It’s many people’s dream to work with animals but it’s a very competitive sector, not often well paid and certainly isn’t all playing with fluffy kittens! Vanessa and Maggie discuss the trials and tribulations of working with animals and getting into vet school. Do you really have to be a straight A student or are there other routes to fulfil your ambition? Is it true that the most difficult thing about working with animals is the people? Would our hosts go for the same career if they had their time over again? They also discuss other roles in vet practice such as the vital part vet nurses play along with animal care assistants, receptionists and practice managers.

If you want to find out more about becoming a vet or vet nurse, please visit one of the following links for more information: RCVS, BVA, BVNA and the Veterinary Schools Council.

It’s great to have varying perspectives so we’re pleased to have our first podcast guest, Nicky Trevorrow. Nicky is a qualified animal behaviourist at Cats Protection and a registered veterinary nurse. In this episode we chat about how she became a behaviourist and what her role involves. She tells us why cats are her passion and what are the main challenges of working with this intriguing species. She shares lots of tips to set your cat up to be the purrrfect companion.

After all the planning and research, finally collecting your new pet is a very exciting time! Understandably your new housemate may be a little nervous or missing their mother, so you want to make this transition period as stress-free as possible. Vanessa and Maggie give you tips on what you need to do to make things go smoothly including what information you need from the breeder or adoption centre, how to set up the house to give the new arrival a space of their own and how to gradually introduce them to the rest of the family including other pets. We want to set you up for many happy years together.