By Lucy Cox, Founder of edYOUcate
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking to hundreds of people beginning careers with animals, ranging from school leavers and career changers to experienced professionals looking to develop new skills. One thing I’ve noticed is that the same lessons for us to learn come up over and over. They’re rarely the things you’ll find in a job advert, social media post or a textbook, but they’re often the things that make the biggest difference. So, I thought I’d share ten of the most common “I wish someone had told me that!” moments that people working with animals often talk about.
If you’ve ever dreamed of working with animals, you’re certainly not alone. For many people, it’s been a lifelong ambition. Whether you picture yourself working in a veterinary practice, wildlife rehabilitation centre, zoo, rescue organisation, kennels, hydrotherapy centre or another animal-related role, the opportunity to improve the lives and welfare of animals is what draws so many people into the profession.
The reality is every bit as rewarding as you imagine, but perhaps not always in quite the way you expect!
Ask almost anyone who works with animals about their first few weeks, and they’ll probably smile before saying something like, “I wish someone had told me that!”
Here are my top ten valuable lessons that don’t always make it into the job description….
1. You’ll spend more time holding a mop and broom than a lead at first!
Most people imagine working with animals means cuddling puppies, bottle-feeding wildlife and spending all day surrounded by happy animals.
The reality?
There’s a lot of cleaning.
Kennels need disinfecting. Food bowls need washing. Enclosures need preparing. Bedding needs changing. Accidents need cleaning up. Paperwork needs completing.
In fact, many animal professionals joke that the first piece of equipment they really mastered wasn’t a lead or a stethoscope or specialist tool – it was a broom!
It might not sound glamorous, but those everyday tasks are some of the most important jobs you’ll ever do. Good hygiene and a clean environment are fundamental to good animal welfare.
2. Animals have absolutely no respect for your timetable
If you’ve planned your day down to the minute, there’s a good chance the animals in your care have other ideas.
Ask anyone who’s worked with animals for long enough and they’ll probably have a story about the dog that refused to come back inside because it had discovered a particularly interesting leaf, the horse that suddenly decided a wheelbarrow was terrifying, or the rabbit that waited until the enclosure had been cleaned before enthusiastically rearranging every bit of bedding and kicking it out the front of the door!
Working with animals teaches you to expect the unexpected.
Flexibility isn’t just useful, it’s essential.
3. Working with animals means working with people
This catches lots of people by surprise.
Yes, animals are at the heart of the job, but owners, colleagues, volunteers, other animal care professionals and members of the public are too.
Some of the most respected people in the industry aren’t simply knowledgeable about animals. They’re calm communicators, supportive colleagues and great listeners.
The ability to communicate effectively, explain, reassure and work well as part of a team often makes just as much difference as practical animal skills.
4. Qualifications are more useful than you probably think
There’s often a debate about qualifications versus experience.
The truth is that the best professionals have both.
Experience teaches you how things are done, and qualifications help you to understand why they’re done.
It’s the difference between knowing how to clean an enclosure and understanding biosecurity. Between following a feeding routine and understanding nutrition. Between recognising behaviour and understanding what might be causing it.
The animal sector never stands still, and neither should we. Employers increasingly value people who continue learning throughout their careers because better knowledge leads to better decisions, and ultimately, better welfare for the animals in our care.
5. Every animal has its own personality
Forget the stereotypes.
You’ll meet dogs who ignore every command.
Rabbits with more confidence than they should have.
Cats who’ll judge you from across the room.
And the occasional Labrador convinced it’s a lap dog.
One of the biggest lessons you’ll learn is to treat every animal as an individual rather than assuming they’ll behave like the last one you worked with.
Animals have an incredible ability to surprise you.
6. Some days will break your heart
People often talk about how rewarding animal careers are (and they absolutely are).
What they don’t always mention is that they’re also emotionally demanding.
There will be days when you care for sick or injured animals, support owners through heartbreaking decisions or see the effects of neglect.
