9 May 2023
Cats Protection has awarded two prizes for reports on topics related to charity work submitted by students who have completed placements with them.
Allister Webb
Job Title
University of Bristol student Esther Gibbons said she was "incredibly shocked and incredibly happy" to have won first prize.
A veterinary student has been recognised for her EMS work with the charity Cats Protection.
The organisation offers pre-clinical placements for students in the third, fourth and fifth years of their degree programmes, plus an awards scheme for reports on topics related to animal charity work.
The group has now announced that University of Bristol student Esther Gibbons was awarded the £500 first prize for her report on the benefits of the benefits of pre-pubertal neutering.
Ms Gibbons said: “I’m both incredibly shocked and incredibly happy to have won the award.
“I had a brilliant time during my placement at the National Cat Centre in Sussex and learned an invaluable amount about how best to care for the cats that we meet as vets.”
RVC graduate Constance Fisher was awarded the £250 runner-up prize for her work, entitled “Putting the ‘Feline Friendly Consult’ into Practice”.
She said: “As a great cat lover, I really enjoyed my time on placement as a vet student with Cats Protection.
”Since graduating in 2022, I have been working as a small animal vet in Sussex, where I particularly enjoy caring for my lovely feline patients.”
Cats Protection senior vet Emily Billings said: “Esther won the award as she wrote an informative, well researched summary of the benefits of pre-pubertal neutering – especially in the charity setting.
“We thought Constance’s report showed a great understanding of cat behaviour and gave a useful summary of ways to reduce feline stress in a veterinary practice.”
Anyone interested in placements with the charity can email [email protected] or visit the Cats Protection website for more details.
