Cat Boarding - How to Ensure Your Pets' Safety?

The essence of a happy cat is an enriching environment, which improves the quality of their lives by increased physical activity, stimulating natural behaviors, and preventing violent behavior. The facility places music to enhance the quality of the environment, and they also take requests of songs that are enjoyed by your cat. The suites have fun and interactive toys, which help them enjoy and remain happy and secure during their short stay at this place. People may require long term boarding facility because of relocation or hospital stay, and they are allowed to visit as often as they wish.

Who looks after them?

The facility has professionals who maybe veterinary nurses or people who understand the requirements of cats. Prior to placing them here, a few clarifications are taken such if they enjoy the company of others and whether they get violent in any situation in particular. Depending on the facility that has been opted for different protocols of admission could be followed, which is done as a precaution to avoid causing any discomfort in future during the stay.

The stress of being away from the owner and in an unfamiliar environment is understandable. Thus, by providing for essentials, such as access to fresh water and proper diet, appropriate shelter and comfortable resting area, up to date with vaccinations and preventative worming & flea treatment, providing sufficient space and company of the animal's own kind, and conditions and treatment which prevent mental suffering.

Safety

Vaccination is important to prevent most of the diseases. They will be tested and vaccinated against FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), because they will be interacting with others too. It should be kept in its own container prior to admission to avoid unnecessary delays. To ensure familiarity with the environment bringing a few of its own furnishing such as bedding helps them feel comforted in the initial period. To avoid unnecessary expenditure, treatments for fleas and worms needs to be performed otherwise they would be done at the expense of the owner.

What should be brought?

By bringing along the familiar objects from home such as toys, blankets or bedding helps them feel secure. Of course there are comfortable warm beds for them, but to help in the transition it helps to have familiar objects around. Moreover, always provide essential medical details and other dietary precautions to avoid any discomfort for them.

John Naismith is the author of this article on Cat Boarding. Find more information, about cat boarding and cattery Click here or call us on 03 9436 1252.

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What Impact Does Norovirus Have On Food Hygiene And Safety?

What is norovirus?

Known in lay terms as the winter vomiting bug, norovirus can cause dangerous infections of the stomach and bowel and is, in fact, one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis in the UK. The resulting symptoms are highly unpleasant, since they include diarrhoea, vomiting and fever and, in certain circumstances, this can lead to severe dehydration.

How does norovirus spread?

Norovirus is highly infectious, and the risks of contracting an illness from it can be serious, which is why maintaining good hygiene at all times is essential. The virus can spread from an infected person to somebody else. It can also spread by eating or drinking contaminated products (including food contaminated at its source, such as oysters taken from contaminated water), or when a person or a food comes into contact with an object or surface that has been contaminated. A huge problem with norovirus is that it is able to survive in a contaminated spot for a number of days, which is why those handling food should always ensure excellent hygiene and safety at all times, both in the kitchen and outside of it.

How can food handlers improve food hygiene and safety to reduce the risk of norovirus transmission?

Hand washing should form an innate part of a food handler's behaviour. It is important to prevent the transmission of all viruses and bacteria, not just norovirus. To get rid of as many pathogens as possible, hands should be washed thoroughly with hot water and soap before and after any food is prepared or handled. The same is also necessary in other circumstances, especially after going to the toilet. The reason for this is because if any trace of vomit or faeces from someone who is infected gets onto the food, there is a risk that another person who handles or eats the food will be infected. It is important to note that hand sanitizers cannot be used as a sufficient substitution for hand washing when it comes to norovirus because some are effective against this particular virus while others have no effect at all.

Another extremely important point for food handlers to recognise is that they should not return to work until they have fully recovered which will be three days after symptoms have subsided. This is because someone infected with norovirus is not only highly contagious during the time they display symptoms, but also for a number of days afterwards when norovirus particles continue to be shed. Therefore, a food handler must not be involved in any food preparation, cooking or serving areas, and must not be allowed on site if ill, otherwise an outbreak of norovirus infection could occur.

In the unfortunate event of an employee becoming ill on site, care must be taken to make sure that any clothing or materials soiled by vomit or faeces is machine washed straight away and then dried. Any sinks or bathrooms in which someone has been ill must also be thoroughly cleaned to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Disinfecting surfaces is also a must, as is ensuring that utensils and kitchen equipment are kept clean. Furthermore, food handlers should ideally not have bare hand contact with any food ready to be eaten, and should preferably wear single-use gloves. Extremely good hand washing procedures must be in place if such direct contact is allowed, given that only a small number of norovirus cells are needed to cause infection in a person.

Finally, it must be remembered that these food hygiene procedures must be carried out in addition to those already in place. Norovirus outbreaks are unfortunately all too common and can occur even when the most stringent hygiene and safety levels are enforced. However, the majority of outbreaks are avoidable and food handlers have a particularly important role in helping to minimise the risk to others of becoming contaminated with this virus. Norovirus not only brings significant problems of disease but can result in becoming an economic burden. Food handlers should be strict about the way in which they carry out tasks in the workplace, always ensuring the highest level of hygiene and safety.

Paul Grantham works for the Safer Food Group, which has developed a range of distance learning food safety courses for the UK market. From a level 1 food hygiene certificate for occasional food handlers to level 3 food hygiene courses for supervisors, Safer Food Group offers training for all of food handler.

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