Category: Newsletter

Wishing all our wonderful clients — and their much-loved pets — a very Merry Christmas and a bright, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support this year. It has truly been a joy to care for each and every one of you. Santa will definitely be popping a few extra treats your way for all the smiles you and your pets have given us — even (and especially!) our delightfully spicy ones!

We look forward to supporting you throughout the year ahead. As always, we’re committed to growing and improving, so your feedback and suggestions are warmly welcomed.

Opening dates for Christmas

Tuesday 23rd December – 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Wednesday 24th December – 9.00am. to 2.00 pm

Christmas Day  – Closed

Boxing Day –  Closed

Saturday 27th December  – Open 8.30-12.30, on the day emergencies only. Please call the mobile 07986 933849

Sunday 28th December –  Closed.

Monday 29th – 9.00am – 6.00pm

                                       Tuesday 30th – 9.00am – 6.00pm

                                Wednesday 31st – 9.00am -4.00pm

                                      Thursday January 1st 2026 – Closed

                                               Friday 2nd – 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Last dates for prescriptions

Please could we have prescription orders in by Friday 12th December. This will give us time to process and order the requests and get them out in the post by Wednesday 17th December. This will be the last posting date for prescriptions. We can continue to fulfil prescriptions after this  but they will need to be delivered ( £11 delivery charge) or collected from the surgery.

Photo Competition Winners.

Thank you to everyone who entered our competition. The Winners are spread through the newsletter. We had such fun seeing all the entries. It was very hard to pick winners – glad it wasn’t my job! However, the overall winner was a firm favourite with all the judges as it represents the connection that every pet owner holds dear. Many congratulations to Claire Parkin and her cat Salvatore.

Top Tips to help everyone enjoy a peaceful festive season.

Keep festive food out of reach. Chocolate, mince pies/puddings, nuts and cake as well as turkey leftovers and sweets containing artificial sweeteners, can make pets very sick. Keep holiday food and drink well out of reach.

Keep your vet’s phone number handy, in case of emergencies, and ensure that you have enough of your pet’s medication to see them over the holiday period. Make sure microchip details are up to date as pets often slip out during all the comings and goings.
Beware tinsel, decorations, electric cords and candles, which can all be attractive to pets but can cause accident and injury. Do not leave your pets unattended.
In between all the festivities, try and stick to your pet’s routine as much as possible. Ensure they have enough quiet time and a safe room or space to use as a refuge, so that they can chose whether or not to join in.
In cold weather, check under your car and bang the bonnet before starting, as cats often climb onto engines for warmth. Mop up all antifreeze spills. This is sweet tasting to pets and highly toxic.
In snow, use coconut oil on paws and fur to avoid snowballs clinging to fur and to protect against salt and grit. Wash paws on returning home.
New years resolutions such as loosing weight and taking more exercise are great for pets too!

A Little Bit of Politics

For those following the ongoing CMA investigations, we wanted to share a few thoughts.

First, we’d like to reassure you that we are an independent practice. Our priority is – and always has been – to support you and your pets with the best care we can provide. At the same time, we are a small, highly regulated business delivering private healthcare for animals. High-quality veterinary care is, unfortunately, inherently costly, and unlike human private healthcare, veterinary services are also subject to VAT.

Some of the CMA’s proposals, such as updating the very out-of-date Veterinary Surgeons Act, ( brought in the year I was born!), are long overdue and would be welcome.

However, other suggested “remedies” would simply add layers of regulation and administrative work. In reality, this would increase our running costs and ultimately raise the prices we would need to charge in order to continue providing a safe and reliable service.

On the Plus Side

We’re always happy to work with you to find options that fit both your needs and your budget. We follow the principles of contextualised care, and we are more than willing to provide a written prescription if you prefer to purchase medications from an online pharmacy (which can often sell them for less than we can buy them from wholesalers).

