Priya's Puzzles

28/08/2024

Priya has recently been quite unwell. While she was poorly and had very little appetite, I gave her food in a bowl! I did wonder if she’d ever go back to using her puzzle feeders again!

As soon as she started to feel better, she ignored the biscuits in the bowl and demanded food in her puzzle feeders!

Priya is doing so well. She’s still taking Prednicare (steroid), but we have reduced the dose to a tablet every other day and hopefully we can further reduce to one every three days very soon! She is eating a sensitivity diet, which she enjoys, so all good! ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

23/04/2024

A fantastic weekend, spent with awesome people, listening to very thought provoking speakers! 😊

20/04/2024

Here for the cats 🐈‍⬛ Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors - APBC

31/03/2024

Don’t throw your Easter egg box away! Make your cat a puzzle feeder! ❤️🐈‍⬛

26/02/2024

Priya has always enjoyed drinking from the tap, so she loves this water fountain! Do your cats have a fountain or do they drink from a bowl? ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

17/02/2024

Priya finds vet visits very difficult, but keeping the carrier covered, elevated and being examined whilst she remains in the bottom half, really helps! Having amazing vets at The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic are key to making what Priya finds very difficult, as positive as possible! This is so important, especially as she’s currently needing frequent visits.

How does your pet feel about visiting their vet?!

Many can find coming to see people like me a bit stressful but there’s lots you, as their pet parent, can do to help them relax and enjoy their health checks!

🐱 Cats🐱

🐱 Keep your cat basket out at home as a cosy space for your cat to rest.

This means they won’t find it a strange place to be when they are taken to the vet and that will help them to feel more relaxed and secure.

🐱 When you get to your vet, try to keep your cat’s basket off the floor.

This will help them to feel safer and ensure they aren’t stressed out by any curious dogs trying to check them out!

🐱 Cats love to hide, especially when they are in a new place or are a bit worried.

So having a carrier without too many windows, or covering it over with a blanket will be hugely appreciated by them. Many practices now provide blankets for their feline friends and some even will have special scent sprays for you to use which are proven to decrease anxiety.

🐱 Baskets where the top comes off or your vet can examine your cat without them having to leave that safe space are brilliant.

🐶 Dogs 🐶

🐶 Pop in when you are passing by!

The people in your local clinic love animals and the door is always open and the snack tin is always full. The more your dog sees their vets as a fun and regular place to visit, the lower their anxiety will be when they need to go for a check-up.

🐶 Feel free to let them on the furniture!

Many dogs prefer to be beside you while they are waiting and our seats are made for everyone!

🐶 If they have to come and stay for the day at the clinic, you are very welcome to bring along their favourite toy or blanket.

Having something familiar with them that smells like home can really help our dogs relax and feel safe.

Vet visits are important! How do you make sure your pet feels safe and happy when they come to see us?

For more tips on how to help pets through ‘Waiting Room Anxiety’, check this out from Petplan UK!

👆🏻🙌🏻👇🏻

https://www.petplan.co.uk/pet-information/dog/advice/waiting-room-anxiety/

24/01/2024

Priya was recently diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure). The only sign was a bleed on her eye, with her behaviour and health appearing unchanged! I initially thought she’d got an irritant, in her eye, or had been scrapping with another cat! As soon as she was seen by her amazing vets, she received a detailed eye examination and blood pressure check. Her blood pressure was very high and she was immediately prescribed medication. A re-check after a fortnight, shown a significant drop in blood pressure, although it’s still higher than normal. She will be having another blood pressure check, next week! We then need to establish whether the hypertension is secondary to another issue, such as CKD or hyperthyroidism, or if this is an idiopathic hypertension!

I would urge anyone, who sees any change in their cat’s eyes, to get them checked asap.

