Our Vet Professionals Meet our experts

Dr. Sarah Caney
BVSc PhD DSAM(Feline) MRCVS CEO of Vet Professionals

Dr Sarah Caney, CEO of Vet Professionals has worked as a feline-only vet for more than twenty years. She is a University of Bristol graduate and also completed her feline medicine residency and PhD at this institution. Sarah spent four years as a lecturer in feline medicine before leaving to pursue a career in private practice. Sarah has always enjoyed seeing a mixture of first opinion and referral feline medicine patients and has a particular interest in geriatric feline medicine. Sarah is internationally recognised as one of only thirteen veterinary specialists in feline medicine in the UK. Sarah founded Vet Professionals in 2009 and has authored and co-authored a number of the Vet Professionals ‘Caring for a cat’ series of books. Sarah has published widely in prestigious international journals and has been an invited speaker to veterinary conferences around the world. Sarah has worked for many years with the UK cat charity, International Cat Care (ICC) and the International Society of Feline Medicine.

Natasha Mitchell
MVB CertVOphthal MRCVS Author of "Caring for a blind cat"

After graduating from University College Dublin in 1998 with a degree in Veterinary Medicine, Natasha worked in Australia and the UK, where she developed a keen interest in ophthalmology. She obtained an RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Ophthalmology in 2004. She later joined the Eye Veterinary Clinic in Herefordshire where she completed an alternative residency programme for the RCVS Diploma in Veterinary Ophthalmology which she obtained in 2011. She is a Veterinary Council of Ireland recognised specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology. She has published journal articles and textbook chapters, as well as creating education apps in veterinary ophthalmology. She authored ‘Caring for a Blind Cat’ and is the co-author of the textbook ‘Feline Ophthalmology – The Manual’. She is a reviewer for Veterinary Ophthalmology journal and a committee member of the British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. Natasha runs a referral veterinary ophthalmology service, Eye Vet, in Limerick, Ireland. 

Professor Danièlle Gunn-Moore
BSc BVM&S PhD FHEA MACVSc MRCVS RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine

Danièlle is currently one of only four professors of feline internal medicine globally. She graduated from the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh with Distinction in 1991. The following year she joined The Feline Centre at the University of Bristol where she trained as a specialist in feline medicine and completed her PhD on feline infectious peritonitis. Since 1998 she has been based back at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies where she founded the Feline Clinic and is Professor of Feline Medicine. As an internationally recognised expert in her area Danièlle has lectured extensively and her work has been published widely. She is on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery and the Veterinary Record.

She shares her home with her husband Frank, a tiny little 20 year old black cat called Sheba-Ardbeg, and a gorgeous Maine Coon called Brora.

Dr Andy Sparkes
BVetMed PhD DipECVIM-CA MRCVS

Andy has worked as a feline-only vet since 1987 and trained as a specialist at the University of Bristol. He is a popular speaker and internationally recognised as one of only fourteen specialists in feline medicine working in the UK.

Dr Sparkes is a popular speaker both in the UK and internationally. He has published widely in international journals and in 2004 co-authored ‘Self-Assessment Colour Review of Feline Medicine’ with Dr Sarah Caney.  Dr Sparkes is the co-editor-in-chief and founding editor of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. In 2012 Dr Sparkes joined the charity International Cat Care (ICC) as their Veterinary Director. 

Andrea Harvey
BVSc DSAM (Feline) DipECVIM-CA MANZCVS (Assoc) MRCVS
RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine 

Andrea graduated from University of Bristol in 2000. After a period of time in first opinion small animal practice, she returned to University of Bristol Veterinary School to undertake a 3 year residency in feline medicine, funded by the International Cat Care (ICC). She gained her RCVS Diploma and  European Diploma in 2005, and was awarded RCVS Specialist status in 2006. Andrea remained at Bristol Vet School as ICC Clinical Fellow in feline medicine 2005-2010, before moving to Australia to take up a position heading up a feline department at Small Animal Specialist Hospital, Sydney and tutoring on the International Society of Feline Medicine/Centre for Veterinary Education distance education course in feline medicine.  Andrea has lectured widely internationally and is co-editor of the BSAVA Manual of Feline Practice and Feline Medicine: Review & Test, and is secretary for the Feline Chapter of the Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists.  In 2013 Andrea was awarded the BSAVA Woodrow Award for outstanding contributions in small animal medicine, largely as a result of her work with the ISFM Cat Friendly Clinic scheme.   Andrea is passionate about providing the best care for her patients, and more widely improving feline welfare, and supporting other veterinarians to do the same.  

Samantha Taylor
BVetMed(Hons) CertSAM DipECVIM-CA MRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine, European Veterinary Specialist in Internal Medicine

Samantha Taylor graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2002, fulfilling her lifelong ambition to be a vet. She initially worked in a large referral (second opinion) practice and then in a small animal practice in Cambridge where her interest in cats really started, and she enjoyed running feline only clinics. She returned to referral practice in 2005 and studied for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Certificate in Internal Medicine which she passed in 2006. That year she started a Feline Advisory Bureau residency at Bristol University and loved working with cats and their owners. She obtained the European Diploma in Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2009 and in 2011 became an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Feline Medicine. She has published scientific papers, written/edited two books and many book chapters, and written many articles on various feline medicine subjects. She currently works for International Cat Care as their Distance Education Coordinator involved in veterinary and veterinary nursing education, including editing the monthly journal for veterinary nurses. Additionally she is involved in veterinary distance education via the University of Sydney, scientific editing for another veterinary journal and consults in her local clinic every week. 

Professor Peter Holt
BVMS PhD CBiol FSB DipECVS FHEA FRCVS
European College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Specialist in Small Surgery

Peter Holt graduated from Glasgow University in 1970. After a year as House Surgeon there, he spent two years lecturing in small animal clinical studies in Nairobi, Kenya. A further seven years was spent in general practice before his appointment as lecturer at the University of Bristol where he was Professor of Veterinary Surgery until his retirement in 2009 when he was given the distinction of Emeritus Professor. His interests include aspects of soft tissue surgery, especially of the urinary system. He is author of, or contributor to, over 140 refereed papers and book chapters and has received six awards for his clinical and research activities. He has published two books on veterinary urology. He is a Past-President of the European Society of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology and in 1991 was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for meritorious contributions to learning in the field of Veterinary Urology. In 2010, he was given Honorary Life Membership of the Association of Veterinary Soft Tissue Surgeons which has instituted an annual award in his name. The last 29 years of his career, he concentrated on the causes, investigation and treatment of urinary incontinence in small animals.