn’t bothered by loud noises like my other cat Emily and when I came home from work he wouldn’t hear the door open.

"He's doing really well though. I try to do some sign language with him – I point at him and do a solid hand sign at him to stop. He picks up on vibrations and scents too. He meows, making a really loud chirping sound which I’ve never heard a cat do before, and he’s always rubbing his head against my legs and following me everywhere. I was advised not to let him out because he wouldn’t hear cars or other dangers, so he comes outside with me every morning to have a sniff around the garden and always comes straight back in." Bear and Lisa's other cat Emily are on Instagram as

27/01/2024

Ten-year-old Dutch rabbit Alfie has been visiting vet Kate at Vets4pets Wolverhampton for dental treatment for the last eight years – and she says he's such a loveable character that he's become "part of the family".

He's one of the oldest rabbits treated by Kate and the team, and she says his longevity is down to the care and love he gets from his owner Tracy and her family. Kate said: "Alfie is famous in this practice – everyone knows him. We and his family are dedicated to making sure her little old man is happy. The beautiful thing about being a vet or vet nurse is you build these relationships with the owners and their pets – they become your surrogate pets."

Tracy's been keeping rabbits all her life, and says that having space and routine is key. She said: "Alfie is an old man now and has a routine. He goes into a hutch at night and is let out in the morning. He's out all day and has his favourite spots in the house. We clean him out every day and give him a lot of attention. When he was younger he would follow us around; if I was clearing a cupboard out he would be in the cupboard to help. Now he's old and wants to be warm and watch instead. I can't thank Kate and the practice enough. Kate's been fantastic with him."

26/01/2024

Eight-year-old Winnie the Schnauzer cross is running around like a puppy again thanks to laser treatment and physiotherapy after two successful knee operations at Vets for Pets Basildon.

Worried owner Tracy brought Winnie in to the practice after she collapsed on a walk last year – and the team discovered the cruciate ligament in a knee had ruptured. She’s since had ops on two knees and is on a recovery plan led by vet physiotherapist Izzy.

Tracy said: "Winnie has had a tough year with 15 teeth removed, two cruciate ligament operations and two bouts of pancreatitis but thankfully she's hardy. She’s treated fabulously at the Basildon practice. Izzy is great with her – she totally relaxes in her hands and does little snores with her eyes open. Winnie has a new lease of life again and is running around like a puppy."

Izzy said: "When pets have surgery or injure themselves they move differently which causes them to be sore in other places. Winnie has laser therapy then a massage to help the healing process. Laser treatment is a specialist service that not enough people know about – it can help in so many ways after an operation.”

18/01/2024

Veterinary nurse Mel from Vets4Pets Bristol Longwell Green loves cats so much she's helped the practice make a number of improvements to give cats as stress-free an experience as possible when they're brought in.

Mel, who has an Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour for Veterinary Professionals, helped introduce facilities like a separate feline waiting area and cattery and the use of quiet clippers – and the practice now has a silver level certificate for being a cat-friendly clinic. She said: "I love dogs but I'm really a cat person. Cats can be misunderstood which can lead to them having quite a stressful life, so if we can make things easier for them and help people understand what cats need then everyone will be happier.

"As animal lovers there's always more to learn and understand about what makes them happy. Enrichment at the home is important for a happy cat – and as cats are naturally solitary animals if you live in a multi-cat household it's important to understand what they need. The rule is to have a resource per cat, plus one spare. So if you have two cats you should have three feeding stations, three litter trays and three scratch posts spread around the house so they have the opportunity to move around to wherever they want to go. Scratching is as natural a thing for cats to do as going out hunting is, so if they're unable to go out it's about providing the chance for them to behave as naturally as possible."