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Cat owners Skype their pets
ginger cat on laptop
Men are more likely to Skype their cat than women.
Survey finds more than a third of owners Skype with their cat

More than a third of cat owners use FaceTime and Skype to check in on their feline friends, according to a new survey.

The poll of 1,000 cat owners, conducted by card retailer Hallmark, unveiled a number of other bizarre findings.

Men were found to be more likely to spend time on Skype and FaceTime with their cat than women (23 per cent), while more than a fifth of people said they would take their cat on holiday.

Nearly 37 per cent of men had also tried to teach their cat tricks, with many believing their feline was talented enough to enter Britain's Got Talent.

A further 15 per cent of owners confessed to serving their cat a specially-made meal every day.

Perhaps the oddest of the findings was the 12 per cent of men who claimed they chose to own a cat because they couldn't have a lion or a tiger and a cat is the next best thing.

Rachel Goodman, Hallmark, said: "We conducted the report as we wanted as much insight as possible into just how much we love our feline friends; it's clear that cats are a pet passion in the UK."

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.