We’re proud that Blue House is an accredited Cat Friendly Clinic!

We were delighted to be Staffordshire’s first practice to achieve the International Cat Care (formerly FAB) Silver Award, which means we understand the specific needs of cats. We have committed ourselves to making visits to Blue House as stress free as possible for cats and their owners. In 2022 we were re-accredited so have now been officially cat friendly for over 8 years!

As specified by iCatCare, this means we have:

•    Premises of a good clinical standard with appropriate equipment
•    Staff who have a gentle, caring and empathetic approach to handling cats
•    Staff who are knowledgeable about and understand cats
•    A cat only waiting room
•    Ability to hospitalise cats, with comfortable bedding - our cat kennels are  gold standard as they are so spacious. 

In addition to this we also have a cat-only hospital ward with Feliway diffuser, radio, snuggly hide-away beds for any cats that come to visit us for procedures. We also stock many medications with the “Easy to Give” award to try and make medicating cats easier for you.

The scheme required that we appoint a ‘Cat Advocate’ - a member of staff who oversees the cat friendly standards to make sure they are being adhered to, and who is happy to answer any of your questions about the scheme – and this role has been taken on by Sarah.

You can find out more about International Cat Care and the Cat Friendly Clinic initiative at www.catfriendlyclinic.org

Please click the link below to view and download our fact sheets for helpful information about your cat.

• View our Cat Fact Sheets

Blue House is chicken friendly!

Chickens are now a popular pet, and at Blue House we love to see them! Several members of the Blue House team keep chickens, and one of our lovely chicken-keeping clients listed us as a poultry-friendly practice in Practical Poultry magazine too - so we do see our fair share of chickens and waterfowl, and know how much a part of the family they are.

We also keep up to date with chicken issues by attending chicken-specific CPD (continuing professional development).

We stock several common poultry medications such as Flubenvet and Tylan, and we can order in most other products for the following day if needed.

We are also equipped to hospitalise chickens for surgery or medical treatment, with plenty of layers pellets, meal worms and other tasty treats to get them eating, and perches to make them feel at home during their stay.
 

Please click the link below to view and download our fact sheets for helpful information about your chickens.

• View our Chicken Fact Sheets

Rabbits and other Small Furries

At Blue House rabbits and small pets stay in our comfortable Bunny Ward, away from cats and barking dogs, in spacious housing enriched with chew toys, hiding places and plenty of fresh Timothy hay.

We know that having your rabbit undergo a procedure under general anaesthesia can be a worrying time, so we do everything we can to make anaesthesia as safe as possible for bunnies:

•    Our nurses are qualified and experienced in monitoring rabbits under anaesthesia.

•    We give our bunny patients medications before their operation to ensure they have good levels of pain relief and gut protection before any sedation or anaesthetic is given.

•    We give injectable anaesthetic drugs through an intravenous catheter (placed in an ear vein). This is more predictable than inducing anaesthesia with a gas mask, and the catheter also allows access to a vein in an emergency.

•    For most rabbits we maintain a secure breathing passage using a cutting-edge device called a V-gel, which is safer than using a mask and easier and quicker to place than a traditional breathing tube.

•    Rabbits recover from anaesthesia in a warm incubator, and we start syringe feeding them as soon as they are awake to keep their digestive system moving.

• We also encourage you to bring your bunny's buddy with them to keep them company!

We believe in good preventative care for rabbits as much as any other pet. Our nurses run dedicated Rabbit Husbandry appointments to answer all your questions about diet, dental health, exercise, vaccination, neutering and more.

We are always happy to see guinea pigs, chinchillas and small rodents too!

Please click the link below to view and download our fact sheets for helpful information about your small furries.

• View our Small Furries Fact Sheets