About Us

About Us

You can now find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NeskarexDevonRex/

My name is Vanessa and I am a hobby breeder of Devon Rex cats.

The Devon Rex is my obsession - they are purrfect little aliens and no home is complete without at least one little invader!!

My first ever Devon Rex Grimley - how I loved her!!

RIP beautiful girl xx

Please note:

Our cats are not inbred - we do not carry out brother to sister, father to daughter, or mother to son matings. We have a special computer programme with all our cats pedigrees on it so that we can run an inbreeding check before carrying out a mating. It helps that my partner is a computer programmer!! Our aim is to provide you with a happy, healthy, pet who will be a much loved member of your family for many years to come.

Employment Experience

Stable hand / groom: Pitt Farm (livery/riding school) 2.5 yrs

Kennel / Cattery assistant: Little Acre Quarrantine Centre: 2 yrs

Dog and cat groomer: Lyndseys grooming parlour: (part-time) 18 mths

Stable Hand

Kennel Maid

Dog Handler

Dog and Cat Groomer

Behavioural Assessor

All at Woodgreen Animal Shelters: 7.5 years

L/A Animal Welfare Officer: 13 years

Oscar thinks kittens are the best thing ever - and he is right!!!!

Hobby Experience

My hobby experience began as a childhood obsession with keeping pets including rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, stick insects, chickens, ducks, budgies, a tortoise, dogs, cats and a goat.

Fortunately we lived in the "middle of nowhere" and my parents just let me get on with it - as long as they were looked after properly my family didn't really mind what I bought home.

By the age of 12 I had read (at least twice) every book written by Gerald Durrell ( author, naturalist, Zoo owner, conservationist and so much more) If you have watched The Durrells on Tv you will have an idea of what I was like as a child! If you havent then you have missed out!!

After leaving home at the grand old age of 16 I tried to experience as much in the way of animal care as I could:

Running a rabbit and guinea pig rescue

Keeping and breeding reptiles including geckos, corn snakes and pythons

Fish keeping both coldwater and tropical

Breeding stick insects (Phasmids) and aquatic snails for use as educational pets in schools ( NOT for dissection!!)

Dog training and agility

Training and rehabilitation of guarding breed rescued dogs

Study of animal behaviour of all types

Rehabilitation of rescued cats and other animals

Hand rearing of orphaned or abandoned wildlife including, badgers, squirrels, foxes, voles, rabbits and hedgehogs plus various wild birds - pheasants, owls, pigeons, and song birds.

Qualifications

Kennel and Cattery Mangement 1991 and 2006

Dog and Cat Handling 2005

Animal First aid 1994 and 2005

NVQ level 1 Animal Care 1993

NVQ level 2 Animal Care 1995

NVQ level 3 Animal Care 1999

Cat Behaviour and Handling 1994 and 2006

Dog Behaviour and Handing 1994 and 2006

Large Animal Handling 2006

Small Animal Handling 2006

Handling Dangerous Dogs 2007

Stable Management 1983

Micro-chipping 1994 and 2005

Nursing Small Animals and Exotic Pets 1994

Marine Mammal Medic 2001

Riding Establishment and Inspection 1998

Feline Handling and Behaviour 2002

Canine and Feline Grooming Diploma 1990

Animal Wardening 1995

Animal Warden Advanced levels 1 2 and 3 2005

Animal Licensing Enforcement 2002

Fire Warden 2008

Reptile Handling 2000

Pet Bereavement Counselling 1992 and 2008

Small Animal Husbandry 1999

Basic Wildlife Care 1996

NCEF Counselling and Theory levels 1 2 and 3 2008-2011

Other Lectures Attended

The Animal Welfare Act Symposium 2007

Health and Safetly - Animal Awareness 1998

National Dog Warden Assosciation 2005 2006 2008 2009

Wildlife rescue and rehabilitaion 2012

Dangerous Dogs 2005 2007

Animals and the Law 2002

Licencing of Riding schools 1999

Practical Cat Behaviour and Handling 1997

Practical Dog Behaviour and Handling 1997

Your Dog and the Law 2003

Civilian Enforcement in Animal Welfare 2005

Stress Management for Animals 2003

Introduction to Cat and Dog Behaviour 1991

Advanced Cat and Dog Behavior 1992

Equine Handling and Behaviour 2001

Practical Dog Behaviour 2004

Tellington touch 1997

First Aid for Pets 1994 2005

Handling and Behaviour Dangerous Dogs 1995 1999 2005

I have attended many talks, lectures and training sessions held by various animal behaviour specialists including:

John Fisher

John Uncle

Sara Whittaker

Peter Nevill

Ian Dunbar

Shaun Ellis (the wolf man)

Roger Mugford

As Animal Welfare Officer I presented my own training sessions to various housing officers, canvassers, post persons, refuse collectors and delivery people entitled Dealing with Dogs Safely, in an effort to stop them being bitten whist carring out their jobs. I also presented many school talks on pet care and safety around animals and took part in the national Safety Zone educational events for shcool children for 13 years