Advice for Veterinary Professionals 169
regularly update their knowledge by undertaking continuing professional
development (CPD).
● The behavioural repertoire and motivations to perform behaviours can vary
greatly between species. Some clinical animal behaviourists are equally knowl-
edgeable and competent with the behaviour of more than one species. This does
not apply to all, however, and just because an individual has previously demon-
strated or is known for having a high level of behavioural knowledge and experi-
ence of one species, it should not be assumed that they also have a similar level of
knowledge and experience of other species.
The Animal Behaviour and Training Council
Following a report presented by the Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC)
that outlined the need for regulation, The Animal Behaviour and Training Council
(ABTC) was developed as a regulatory body for animal trainers and animal behav-
iour therapists (Fig. 11.5). Founder members of the council include national and
international animal welfare and animal behaviour organizations including: the
British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA); European College of Animal
Welfare and Behaviour Medicine (ECAWBM); Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA); The Canine Behaviour and Training Society (TCBTS);
The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB); The British Veterinary
Behaviour Association (BVBA); and the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors
(APBC). As well as promoting animal welfare in relation to interactions with people
and the education of the animal-owning public, the ABTC maintains national regis-
ters for animal training and behaviour practitioner roles, and recognizes individuals
and organizations whose members they consider to be suitably qualified to fulfil
those roles (www.abtcouncil.org.uk).
Practitioner organizations include The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors
(www.apbc.org.uk) and The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
(IAABC; https://iaabc.org).
Behavioural Pharmacology
Psychotropic medication, which can only be prescribed by a veterinary surgeon, can
sometimes be useful to aid behaviour therapy by helping to reduce or control emo-
tional responses such as fear, anxiety, arousal, impulsivity and reactivity. But drug
therapy in isolation without identifying and correctly addressing the underlying cause
of a behaviour is rarely fully effective in the long term.
There are no psychotropic medications licensed for cats in the UK and very few
published therapeutic clinical trials (DePorter et al., 2016). Therefore, it is important
Fig. 11.5. The Animal Behaviour and
Training Council (ABTC) is a regulatory
body representing animal trainers and
animal behaviour therapists in the UK.