Coming Home Veterinary Services

07/08/2026

Dogs and cats are different, so their donation experiences are too 🩸

🐶 For our donor dogs, we create a positive and exciting experience. They love all the fuss from our team and are rewarded with treats along the way. Some dogs are so relaxed they fall asleep on the donation table while enjoying a lovely tummy rub, others are so excited to be there, they are physically dragging their owners through the door.

🐱 Cats need a different approach. From the moment you arrive to the moment you head home, everything we do is designed to make sure your cat feels safe. We create a calm, quiet environment and do things entirely at their pace, building trust with treats.

But one thing never changes... Your pet's welfare always comes first ❤️ If they are unsettled, we'll pause or stop - it's always their choice.

07/08/2026

Love retail? Passionate about animals? Join Team Raystede! 🐾

We're looking for two full-time Shop Managers to help drive our charity retail success while helping to support animals in need:
• Lewes Charity Shop Manager
• Ringmer Charity Shop Manager

In both roles, you'll lead a fantastic team, deliver a great customer experience and help turn every donation and purchase into a better future for the animals in our care.

If you're an experienced retail leader looking for a role with purpose, we'd love to hear from you. Closing date to apply – Tuesday 25 August 2026.

Apply today at www.raystede.org/careers

07/08/2026

🐱 The early months of a kitten’s life can have a HUGE impact on the cat they become.

A mixture of both genetics (nature) and early life experiences (nurture) help shape a cat’s temperament. The first 2-7 weeks of a kitten's life is a key socialisation period, when they are learning what is safe, normal, and potentially scary.

Lack of socialisation, stress, or frightening experiences during early development can impact a kitten later in life, and can make some inherited tendencies, such as timidness, more pronounced.

Introducing positive experiences during this important ‘sensitive period’ can help a kitten grow into a well-adjusted adult cat. Try gentle handling when your kitten is most receptive to interactions with people (for example not when they are eating, sleeping or playing). Gradually introduce the kitten to new people and start to add new sights, sounds, tastes, textures and smells into their environment.

Find out more about bringing up kittens 👉 https://icatcare.org/articles/bringing-up-a-litter-of-kittens-behavioural-considerations

04/08/2026

Pet loss grief can be crippling like losing a loved family member or friend. Sharing this great resource by The Ralph Site - self care is also an important part of working through grief. 💛

7 SELF-CARE TIPS FOR WHEN YOU ARE GRIEVING A PET

If you’ve recently suffered a pet bereavement, you may be finding life hard.

As we often mention here on The Ralph Site, our society has created lots of rituals and behaviours to help us cope when a human dies, but it can be harder to find space to grieve when you are mourning a pet.

The reality is that pet bereavement can be as devastating as losing a human friend or family member. Research from John Archer in 1996 found that pet carers often derive more satisfaction from their relationships with their pets than with humans because of the presence of unconditional love.

Sadly, it isn’t always easy to get time off work when a pet dies and you may feel that your friends and family don’t understand the extent of your grief.

This is why it’s incredibly important to prioritise your self-care at this time.

When you’re grieving, it can be hard to do the most basic or normal of tasks. You may even feel angry that the world can carry on as normal when you’re faced with such a profound loss.

Self-care will help you to navigate life and give you the emotional and physical resources to eventually move forward in your grief.

Here are some self-care tips to help you:

1. Give yourself time to grieve
2. Prioritise meeting your basic needs
3. Keep up your routines for other animals in your home
4. Reach out if you need support
5. Create your own bereavement rituals
6. Be kind to yourself
7. Breathe mindfully

Read more here:

http://theralphsiteshop.com/7-self-care-tips-for-when-youre-grieving-a-pet/

03/08/2026

This August, one little light shines for every paw we can no longer hold—but will never stop loving. 🕯️🐾

28/07/2026

27/07/2026

We all know about the different dog blood types... but cats are a little different! 🩸

Dogs can either be:
🐶 DEA 1 positive (the most common, around 70% of donors)
🐶 DEA 1 negative (the rarer 30%)

Cats have three blood types:
🐱 Type A (the most common)
🐱 Type B (less common)
🐱 Type AB (the rarest)

Just like in humans, matching blood types is vital when a pet needs a lifesaving transfusion ❤️

No matter their blood type, every donation helps save the life of another pet in need 🐾

13/07/2026

Some losses don’t fade with time… they become part of who we are. 🐾🤎

12/07/2026

10 CHILD-FRIENDLY WAYS TO REMEMBER YOUR PET ON SPECIAL DAYS

After your pet has died, you may find there are special days during the year when you especially want to remember them or they’re in your thoughts a lot.

You might want to celebrate your pet’s birthday or do something special to mark the anniversary of the day they came to live with you or the day they died. Perhaps you want to include them in your Christmas celebrations or a day that has special meaning for your family.

Here we have put together 10 child-friendly ways to remember your pet on special days. Really though, these activities can be done on any day of the year – just pick the one that has the most meaning for you.

http://theralphsiteshop.com/10-child-friendly-ways-to-remember-your-pet-on-special-days/

09/07/2026

Lets Talk Grass Seeds! 🌿

Arrowhead grass seeds, or fox tails, are commonly seen this time of year. They become one of our most commonly seen acute causes of injury, and can be very dangerous if left untreated!

Symptoms vary depending on the location of the seed:
🌿Paws: Licking, nibbling, swelling, or saliva staining between toes, small entry wound may be seen
🌿Ears: Scratching, head shaking, or signs of infection or inflammation
🌿Eyes: Pain, tearing, or a weepy eye if lodged behind the eyelid, redness
🌿Skin: Redness, swelling, or abscess formation if the seed penetrates the skin, small entry wound may be seen

If left untreated, the seeds can track deeper into the body, leading to potentially life threatening circumstances for your pet! Call us in the first instance if you are worried on 01444 363636. 📲