But there will also be days when you watch an animal recover, gain confidence or return home after weeks of care.
Those are the moments that remind people why they chose this profession in the first place.
7. Observation is your secret superpower
Animals can’t tell us when something feels wrong, so they rely on us to notice the subtle signs.
Sometimes it’s the smallest change that tells the biggest story.
A usually chatty budgie that suddenly goes quiet.
A guinea pig that’s less interested in its favourite treats.
A cat that starts hiding instead of greeting you at the door.
The best animal professionals develop an eye for these small changes. They know that spotting a problem early can make all the difference to an animal’s health, welfare and recovery.
8. Nobody expects you to know everything
Every experienced professional started somewhere.
The people who develop the fastest aren’t necessarily those who have all the answers but they’re the ones who ask questions.
The animal sector is full of people who are happy to share their knowledge, because everyone remembers what it felt like to be the newcomer.
Curiosity is one of the most valuable qualities you can bring.
9. Loving animals is only the beginning
Almost everyone who works with animals starts for the same reason: they genuinely care about them. But passion alone isn’t what makes someone a great animal professional.
The difference comes from the habits and skills you build along the way. It’s being reliable enough that your team can count on you, paying attention to the details that keep animals safe and healthy, communicating effectively with colleagues and owners, and continuing to learn throughout your career.
Sometimes it also means making difficult decisions because they’re in the animal’s best interests, even when they’re not the easiest choices.
Professionalism is what turns a love of animals into the knowledge, confidence and responsibility needed to provide truly excellent care.
10. You’ll probably wonder why you didn’t do it sooner
Yes, you’ll get muddy.
Yes, you’ll get wet.
Yes, at some point you’ll almost certainly end up wearing something you’d rather not identify.
But you’ll also help frightened animals feel safe.
You’ll celebrate recoveries that once seemed impossible.
You’ll make a difference to animals and the people who care about them.
There aren’t many careers that can give you that feeling at the end of the day.
Final thoughts
Working with animals isn’t always what people imagine.
It’s hard work. It’s unpredictable. It’s physically demanding. It can be emotional.
But it’s also fascinating, rewarding and full of moments that make you smile long after you’ve gone home.
If you’re thinking about starting an animal career, don’t worry about knowing everything before you begin. Be willing to learn, ask questions and keep developing your skills. Every experienced professional was once the person cleaning their first kennel, asking their first question or nervously handling their first animal.
And if you ask them today, they’ll most likely tell you they wouldn’t change it for the world.
About the Author
Lucy is the founder of edYOUcate, which she launched in 2024 after an inspiring 25 year career in animal care education. Her background includes a wide range of roles from lecturer to Programme Manager and Head of Faculty, giving her a thorough understanding of both teaching and leadership in the education sector.
Before moving into teaching, Lucy gained hands on experience in animal care, and she continues to blend practical insight with academic excellence. She holds a Master’s degree in Education with Leadership, alongside degrees in Animal Science and Teaching. She’s also qualified in small animal hydrotherapy, assessing, and quality assurance.
About edYOUcate
edYOUcate is a UK provider of Ofqual-regulated animal care, veterinary and wildlife qualifications, supporting aspiring and established animal professionals to build the knowledge, confidence and practical skills needed to thrive in the animal sector.
If you’re taking your first steps into an animal career or continuing your professional development, edYOUcate offers flexible online qualifications (some with practice placements) and CPD designed to support lifelong learning and high standards of animal welfare.
Learn more about edYOUcate: https://edyoucatetraining.co.uk
Explore Animal Care Qualifications: https://edyoucatetraining.co.uk/course-category/animal-care/
Discover Veterinary Qualifications: https://edyoucatetraining.co.uk/course-category/veterinary/
Browse Wildlife & Conservation Qualifications: https://edyoucatetraining.co.uk/course-category/wildlife-conservation/