Cats Protection Campuses

The National Cat Centre serves as the primary hub for Cats Protection's educational and training programs focused on feline welfare, adoption, and veterinary care. Main courses taught here emphasize practical skills for cat care, volunteer training, and animal behavior studies.

• Cat Behaviour and Welfare Course: This comprehensive program covers understanding feline psychology, stress management, and enrichment techniques to improve cat well-being in shelters and homes. Participants learn to identify signs of distress, implement environmental enrichments, and apply positive reinforcement methods. Over 100 hours of hands-on sessions include observing cats in rehoming environments and designing personalized care plans.
• Veterinary Assistant Training for Cats: Aimed at aspiring vet techs and volunteers, this course delves into feline-specific medical procedures, vaccination protocols, parasite control, and emergency first aid. Lectures from resident vets cover anatomy, common diseases like FIV and FeLV, and surgical recovery care. Practical labs involve simulated treatments and real-case studies from the centre's clinic.
• Adoption and Rehoming Specialist Certification: Trainees explore matching cats with suitable homes, home visit assessments, and post-adoption support. The curriculum includes legal aspects of pet ownership in the UK, behavioral matching algorithms, and counseling skills for adopters. Fieldwork placements at the centre allow direct interaction with over 200 cats annually.
• Volunteer Management and Fundraising Workshop: Designed for branch coordinators, this course teaches leadership in charity operations, event planning for cat shows, and digital fundraising strategies. Modules on GDPR compliance, team motivation, and impact measurement ensure effective branch management across the UK network.
• Feline Nutrition and Dietetics Diploma: Focusing on tailored diets for kittens, seniors, and special needs cats, participants study nutritional science, allergy management, and homemade vs. commercial food options. Guest nutritionists lead tastings and formulation exercises.

These courses, totaling around 300 instructional hours per program, blend theory with practice, preparing individuals for roles in animal welfare. The centre's facilities, including cattery units and training rooms, support immersive learning. Annual enrollment exceeds 500 participants, contributing to Cats Protection's mission of helping 200,000 cats yearly. Programs are accredited by relevant UK animal welfare bodies, ensuring high standards. Extensions include online modules for remote access, broadening reach to all branches. Graduates often advance to senior roles within the charity or related NGOs, fostering a network of dedicated cat advocates.

The Roden Cat Care Centre provides targeted education on midlands cat welfare, emphasizing rehabilitation and foster care systems for diverse feline needs.

• Foster Care Coordination and Training: This course prepares volunteers for home-based fostering, covering health monitoring, socialization milestones, and transition to adoption. Includes matching foster families with cats' temperaments and ongoing support networks. Practical foster simulations use centre cats for real experience.
• Rehabilitation for Special Needs Cats: Focused on disabled or elderly felines, training includes adaptive equipment design, mobility aids, and palliative care. Participants study chronic conditions like diabetes and arthritis, with vet-led sessions on medication administration and quality-of-life assessments.
• Public Relations and Media for Animal Charities: Trainees develop skills in storytelling for cat rescues, press releases, and video production for social platforms. Workshops cover crisis communication, like during hoarding cases, and building donor relationships. Hands-on projects promote the centre's work locally.
• Basic Veterinary Nursing for Cats: Entry-level program teaching wound care, grooming, and diagnostic basics. Labs involve X-ray interpretation and lab sample handling, tailored to feline physiology. Prepares for NVQ-level qualifications in animal nursing.
• Sustainable Cat Shelter Operations: Explores eco-friendly practices, such as waste reduction, green energy in facilities, and ethical sourcing of supplies. Includes budgeting for sustainability and grant writing for environmental projects within welfare.

These courses, spanning 200 hours, integrate theory with the centre's daily operations, where over 1,500 cats are cared for yearly. Facilities include isolation units and play areas for training. Programs adapt to volunteer schedules, with flexible timings. Accreditation by welfare standards bodies validates credentials, aiding career progression. The centre's location facilitates partnerships with regional unis for joint research on cat health. Graduates enhance foster networks, boosting adoption rates by 20%. Emphasis on inclusivity ensures courses suit beginners to experts, promoting widespread involvement in Cats Protection's mission. Digital resources supplement learning, reaching beyond Shropshire.

The Yorkshire Cat Rehoming Centre offers specialized courses in regional cat welfare, focusing on rural animal care challenges and community engagement programs unique to northern England.

• Rural Feline Care and Husbandry: This course addresses cat management in farm and countryside settings, covering predator protection, seasonal health issues, and barn cat socialization. Hands-on training includes trap-neuter-return (TNR) methods for feral populations, with field trips to local farms. Participants gain skills in habitat design and community education to reduce abandonment rates.
• Community Outreach and Education for Cat Lovers: Trainees learn to conduct school workshops, public talks, and awareness campaigns on responsible pet ownership. Curriculum includes crafting educational materials, using social media for adoption drives, and partnering with local vets. Practical components involve leading tours of the centre's 100+ cat capacity facility.
• Advanced Neutering and Surgical Support: Building on basic vet training, this program teaches sterile techniques, post-op monitoring, and pain management for cats. Led by on-site surgeons, it features simulations and shadowing in the clinic, which handles over 1,000 procedures yearly. Emphasis on high-volume spay/neuter clinics for cost-effective welfare.
• Cat Sanctuary Management: For aspiring managers, courses cover budgeting, staff coordination, and facility maintenance in a rehoming context. Modules explore fundraising through events like cat cafes and grantsmanship. Case studies from the centre's operations highlight scalability for smaller branches.
• Therapeutic Handling for Traumatized Cats: Specialized in rehabilitation, this training focuses on gentle handling, desensitization therapies, and bonding exercises for abused or abandoned felines. Includes aromatherapy and play therapy integrations, with progress tracking via behavioral logs.

With a focus on practical, region-specific applications, these 250-hour courses equip participants to support Cats Protection's northern initiatives. The centre's expansive grounds allow for outdoor training, enhancing learning outcomes. Enrollment supports the rehoming of 2,000 cats annually, with courses adapting to seasonal needs like kitten surges. Accreditation ensures professional recognition, and alumni contribute to policy advocacy in animal rights. Virtual components extend access, while in-person sessions foster community ties. Overall, the programs underscore holistic cat protection, from rescue to lifelong care, aligning with the charity's nationwide goals.