BSAVA PetSavers opens £80k PhD applications for cat toolkit development

A veterinary research charity has opened PhD studentship applications to support the development of a new toolkit for cat owners as their pets get older.

BSAVA PetSavers is supporting the creation of an Ageing Feline Toolkit that helps owners recognise when age-related changes in their cats may require veterinary attention, and up to £80,000 is available in funding.

It follows on from the success of the Ageing Canine Toolkit, which the charity launched in 2023, and applications are open to vets, vet nurses, feline ageing experts and companion animal welfare researchers to design and supervise the PhD project.

BSAVA PetSavers said applications should be from multidisciplinary teams, including at least one vet or vet nurse and at least one feline ageing expert to ensure both clinical relevance and subject-specific depth.

Collaborations across clinical practice, academia, behavioural science, feline welfare research and between institutions are said to be welcomed.

‘Robust evidence’

The funding can be put towards a postgraduate student stipend, university fees, equipment, consumables and travel expenses.

BSAVA PetSavers fundraising and grant awards manager Sarah Williams said: “The Ageing Canine Toolkit has demonstrated the value of providing owners with practical, evidence-based guidance on recognising age-related changes in their pets.

“Since its launch, we’ve received strong interest in developing a similar resource for cats.

“This PhD studentship will enable researchers to gather the robust evidence needed to underpin a feline health checklist, helping us create a trusted Ageing Feline Toolkit that supports earlier recognition of disease, encourages constructive conversations between owners and veterinary teams and ultimately improves the lives of ageing cats.”

Applications close on 15 October. More details on the studentship and how to apply can be found at the BSAVA website.