We also offer health plans designed to make it easier to budget for routine care and to soften the impact of unexpected or urgent situations. If you’d like to know more, please take a look at our website or give our reception team a call.

best wishes for Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year to all

Rosie, and all the team at Paws Indoors

Have you entered our Pet Photo Competition yet?

For the winner, local artist Ani Bee will make a portrait of your pet.

Caroline has also been shopping for some thrifted items, including a Ronaldo shirt, see social posts for more details.

We have had some super submissions so far. We are looking for photos that fall into one of these three categories – Family Portrait  – animal family or animal and hooman family, Our bond – animal and hooman, Just for fun – anything that your pet does that makes you smile!

For all the details on how to enter, scan the QR code on the picture to the left or click here

The Photo Competition is raising money in aid of PACT, so please make a donation on our JustGivingpage

Breast Cancer Now

Still on a charity theme, we will be hosting afternoon tea at the surgery, Broaden Lane, Hempnall, NR15 2LU in aid of Breast Cancer Now.

Tuesday September 16th

12noon til 4pm.

This is a charity close to our hearts as we lost a very dear colleague, April Caton, to breast cancer.

Please drop in for tea/ coffee, cake and pupcakes and a chat. The theatre will be open ( as long as there are no emergencies!) so feel free to have a look around at the equipment.

All About Dogs

The annual dog festival will be at the Norfolk showground on Sunday August 24th and Monday August 25th. We will be there with home made

peanut butter and honey dog biscuits so do come along and say hello! We have home made peanut butter dog biscuits to give away!

We are partnering on the stand with lovely Lizette from  Pet Estate Planning Cross-Border World Wide.

Do you worry about what would happen to your pet if you were no longer able to take care of them due to ill health or incapacity? Lizette can help you think through the steps needed and put the paperwork in place so that

James Ayres, from Luna and co will also be there to answer any questions about training and behaviour.

Cattitude

We have been helping several families with behavioural problems with their indoor cats. While the image of a sleek well groomed cat atop  a luxury sofa, reclining in minimalist splendour can be very alluring, in most cases, this is not what a cat would naturally chose. Cats are still, evolutionarily and behaviourally close to their wild ancestors.

Here are our top tips for making indoor cats feel at home.

1. Scent. Cats, even more than dogs, are influenced by smells, their own and others. Try not to use too many diffusers or strong smelling cleaning products.
2. Leave cat blankets/beds around for several weeks. Wash in rotation so that there is always some of the cat’s own scent nearby.
3. Separate feeding, watering and toileting stations. Have at least one per cat in the household and one extra.
4. Think in three dimensions – cats like to climb. Being high makes them feel safe. Where in your house can your cat get up high to hide? Think kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, shelving, cat trees, cat furniture.
5. Cats in the wild are prey as well as predator so they like to hide. Use cardboard boxes, throws over furniture, cupboards with a secret entrance- at the side or the back.
6. Lines of sight. In open plan, tidy houses , there are often many long clear lines of sight, especially at floor level – so the cat under the sofa still feels exposed. Break them up with throws/ blankets that trail to the floor, cat-safe indoor plants, bead curtains in doorways and well placed furniture.
7. Patio doors and bay windows mark the threshold of the cat’s territory. For cats who find such an expansive vista too overwhelming, putting opaque film or cardboard, or a row of pot plants or net curtains can help provide a barrier, to help your cat feel more secure.
8. Music. While some cats prefer classic fm or radio Norfolk, try experimenting with natural sounds – rainforests or birdsong may be appealing.
9. Environmental enrichment. Provide new toys on a regular basis – old toys can be put away for a while and then brought out again as new. Provide a variety of scratching surfaces, mats, carpet squares.
10. Although fleas and worms may be less of a worry, indoor cats still need regular health checks, to keep an eye on their weight, their teeth and any signs of stress related behaviours.                                                                                                                                                                                              For further advice, search online. We like International Cat Care who give great advice on everything cat.

Thanks everyone!

All the team at Paws Indoors

Spring is here! Hurray! Sunny weather.

Continue reading “April Newsletter”