Mini Conference featuring some of our FABulous members. Each speaker will give a short presentation followed by a Q&A session.

 

Choice and Control in Everyday Life: Improving Human-Cat Interactions - Femke Van Rees DVM MSc PgCip CAB

Cats thrive when they have choice and control over their interactions with the world around them, yet many everyday human interactions unintentionally remove both. From petting and brushing to medication, handling and home medical care, the way we interact with cats has a profound impact on their emotional wellbeing.

This practical session explores how incorporating choice and control into everyday interactions can improve feline welfare, strengthen the human–cat bond and reduce stress and conflict. Using clinical cases and video examples, we will discuss consent-based petting, cooperative brushing, medication administration, handling, cooperative care and other aspects of daily life. We will also explore when choice can realistically be offered, when it cannot, and how training can increase choice and predictability over time. Participants will leave with practical, evidence-informed strategies that can be immediately applied at home or in clinical practice.

 

Why I Think You Should Train a Fish - Amber Lola Currie BSc (Hons) MSc

Are we really as self aware during training sessions as we think we are? How big a role does co-evolution play in our ability to train animals? This talk gives an insight into how training a novel species such as a fish can help sharpen our skills as trainers for dogs, cats and horses. As well as giving some tips on how to train a fish to swim through a hoop it presents some comparisons and differences between the training of different species. This experience can provide a useful mirror into how classical and operant conditioning can be affected by our own behaviour and the importance of being present, keenly observant and flexible during our training sessions with animals.

 

The Power of Problem Solving - Ashley Szafranek

As behaviourists we navigate A LOT in a consult – from interacting with clients and thinking on our feet, to reading and translating what the dog is communicating, all whilst keeping everyone safe - we are problem solving all the time! Do you feel like you need some new ideas to share with clients?! Looking to build a problem solving skills library to take some of the pressure off in the moment?! Need a framework to help support your creativity?! Would some guidance to help you pick the best option, out of many, be beneficial?! Need a confidence boost when suggesting new things?! And what happens when it doesn’t quite go to plan?! Come take a peek at my creative problem solving process - the power of problem solving is in your hands!

 

Rescuing Cats Better - Celia Haddon MA BSc MSc

Rescuing cats better: The problem. What we know. Helping the volunteers. Getting out the message.

 

Anthropomorphism and Clinical Decision-Making: Balancing Empathy and Animal Welfare - Eduardo Molina Becker M.V.Z. MSc 

Anthropomorphism is a double-edged sword in veterinary medicine. While it drives our clients' emotional connection to their animals, it often creates a disconnect between the owner’s subjective narrative and the clinical reality perceived by the ethologist or veterinarian. In this session, we will examine how this duality impacts clinical decision-making and animal welfare. By bridging the gap between the practitioner’s technical perspective and the tutor’s emotional experience, we will discuss strategies to navigate these perceptions effectively. Join us to learn how to manage these expectations and foster collaborative care that prioritizes the patient's objective well-being.