2024: 50 years of the feline center | Bristol Veterinary School

To ensure that all participants were involved in activities relevant and specific to their role, the day consisted of 3 streams. There was a stream for vets, one for vet nurses and another for those who worked in cat clinics. Each stream consisted of a variety of talks and practical sessions, which aimed to give those involved in veterinary medicine confidence when dealing with cats and their owners.

History of the center

For those attending both nursing and the clinic, the day began with a talk from Suzanne Rudd, Senior Animal Nurse, who spoke about how the Animal Center came to be 50 years ago.

The history of the Center begins with a person named Joan Judd, who was extremely passionate about cats and concerned about the dismal lack of information about the health and welfare of cats. In 1958 he established the Feline Counseling Bureau. From there, she began working with a virologist at the University of Bristol called Bob Johnson, who helped her set up the Central Fund for Feline Research. Together, they also identified the need for a dedicated clinical scientist.

Professor Chris Gaskell became the first feline clinical scientist in 1973, and from this point on research dedicated to cats was seen as paramount. The Feline Center was established at Langford the following year and Bristol became a leader in feline medicine, thanks in part to Professor Tim Gruffydd-Jones, who has been Professor of Feline Medicine since 1988.

Connecting him with Bristol vet school

Over the years, Bristol Veterinary School has worked with Langford Vets to educate the next generation of veterinary medical professionals. A key part of both veterinary science and veterinary care courses is undoubtedly the feline medicine rotation. Since it was established, the team has trained 3,687 veterinary science students and 339 veterinary nursing graduates. Students now also have the option to take elective courses in feline medicine if they wish to become more specialized in this area.

There is no doubt that the team at Langford were pioneers in feline care and passing this knowledge on to future leaders. In fact, the teams at Bristol and Langford have become so influential in the world of feline medicine that 12 of the 15 current RCVS fellows and residents in feline medicine have trained or worked at the Feline Center.

Highlights of the day

With so many brilliant sessions taking place throughout the day, they all deserve a mention, but undoubtedly one of the highlights of the day was the talk by Professor Tim Gruffydd-Jones and Sam Jack who talked about the Bristol Cats Study. Tim was one of the founders of the study, while Sam is currently involved, and both provided a unique perspective on the importance of the project.

In a similar fashion to the Children of the 90s study, the team recruited 3,000 cats and collected information about their lifestyles starting at 6 weeks of age. The team compared the cats and looked at how factors such as outdoor versus indoor cats affect behavior and health. The hope is that this project will provide vital information about all types of cats and provide data and evidence on how we can improve cat health.

To get involved

Want to find out more about how the University of Bristol works with our amazing partners like Langford Vets? Why not head down to Bristol and get involved with our Community Fun Day on Saturday 20th July where you will have the opportunity to find out what really goes on behind the closed doors of the vet school. Book your free ticket using the link below. We hope to see you there.

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