The West Midlands Cat Clinic

05/09/2025

SEPSIS AWARENESS MONTH

Did you know that September is Sepsis Awareness Month? Our student nurse Isabel is particularly passionate about promoting awareness about the condition as she very sadly lost her brother to sepsis. If you’re due in for a visit this month, please help yourself to one of UK Sepsis Trust’s leaflets on display in our 387 and West Midlands Cat Clinic waiting areas. Knowing the signs of sepsis – an emergency condition – could save a life.

Sepsis is where the immune system overreacts to an infection, and whilst not preventable, it is treatable if caught quickly. Typical signs in adults include slurred speech, extreme shivering, severe breathlessness, mottled skin and passing no urine. In children, signs include fast breathing, convulsions, a mottled rash, being very lethargic and feeling abnormally cold to touch. If you or someone you know exhibit any of these symptoms, seek urgent medical attention and ask, “Could it be sepsis?” You’ll see this slogan on the side of lots of ambulances.

As well as leaflets, Isabel has brought in a limited number of promo giveaways from The UK Sepsis Trust. So, for early birds picking up a leaflet from us this month, you may be lucky enough to pick up a treat too!

01/09/2025

EXCITING TIMES AHEAD!

On Friday, we held a special lunch for our Registered Veterinary Nurse Renée as it was her last day in practice before starting her maternity leave. This is Renée’s second baby, and we can’t wait to find out whether there will be a new little boy or little girl joining her beautiful family! In true 387 style, we stopped to have lunch together, enjoyed lots of yummy treats and presented Renée with a few little gifts to wish her well, including this gorgeous bouquet arranged by our RVN Charlotte who is on maternity leave and came in to say hello with baby Colby. A big hello, too, to our RVN Mia and Freya and to Beth and Benji, who also came in specially to join the party! We’re super-excited for you and Tom, Renée, and look forward to meeting little one!

28/08/2025

FABULOUS FELINE!

Here’s a little feline magic to cheer you up on this rainy day! This is beautiful Alex having a cuddle with our Registered Veterinary Nurse Amy in our cat ward when he was in for a procedure recently. What a fabulously furry fellow! Look at his beautifully long fluffy tail!

23/08/2025

HAPPY AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY

We hope you and your pets have a lovely long weekend wherever you may be this bank holiday. Monday looks like it could be a scorcher!

Our interconnecting parent practice 387 Veterinary Centre is open as normal today (Saturday) but we will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday. If you have a pet emergency when we are closed, please call us on 01922 411755 and follow the answer machine instructions. If you aren’t sure if of how urgently your pet needs to see a vet, don’t forget our VidiVet service, a complimentary benefit to all our registered clients which gives you free access to vet advice. Check communications from us for more details. VidiVet is great for general pet queries too, and with free 24/7 access you can contact VidiVet anytime, anywhere for pet peace of mind.

22/08/2025

REDUCING STRESS ON VISITS TO THE VETS

As an International Cat Care-accredited gold-standard Cat Friendly Clinic, we're passionate about helping to reduce feline stress on visits to the vets in any way we can. International Cat Care have produced some really useful guides for cat owners on exactly this topic. They include why a vet visit can be daunting for cats, things you can do and prepare as an owner to help cats feel calmer at the vets, advice on using cat carriers, travelling to the practice, helping cats feel less stressed in the waiting room and bringing a cat home from the practice if they've been admitted for a procedure. Check out the link in International Cat Care's post!

All cats should have at least one check annually at the veterinary clinic, even if they seem healthy - preventative veterinary care is important. 🩺

🐈 For many cats and caregivers, a visit to the vet can be a stressful experience so at iCatCare we’re here to help! Check our website for ways to reduce stress for you and your cat, such as choosing an accredited Cat Friendly Clinic, and trying carrier training at home 👉 https://icatcare.org/articles/taking-your-cat-to-the-vet

19/08/2025

HIGH PRAISE FROM ROYAL COLLEGE ASSESSOR

We are delighted to report that 387 Vets – which includes our interconnecting West Midlands Cat Clinic facility – has passed our 2025 Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Practice Standards Scheme Assessment. The RCVS are the regulatory body for veterinary surgeons and registered veterinary nurses in the UK. Whilst their Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) is voluntary, the comprehensive framework helps drive improvement and makes practices accountable for service standards. Practices displaying the RCVS logo meet rigorous RCVS-set standards, giving owners peace of mind around their pet’s care. We’re proud that 387 Vets has been RCVS-accredited since 2009, and we particularly love the scheme for its holistic approach to practice review.

