All the latest info on caring for your pet

The current coronavirus pandemic has changed our everyday lives as we know it. Even though we seem to be past the worst of it, many of us are feeling stressed, anxious and overwhelmed. You are definitely not alone and someone else who might have similar emotions right now is your pet! Cats are very perceptive animals and can sense and reflect our stress or anxiety. While they might not understand the coronavirus itself, just like humans, animals can become stressed and overwhelmed when changes in their daily routine occur. 

Have you ever tried to win a staring contest with a cat? Well, trust me, you can’t! Cats have a marvellous unblinking gaze, and this post will shed some light on why, and what that fixed stare might mean for you.

Cats have a reputation for their insistent behaviour around feeding. They are individuals so it’s important to learn what is normal for each of them. If they appear hungrier than usual, there may be a simple reason, but it could be a sign of a medical condition and should be checked out.  

Well, what a question! At first glance, these two animals may seem worlds apart on the pet scale, but although they certainly have their differences, they also share a surprising number of qualities. Whether you’re a fan of fur or feathers, let’s see how they compare on the ‘best pet’ scale!

At the time of writing this, the UK (and many countries) are still in ‘lockdown’ as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic limiting access to veterinary services to emergency and urgent cases. Many cats may secretly (or perhaps even openly!) be appreciative of this since for them, a visit to a vet clinic is often a highly stressful and unpleasant experience. Cats are ‘control freaks’ – they like to feel in control of their environment and once this is taken away (eg being placed in a cat carrier), this can cause a great degree of stress. It’s not only stressful for the cats though – a number of surveys have also indicated that a visit to a vet clinic is also very stressful for the cats’ owners. 

Following ‘lockdown’ measures introduced by the UK government in March 2020, access to veterinary services has been limited due to social distancing requirements needed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. This has understandably caused some concerns for both veterinary professionals and pet owners. They may now need to rely on ‘remote consultations’ by phone or video to obtain veterinary advice and some services. Whilst not ideal, there is a lot of valuable information that can be relayed by phone or video. This can greatly assist veterinary professionals in making the correct diagnosis ‘over the phone’. The following tips are also presented in a 30 minute webinar: Nursing sick cats at home which can be accessed from this site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSH5eTYAtYo&feature=emb_logo 

This article is biased towards cats as these are the only species the author deals with but the same principles can be applied to all pets under veterinary care.