Senior Writer, Care and Welfare
Marcus Cole, RVN
Registered veterinary nurse turned writer, with a decade of shelter and rescue experience. Covers adoption, welfare, end-of-life care and the practical realities of living with animals.
Written by Marcus Cole
How to Choose the Right Pet for Your Life
A structured way to match an animal to your household, budget, schedule and housing — before emotion makes the decision for you.
Marcus Cole · 9 min read · Updated 2026-08-04
Before getting a petPet-Proofing and Preparing Your Home
A room-by-room checklist for making your home safe before the animal arrives, rather than after the first accident.
Marcus Cole · 7 min read · Updated 2026-07-18
Daily careBuilding a Daily Care Routine That Actually Sticks
Predictable routines reduce stress for animals and make it far easier to notice when something is wrong.
Marcus Cole · 6 min read · Updated 2026-07-30
End-of-life careQuality of Life, Hospice Care and Saying Goodbye
Compassionate, practical guidance on assessing quality of life, palliative options, euthanasia decisions and grief.
Marcus Cole · 11 min read · Updated 2026-08-29
Coat careCat Grooming: Matting, Shedding and Claw Care
Why grooming a cat is mostly about prevention, and how to handle a cat that hates being brushed.
Marcus Cole · 7 min read · Updated 2026-08-15
TravelTravelling With Pets: Car, Train and Plane
Planning, paperwork and welfare for journeys from a short drive to an international move.
Marcus Cole · 10 min read · Updated 2026-09-05
EmergenciesEmergency and Disaster Preparedness for Pets
Building a pet emergency kit, an evacuation plan and a care plan if you are suddenly unavailable.
Marcus Cole · 8 min read · Updated 2026-08-31
AdoptionWhy Adoption Matters — and How to Do It Well
What shelters can tell you that breeders cannot, how the process works, and how to prepare for the first month.
Marcus Cole · 9 min read · Updated 2026-08-05
Foster careFostering: How It Works and What It Asks of You
Fostering saves lives and creates space in overstretched shelters. What the commitment actually involves.
Marcus Cole · 6 min read · Updated 2026-08-01
EthicsResponsible Breeding, Puppy Mills and How to Tell the Difference
Practical, evidence-based guidance for anyone buying from a breeder, and the welfare case behind it.
Marcus Cole · 10 min read · Updated 2026-08-28
TravelFlying With a Pet: Cabin, Hold and When Not to Go
What airlines actually require, why brachycephalic breeds are increasingly refused, and how to weigh whether flying is fair on the animal at all.
Marcus Cole · 8 min read · Updated 2026-08-01
AdoptionAdopting a Senior Dog: What to Expect
Older dogs are consistently the hardest to rehome and often the easiest to live with. What changes, medically and practically, when you adopt one.
Marcus Cole · 7 min read · Updated 2026-07-22
AdoptionWhy Rescue Rabbits Are Usually Adopted in Bonded Pairs
Rabbits are a social species that suffer in solitary housing. What a bonded pair means, and why breaking one up is rarely a good idea.
Marcus Cole · 6 min read · Updated 2026-07-30
Coat careDeshedding Double-Coated Dogs: Why You Should Never Shave Them
How undercoat blowing works, the right tools and routine, and why clipping a husky or a collie down for summer usually backfires.
Marcus Cole · 6 min read · Updated 2026-08-05
WelfareThe Welfare Cost of Extreme Flat-Faced Breeding
Why brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome is common rather than rare in bulldogs, pugs and similar breeds, and what is changing.
Marcus Cole · 8 min read · Updated 2026-08-24