RCVS PSS assessments take place every four years and include upload of a significant bank of requested evidence onto an assessment portal followed by an on-site visit by an RCVS assessor to see evidence in practice and to speak with team.
In her feedback report, our assessor identified many areas of best practice, but made special reference to our practice culture, commenting that, “to see a practice so invested in their team is truly inspiring.” She continued that, “staff wellbeing and happiness is at the heart of this practice,” and praised the fact that, “the whole team are invested in maximising their skills, not only for their own development, but also for the development of the business.”

We believe that investing in team wellbeing and fulfilment plays a huge part in our practice identity and success. To have this recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons feels amazing.

12/08/2025

SUNCREAM REMINDER

These beautiful babies came in to see us last week for their first vaccinations. Absolute stunners! With the weather being so hot, remember that white cats, thin-haired cats and hairless breeds need extra care in the sunshine as they can suffer from severe sunburn. Sunburn causes skin to become sore and damaged and repeatedly burning in the sun can lead to skin cancer. Always use pet specific suncream in sunny weather. Apply to exposed areas, paying particular attention to the tips of ears and noses. We may not be able to stop outdoor cats from sunbathing but we can help to keep them safe.

08/08/2025

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL CAT DAY 2025!

8th August is International Cat Day! Every year, cat charity International Cat Care use the day to highlight important feline-centric topics and to raise awareness of cats as a species.

This year’s theme is ‘How to be Cat Friendly Every Day’, respecting each cat’s unique nature and meeting their environmental and social needs. Follow International Cat Care’s page (https://www.facebook.com/icatcare) and their other social media channels for a huge range of top tips on how to be cat friendly at home.

Their first post is all about cat communication for cat friendly interaction and a better understanding of your feline friend’s behaviours. Their second post today is about the importance of cat friendly play for mental stimulation, minimising unwanted destructive behaviour, encouraging exercise and for strengthening your bond with your cat. It’s going to be a busy feed of fab tips and information. Do keep revisiting!

This is our Clinical Director's cat Merry having some love and fuss at home. We'd love to see photos or videos of your fab feline friends on this special day of feline celebration!

04/08/2025

HAPPILY REUNITED

We love happy stories! This is beautiful Pixie who was brought in to us after being found by someone working at the units up behind Sainsbury’s. We scanned Pixie for a microchip and were able to contact her owners who were over the moon to be reunited with her at the West Midlands Cat Clinic. Pixie had been missing from home for an incredible 4 weeks!

This lovely story shows the huge value of microchipping our pets. If they do stray, being microchipped means that your contact details are ready to access for a swift reunion should your pet be brought into a vet practice. Do remember to check that your pet’s microchip details are up to date.

25/07/2025

DISTRACTION TACTICS

This is two year old Simba who was in for laser therapy after orthopaedic surgery. We use laser therapy to stimulate cell repair, to reduce inflammation and to help with pain management. As well as encouraging cell activity and reducing swelling, treatment stimulates the release of endorphin, a natural pain inhibitor, and suppresses nociceptors or pain receptors to reduce pain sensation in the body.

To help keep Simba still during his session, we used a LickiMat to distract him. Simba had a great time licking away at the yummy paste smeared onto the mat and didn’t even notice he was having therapy! A great outcome all round!

21/07/2025

WELCOME TO THE TEAM!

Many of you will have met our new veterinary receptionist Emma Kiejda who started with us this June. No stranger to veterinary practice, Emma has a diverse range of industry-related experience. She started out as a Veterinary Care Assistant at the age of 18, using her VCA qualification to support in-patient care. She later moved into a purely customer-facing role as a veterinary receptionist and, after a two year hiatus as an audit coordinator for a pharmaceutical stock taking company, is back in small animal practice – this time with us! Emma thrives on multi-tasking, loves working with people and pets and has a great understanding of front of house activity as well as a useful knowledge of more clinical elements of practice life. She also comes highly recommended by our nurse Rachael Leonard as they used to work together before coming here! We’re delighted to welcome Emma to the 387 Vets & West Midlands Cat Clinic team!

12/07/2025

THANK YOU!

Thank you to those of you who have nominated our practice or a specific team member for the Petplan Veterinary Awards 2025! Here are Paige and Emma receiving nominee certificates. 387 Vets now has a nominee certificate up in the waiting room too!

The Petplan Awards have been running for 26 years and are designed to recognise the hard work and dedication shown by vet teams and individuals in the veterinary industry.

If you feel 387 Veterinary Centre & The West Midlands Cat Clinic or a specific team member deserves to be recognised, we’d love your support and for you to tell the judges why we deserve to win!

You can nominate in more than one category – there are five in total – and all nominations remain anonymous. Online nominations close on 12th September.

Click on the link below to vote. You’re guaranteed to make someone’s day!

https://awards.petplan.co.uk