A new veterinary practice dedicated to caring for cats has opened in Skipton, while a Guiseley-base practice is celebrating national recognition.

Cats Only has opened a clinic in Skipton’s medieval High Corn Mill. It is run by Embsay-based Sally Stockton and is a fully equipped Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons accredited practice.

Sally said: “My main service has always been to offer home visits in Skipton, Ilkley and surrounding areas. I know only too well that a lot of cats don’t like travelling to the vets and it is extra hassle for the owners transporting their pet about.

“But it was becoming apparent that we also needed a central base and High Corn Mill’s calm environment was perfect for surgical procedures and it has accessible parking facilities.

“This site provides an easy location for people to pick up cat prescriptions and have appointment-only consultations. This is vital as cats get stressed around other cats so we like to reduce the number of people in the waiting room.”

Sally has worked for private practices in the North of England, the RSPCA and in 2009 she completed a General Practitioner Certificate in Feline Practice. She is currently working towards her Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice.

The new clinic is open in the afternoons from Monday to Friday and home visits are carried out in the mornings Guiseley-based veterinary chain White Cross Vets has been named as one of the UK’s best employers after securing a place in the Best Small Companies to Work For league table for the second year in a row.

Last year the family-run firm, which operates 12 practices, became the first veterinary practice to be named as a three star ‘extraordinary’ employer in a Sunday newspaper list’s 13-year history, and the company has repeated the success again this year.

White Cross Vets also climbed two places in this year’s table which puts it in 45th place. The judging panel surveyed a large proportion of the company’s 100-plus employees about a wide range of employment related issues including their overall opinion about the company, contribution to the local community, personal development opportunities and workplace wellbeing.

Tim Harrison, White Cross Vets managing director, said: “Ultimately people who enjoy coming to work will provide high standards of service so a large part of our company ethos is about creating a great place to work. It’s fantastic that this has resulted in us being named as one of the UK’s best employers for the second year running.”