Caring for Animals in Kennels and Catteries

Unit 1 

• Record keeping
• Law relating to small animals
• Customer service
• Hygiene
• Health and safety
• First aid

Unit 2 

• Anatomy of the dog and cat
• Skeleton, musculature, growth, skin, coat, senses, blood, lymphatic, nervous, urino-genital and digestive systems

Unit 3 

• Nutrition
• Diets
• Feeding for pregnancy, at weaning and for geriatrics
• Stock control

Unit 4 

• Health
• Basic animal nursing and first aid
• Use of drugs
• Diseases
• Infections
• Vaccination
• Parasites
• Veterinary attention
• Care of older animals

Unit 5 

• Kennel routines
• Grooming
• Special needs and requirements of: quarantine, rescue, welfare, showing, breeding, veterinary, hunting and other specialist centres

Unit 6

• Animal welfare issues
• Human support dog work and organisations
• Job applications and conditions of employment: first aid (human)

A Student Training Programme will be sent with your first two units. This will contain your course outline, and is designed to ensure that practical elements are assessed and completed to the required standards. Workplace managers, supervisors or proprietors can assess occupational competencies in the workplace.

A Special Study and an Evolution Study must be completed during this course

Feline First Aid

Unit 1

• First Aid
• Haemorrhage
• Collapse unconsciousness or coma
• Wounds
• Shock
• Fracture and dislocations
• Fits
• Poisons
• Burns and scalds
• Foreign bodies
• Hyperthermia and hypothermia
• Birth
• Eclampsia
• Clinical signs
• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Running eyes

Intermediate Feline Psychology

Unit 1 

• How mankind perceives the cat’s place in society

Unit 2 

• The psychology of the cat

Unit 3

• How cats learn

Unit 4

• Inter-feline relationships and how to manage some of our pet cats’ common problem behaviours

You will also complete a Special Study on a topic of your choice, relevant to the course.

Health, Safety, Legal and Associated Issues

Unit 1

• Customer Service and Care
• Client Distress
• Personal Safety
• Health and Safety
• Prevention of Ill Health and Accidents
• Risk Assessment
• First Aid
• Legal Issues
• Environmental Issues
• Insurance

On successful completion of this pathway, you’ll receive the Animal Care College Certificate* in our ‘Work in a Cattery’ programme, graded to show the standard you have reached. There are no exams.

You will also receive the Certificate of Achievement at QLS Level 2 when you complete this course**.

Quality Licence Scheme endorsement involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process.

* The Animal Care College Certificate will be issued once you have successfully completed your course and finished your course payments.

**QLS registration fees included.

Your practical competencies need to be assessed for this pathway through a minimum of 30 hours’ working within catteries – this can be in a voluntary capacity. We can suggest and help you identify possible placements.

This pathway can help you progress in your career in the animal care sector.

Once it’s completed, you may wish to further your study. If that’s the case, we’d suggest:

• Anatomy and Physiology of Cats and Dogs
• Advanced Canine/Feline Care

If you are looking to set up your own business then you should consider obtaining insurance cover. Further information is available on request.

If you’d like to turn what you’ve learned into a career, or you’re wondering how best to apply it to your existing role, get in touch with one of our tutors, or contact our support team from 9am – 5pm.

Your first units will be sent to you when you enrol, you can start as soon as you want and progress through the course at your own pace, studying when and where you choose.

Your learning materials have been developed by experts so studying is easy and enjoyable. At the end of each unit, there will be an assessment to complete and submit to your tutor.

A Student Training Programme is sent with the first two units of the Caring for Animals in Kennels and Catteries course. This contains the outline of the course, and is designed to ensure that the practical elements of the course are assessed and completed to the required standards. Workplace managers, supervisors or proprietors assess occupational competencies in the workplace.

A Special Study and an Evolution Study must be completed during the Caring for Animals in Kennels and Catteries course.

Studying with the Animal Care College is a great place to start your learning journey and will give you a solid grounding in animal care subjects.

The Animal Care College’s courses promote the best care of pets at all stages of their development. We believe working and engaging with animals is a deeply rich and rewarding experience. Although the theory learning is important, being able to put your skills into practice beyond the theory is even more so. We are here to help you every step of the way as you build meaningful bonds with animals and gain in-depth knowledge that can only be obtained by working directly with animals. We can help advise on potential placements and work experience where necessary.

There are no deadlines for this course. Simply study in the comfort of your own home, and in your own time.

Distance learning is designed to be flexible, but as a guide, students who can spend 4-6 hours a week studying tend to complete a single unit within a month.

You can contact our support team who are here to help you Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, at any point during your studies – to ask questions or for advice. Your tutor will mark your lessons, giving valuable, constructive feedback – helping you to master each step before moving on to the next. You can contact them for support or advice throughout your studies.

When you take this pathway, you’ll save* and get a free unit worth £145.