Acorn House Pet Advice

£25 DISCOUNT VOUCHER* for an Out of Hours Consultation for our clients. *Terms & Conditions apply

IN AN EMERGENCY

Acorn House operates an emergency service run by our own permanent team of vets and nurses 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. • This service is run from our own premises (unlike some practices who require you to travel to other premises out of hours). • We have a dedicated oncall nurse caring for pets who stay at the surgery overnight. • In case of an out of hours emergency please

TELEPHONE 01234 261839.

Please visit our website for further details & pricing

Acorn House Veterinary Hospital Linnet Way, Brickhill, Bedford MK41 7HN

Tel: 01234 261839

www.acornhousevets.com Register online today.

Making your home cat-friendly

Cats are brilliant pets but their behavioural needs are sometimes misunderstood. The International Society of Feline Medicine recommends that cat owners familiarise themselves with the “fi ve pillars of a healthy feline environment” to make sure that our homes are as stress-free as possible for our feline friends.

Provide a safe space

It is important for cats to be able to rest in “hiding places” that feel safe and secure. Most cats will prefer these places to be high up and enclosed like an “igloo” cat bed on top of a piece of furniture, so that the cat can feel hidden but able to peek out at what is going on.

Provide plenty of everything and spread it out

Make sure that your cat’s essential items (food, water, litter tray, bed) are in different places as cats do not like to eat close to their drinking water or to toilet near to their eating and sleeping areas. Cats should never have to compete with other cats (or dogs!) to reach the things that they need.

Opportunities for play and predatory behaviour

Play, (especially pretending to hunt), is an important behaviour for cats to practice to stay physically and emotionally healthy. Scattering treats on the ground for cats to chase and “catch”, food puzzle toys, wand toys and cardboard boxes to jump on/in and destroy are all good choices, particularly for indoor cats.

Positive, consistent interactions with humans

Most cats like to have regular contact with humans but in general they will prefer this to be for short periods, many times a day and will prefer to choose when they approach for fuss, rather than being picked up or stroked when they are otherwise occupied.

Respect the cat’s sense of smell

Cats rely on familiar smells to make them feel safe, and fi nd unfamiliar strong smells very unpleasant. Avoid the use of strongly scented household products and wash your cat’s bedding one piece at time so that they always have something with their own scent on it.