Priya is totally oblivious to any problem and is still enjoying using her many puzzle feeders! ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

14/11/2023

Well done to Debbie Postles who is now a Provisional ABT member of the APBC. Here is a picture of her with her sidekick, Priya! She loves ‘helping’ Debbie with her coursework and has been known to delete some, from time to time!

Find out about our behaviourist roles at https://www.apbc.org.uk/behaviourist-roles/

15/10/2023

Great advice here, as always, from Cat The Vet 🐈‍⬛

14/10/2023

Waiting for Priya to take a nap, so I can do some more of my jigsaw! Jigsaw puzzles and Priya don’t go well together! Her dexterity is perfect for puzzle feeders but not for jigsaw puzzles! 🤣 🧩 🐈‍⬛

11/10/2023

Puzzle feeders are perfect for slowing down eating and have made such a positive impact on keeping Priya’s weight correct and stable! ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

🐈 Should you be counting calories for your cat? Studies suggest that over 1/3 of cats in the UK are overweight – the most common reason? Overeating and taking in too many calories!*

😳 Worried your cat might be overweight? Speak to your vet team who can draw up a weight loss programme.

🌟 Top tip - measure food portions using kitchen scales for improved accuracy.

Learn more about recognising obesity in cats and the health risks here 👉 https://icatcare.org/advice/obesity-in-cats/

*UK Pet Food. Pet Obesity Statistics. 2022 [cited 2023 Oct 11]. Available from: https://www.ukpetfood.org/information-centre/pet-obesity-statistics.html

04/10/2023

Priya has a few biscuits in each of her puzzle feeders, but this is clearly today’s favourite! She hasn’t used this one for a while, as I rotate which ones are available, so she doesn’t get bored!

23/09/2023

I’m bored! My puzzle feeders are too easy!

I’m thinking of ways to make Priya’s feeders more challenging!

I’m also looking at how I can keep her mentally stimulated, as a bored Priya is a very mischievous Priya (and that’s the polite way of putting it) 🤣

I’m also considering getting her some talking buttons. Has anyone used these with their cats? 🐈‍⬛ If so, which ones did you get?

19/09/2023

Why use puzzle feeders?

Priya has had all her food in puzzle feeders since 2016 and she has never tired of being fed in this way!

The benefits have been amazing!

Priya gets bored very easily and needs lots of physical and mental stimulation. She used to raid the cupboards and the fridge, as well as killing and eating lots of mice and birds! This way of feeding keeps her physically and mentally agile, whilst allowing her to use her hunting instincts, in a more 'nature friendly' way!

19/09/2023

07/09/2023

This is currently Priya’s favourite puzzle feeder! I love the look I get at the start of the video, when she realises she’s being filmed! 😂❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

31/08/2023

This is definitely one of the more challenging puzzle feeders for Priya! I’ve set it up to be easier for her, as she hasn’t used this one for a long time! She really enjoys the Nina Ottosson Puzzles

29/08/2023

Who thinks Priya should join a women’s football team? ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

28/08/2023

This is definitely one of Priya’s more challenging puzzle feeders! She hasn’t used it for a while! I must get it back out and see if she remembers how to use it! ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

26/08/2023

Priya hasn’t used this puzzle feeder for many months!

I regularly rotate which ones are available, so she doesn’t get bored!

She really enjoys this one! ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

21/08/2023

We ditched the dish many years ago! ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

15/08/2023

Instead of eating a couple of large meals per day, Priya grazes throughout the day, eating a few biscuits and then heading back outdoors to explore! Her food allocation is weighed out, at the start of each day and distributed between her various puzzle feeders! ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

08/08/2023

Priya wishes you all a very happy International Cat Day! ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

29/07/2023

An excellent and informative blog! 🐈‍⬛❤️🐈‍⬛💙

Even confident kitties can get stressed out. Expert cat behaviourist Lucy Hoile shares signs of stress in cats plus ways to help calm your feline.

10/07/2023

I’ve booked! 😊

https://www.apbc.org.uk/apbc-conference-2024/