The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) has announced its first ever Virtual Cat Conference – “From Kittens to Geriatrics” – bringing together four internationally renowned feline behaviourists to present on their area of expertise:
- Author and cat behaviourist Celia Haddon – “Developing behaviourally healthy kittens.” Celia will be covering the influence of nature and nurture, sensory and behavioural development, sensitive periods, pedigree kittens, feral kittens, orphan kittens, and pre-adoption neutering.
- Dr Lauren Finka, research fellow at Nottingham Trent University – “Meeting cats’ individual needs within the shelter environment.” The rehoming environment can be a challenging context in which to try to meet the individual needs of the diverse range of cats that may end up there. This talk will consider the key principles underlying optimal cat management and how these can be applied practically to support each cat on an individual basis – from kittens right through to geriatrics.
- Dr Mikel Delgado of Feline Minds – ”Peaceable Kingdom: Using feline science to increase success of multi-cat households.” Cats are solitary hunters so they often get mislabelled as an asocial species, and are frequently condemned to a lifetime in a single cat household. But equally many attempts to integrate multiple cats into a home fail, leading to stress, injuries, and behaviour problems. This talk will review our growing understanding of cats’ social lives and family structures. Through case studies, Mikel will illustrate how we can enhance the lives of cats in multi-cat households, ensure smooth introductions between cats, and solve problems when they arise.
- Veterinary behaviourist Emma Hatton – “The overlap between medicine and behaviour and the geriatric cat”. Appreciating the importance of both physical and emotional health is essential for the optimal welfare of cats, particularly with regard older felines. Many cases provide opportunities to not only treat the medical symptoms, but also offer guidance and educational advice relating to the behavioural component of disease.
The Conference can be viewed live on Saturday 24 October between 09:30-16:30 GMT when delegates will also get the chance to ask our speakers questions after their talks. However, ticket holders will also be able to watch recordings of the event for 30 days afterwards.
Dr Anne McBride, APBC Chairperson says: “Following the success of our annual conference (which we were forced to run virtually due to COVID-19), we decided to organise a cat-specific conference to enable our speakers and delegates to really delve into the nitty-gritty of feline behaviour. Virtual conferences allow anyone to attend – so long as they have a device with an internet connection. We are delighted that our speakers have agreed to be part of this new APBC venture, and we know that there will be something for everyone – whether a pet owner, cattery manager, pet shop worker, researcher, rescue worker, part of the vet team or a behaviourist.”
Tickets cost £55 which includes virtual entry on the day, a virtual delegate pack with all the speaker’s presentations plus further details about their talks, and the recording available for 30 days. Discounts are available for APBC members, members of ABTC organisations and for rescue organisations. With thanks to our sponsors: Royal Canin, ProtectAPet, Feliway Optimum, Zylkene, Your Cat Magazine and LickiMat. Further information regarding our speakers can be found, and tickets purchased online.
