“Cats have really captured our imaginations because we really don’t understand them, but we want to … so badly.”

This comment from Pamela Chen, a  Stanford HAI Affiliate Fellow and former Instagram Creative Director, couldn’t be more relevant to modern society. It’s no surprise, then, that Chen made this comment in Netflix’s most recent documentary about cat obsession in the digital age.

While it’s easy to think of “loving cats” as a contemporary cultural phenomenon — sparking over 400 million search results on YouTube and the subject of countless memes — our feline friends most definitely earned their iconic status way before Keyboard Cat broke the internet.

Predating “Pangur Ban”, a 9th-century Irish monk’s poetic tribute to his cat, our collective fascination with our feline companions reaches as far back as ancient times, where cats heavily featured in the religion and daily life of their original breeders: the ancient Egyptians.

Cats remain a prominent fixture in our everyday lives, and their increasing popularity as pets is setting off “nekonomics” — a term used by Kansai University professor, Kasuhiro Miyamoto to describe the growing market surrounding cats. In fact, the cat care market alone is projected to grow by 5.8% by 2025, at which point the global pet care market is expected to surpass USD 269.9 billion.

If you’re a cat owner, breeder, or feline fan, you may have even considered learning more about cat care and training. Indeed, whether you’re thinking about cat care training as a potential career pathway or you’d simply love to know more about these popular pets, cat care courses are excellent for gaining a deeper and more structured understanding of our feline friends.

For those interested in getting certified for cat care and training today, online cat care courses are a great place to attain this specialised education. Read on to learn more about the benefits of studying cat care online.

Study Anywhere, Anytime

One of the greatest strengths of online learning is the flexibility and mobility it affords students. Whilst those working part-time or full-time might struggle commuting to class or juggling life responsibilities with traditional ‘in-person’ courses, online learning enables students to study around their existing schedules through 24/7 course access and self-paced study.

As an intensely practical field, cat care training typically attracts individuals who like working with animals or those already involved in the industry (such as cat owners, breeders, trainers, rescue volunteers, or vet assistants.) Opting for online cat care courses gives students the option to keep working or gaining experience with an internship whilst simultaneously completing the course, making it a great option for people looking to get a headstart in the industry.

Save Money

Apart from saving on transport or additional costs such as parking, students who opt for online learning benefit from online courses being generally less expensive than their traditional on-campus counterparts. Steep on-campus course prices are usually a result of large overheads, such as classroom costs, utility expenses, maintenance fees, tutor salaries and various other expenses which online courses aren’t subject to.

Additionally, students with domestic responsibilities (such as childcare) can make further savings through studying cat care online in their own homes, as this form of studying will – for instance – eliminate the need to cover babysitter costs. Online learning gives students the freedom to structure their learning experience around their lifestyle, needs, and responsibilities.

Get More One-on-One Time

The large classroom sizes, typical of traditional on-campus courses, can often get in the way of a more one-on-one learning experience. Accessibility to educators and professors is definitely an issue many students struggle with, having to compete with fellow students for personalised support.

Expert online courses, in contrast, are designed from the ground up by field experts, accredited by the relevant industry bodies to ensure high-quality learning materials, and built to accommodate the needs of a diverse student body. With features such as 24/7 hour course access and one-on-one tutor support, online education can offer a greater quality of learning experience overall.

Learn the Modern Way

Online learning is structured for the modern student: active, mobile and multi-faceted. This is why online learning courses are designed to be highly accessible on a variety of devices, making this education style inclusionary for students of all backgrounds.

Studying cat care training online allows busy individuals and animal lovers to build a personal learning plan, tailored to their own pace and accessible in the environments which are most conducive to their learning.

Learn More About Your Wery own Pet

Finally, one of the greatest perks of taking cat care training courses online – beyond the flexibility, affordability, accessibility and personalisation – is that students can learn these essential cat care skills alongside their very own feline friend!

This education needn’t remain purely theoretical. It will be knowledge that can be practically applied within the home environment too, helping to deepen relationships between pets and their owners.

So as you can now see, there are countless benefits to studying cat care and training online. Whether you’re interested in pursuing specialised education for professional or personal growth, online learning could be ideal for you too.