10 Recommended Certifications for Cat Owners! Qualifications Useful for Pet Industry Employment and Cat Care Explained

Many people live with cats, and their numbers are even said to exceed those of dogs.

To ensure your beloved cat lives a long and healthy life, you need knowledge about how to care for them. However, you might sometimes feel uneasy about whether you truly have the correct knowledge.

That's why "obtaining qualifications" is highly recommended. This time, we will introduce qualifications that can help you learn how to care for cats.

There are significant benefits to obtaining a cat-related qualification

There are many benefits to obtaining a cat-related qualification.

• You'll gain confidence in caring for cats
• You'll become knowledgeable about cat behavior and illnesses
• You'll be able to manage your cat's health

And so on, it's all good for your cat's health and happiness. Furthermore, there's the added benefit of making it easier to find a job related to pets.

That being said, there are various cat-related qualifications, broadly divided into "private qualifications" and "national qualifications."

Private qualifications tend to be less difficult but are suitable for learning a wide range of knowledge about cats. National qualifications, on the other hand, require special education and training, making them very difficult, but they allow you to acquire specialized knowledge and skills.

Although you'll need to attend courses and take exams, it's worth the challenge as it also benefits your cat!

Top 10 Recommended Cat Qualifications

To obtain qualifications, you can study at universities or vocational schools, or through seminars and correspondence courses. Here, we introduce recommended qualifications related to cats.

Veterinarian

A veterinarian is a national qualification that allows you to work in animal hospitals, public institutions, and pharmaceutical companies. They diagnose and treat illnesses in pets like cats, and administer vaccinations.

To obtain this qualification, you must enroll in a university with a veterinary medicine department, complete a six-year curriculum, and pass the national examination.

Certified Veterinary Nurse

A Certified Veterinary Nurse is a national qualification for animal nursing specialists. They can assist with pet examinations, aid in surgeries, and perform medical support tasks such as blood collection, medication administration, and microchip implantation for pets like cats.

Animal nursing was previously only a private qualification, but in 2019, the "Act on Certified Veterinary Nurses" was promulgated, making it a national qualification. You can take the exam by graduating from a university after studying animal nursing subjects or by gaining three or more years of practical experience at a designated training institution.

Pet Animal Care Manager

Pet Animal Care Manager (Aigan Doubutsu Shiyo Kanrishi) is a popular private qualification. It certifies that you possess a wide range of knowledge on pet health management, training, diet, and relevant laws, among other topics, for pets such as cats.

You can take the exam after studying with educational materials, attending schooling, and submitting assignments. There are Grade 1 and Grade 2, and you cannot take the Grade 1 exam without passing Grade 2.

This qualification is also a requirement for certification as a Animal Handler when applying to prefectures.

Family Animal Manager

Family Animal Manager is a private qualification for animal professionals. You will learn not only knowledge of animal life management but also hygiene management, laws, and basic customer service.

This qualification is also a requirement for certification as an Animal Handler when applying to prefectures.

Pet Life Saver

Pet Life Saver allows you to learn about pet raising, health management methods, basic knowledge of injuries and illnesses, and how to respond in accidents and disasters through correspondence education.

Pet Sitter

A pet sitter is a private qualification that can be useful in pet shops, pet hotels, and pet salons.

Among them, the "Certified Pet Sitter" from Pet Sitter School and the "Pet Sitter Specialist" from the Japan Pet Sitter Association are popular. A feature is that you can choose how to learn, such as attending classes or online.

【Certified Pet Sitter】

【Pet Sitter Specialist】

Cat Care Specialist

The Cat Care Specialist is a qualification that can be obtained through correspondence courses.

It is proof of being a specialist who has mastered basic cat care methods, nursing science, caregiving science, breeding science, ecology, and grooming.

Cat Health Manager

The Cat Health Manager is a qualification for learning grooming methods and disease prevention knowledge for cat health management.

Pet Animal Caregiver

The Pet Animal Caregiver is a recommended qualification for those working in pet care or living with senior pets, as it allows you to acquire knowledge about pet caregiving.

Neko Kentei (Cat Certification Exam)

The "Neko Kentei" (Cat Certification Exam) allows you to learn a wide range of cat knowledge, and the official certification card and badge you receive upon passing are also popular. It has beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, and anyone can take the exam.

Operating a cat cafe or similar requires permits

If you plan to open a cat cafe or pet hotel, you must apply for registration as a "Type 1 Animal Handler" with the prefectural governor or designated city mayor.

Furthermore, to apply for Type 1 Animal Handler registration, you also need to obtain the "Animal Handling Manager" qualification. To become an Animal Handling Manager, you must meet one of the following requirements and complete the training:

• Obtain a veterinarian's license
• Obtain a certified veterinary nurse's license
• Six months or more of practical experience OR one year or more of pet ownership experience + graduation from a school providing one year or more of education
• Six months or more of practical experience OR one year or more of pet ownership experience + qualification obtained from an impartial, specialized organization

If you aim to obtain Type 1 Animal Handler certification, make sure to check the "qualifications" that meet the Animal Handling Manager requirements before taking the exam.

Reference: From the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health, Tokyo Animal Welfare Center website

Summary

Here's a list of 10 recommended cat-related qualifications.

If you want to acquire a wide range of knowledge about cats, "Pet Animal Care Manager" is a great place to start. Also, the "Neko Kentei" (Cat Certification Exam) is popular across all age groups, so give it a try!

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