CAT FRIENDLY CLINIC

Cat friendly veterinary care:a guide for cat carers
Taking your cat to the veterinary clinic can be
stressful for both you and your cat. However,clinics that are accredited as ‘Cat Friendly Clinics’
go to extra lengths to improve the veterinary
experience for your cat.

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Introduction
International Cat Care, and itsveterinary division the International
Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM),
have long recognised that cats
are very different to dogs in theirhealth and behaviour. Cats aremost comfortable in their own
home and find the veterinary clinic
environment – with all its
unfamiliar sights, sounds andsmells – potentially very stressful.

You can find out more, and search for a Cat
Friendly Clinic or Practice in your area, by visiting:catfriendlyclinic.org

The Cat Friendly Clinic programme wasestablished in 2012 by ISFM, initially in the UK
and widening to Europe, Australasia, Asia andother countries, to help veterinary teams
adapt the clinic environment and the waythey interact with their feline patients toreduce cats’ stress and, in turn, benefit theirmental wellbeing and physical health. The
programme was launched at the same timein North America, South America and theCaribbean by the American Association ofFeline Practitioners (AAFP) as the Cat Friendly
Practice Program. This global initiative hasgrown enormously as veterinary staff havediscovered that understanding cats means
happier cats and carers and, in turn, greater
job satisfaction for the veterinary team.
This guide will discuss what makes aveterinary clinic ‘cat friendly’ and why thisis so important.

Why do we need
Cat Friendly Clinics?
To understand why cats find visiting
the veterinary clinic stressful, we need tounderstand where they originated from,as this affects how they see the world.
Cats retain many ‘wild’ characteristics from2

catfriendly.com

their ancestors; they are territorial(meaning they do not like to leave
their home area), independent,
and sensitive to new sights,
sounds and smells (Figure 1). They
are also naturally frightened ofother species such as dogs (evenif they live with one), particularly
when they cannot easily run away.

What is a
Cat Friendly Clinic?
Veterinary clinics can become
accredited as Cat Friendly Clinics
by meeting various criteria
relating to the clinic environment
and the way the veterinary teaminteract with cats. Cat Friendly
Clinics implement these cat
friendly standards to provide acalm environment for cats. Clinics
provide evidence of any changes
they have made in order to meetthese criteria, assessed by ISFM
(or AAFP in the regions it covers).

The clinic environment

Each area of the clinic can beadapted to make it better for cats.

Figure 1: Cats have excellent senses of smell, sight, sound, touch and taste. This makes themclever little hunters, but can mean the veterinary environment is overwhelming and scary.
Source: International Cat Care

For example, clinics may offer:• Cat-only appointment times,or the option to wait in atemperature-controlled car;
• A waiting room with separate
areas for cats and their carers
away from dogs, with shelves toplace cat carriers on (cats feelsafer off the floor);• Cat-only consultation/examination rooms (Figure 2),
free of dog smells;• A hospital ward providing asafe, warm, quiet and calm area
for sick and recovering cats, which
ideally is also a cat-only facility(Figure 3).
Other areas of the clinic are also
adjusted with cats in mind.

Figure 2: Cats and dogs should be
kept as separate as possible. For
example, the veterinary clinic may
have consultation/examination
rooms that are for cats only, or mightschedule appointments in cat-onlysessions. Source: Lumbry Park
Veterinary Specialists, UKFigure 3: Ahospital cage
can be designedand furnishedto make cats feel
comfortable. Thiskitten has a soft
bed in which tohide and feelsafe. Source:Sam Taylor

3Equipment

Becoming a Cat Friendly Clinic does not
require a lot of special equipment. Small,
simple changes can easily be made thatmake a big difference to the cats. Examples
are the use of quiet clippers and smaller
needle sizes.

Handling and examining cats

Staff in Cat Friendly Clinics should always
handle cats gently and kindly, watching their
behaviour and considering what emotions
the cat may be feeling. Cats should never
be held down to keep them still forprocedures or grasped or lifted by the‘scruff’ (skin on the back of the neck; Figure4), as this will cause fear and pain, and leadto the cat developing negative associations
with the clinic. Veterinary professionals at
Cat Friendly Clinics have learnt to change
the way they touch and hold their patients,
to ensure the cat is comfortable (Figures 5and 6).

Figure 4: In Cat Friendly Clinics, cats
are handled gently and calmly. Source:International Cat Care

Veterinary team training

Veterinary professionals in Cat Friendly
Clinics are well trained and stay up to datewith the latest information on the veterinary
care of cats through their membershipof ISFM or AAFP. They enjoy learning more
about how to care for cats in their clinic,
and attend lectures and conferences,sharing that knowledge with the restof the veterinary team.

Figure 5: Examining a cat in the bottomof their carrier after removing the topmeans they can feel safe and secure.
They can also be allowed to hide undera blanket if they choose. Source: Kelly
St Denis4

Figure 6: Cats like treats too! Liquid or othertypes of treats can be offered while the cat is
examined, to make the experience more positive.
Source: Sam Taylor

Are there different typesof cat friendlyaccreditation?
Veterinary clinics can apply for different
levels of accreditation depending on theirfacilities, with Cat Friendly Clinics at all levels(bronze, silver and gold) doing a great job
caring for cats. Table 1 shows some of thecriteria involved in each level.

How do I find a
Cat Friendly Clinic?
You can find a Cat Friendly Clinic near you byvisiting catfriendlyclinic.org (coveringTable 1the UK, Europe, Australasia, Asiaand other countries outside ofNorth America, South America andthe Caribbean) and a Cat Friendly
Practice at catfriendly.com(covering North America, SouthAmerica and the Caribbean). Yourveterinary clinic may already beaccredited and, if so, should be
displaying their certificate proudly
in the waiting area. If they are notalready part of the programme,then perhaps suggest they
consider applying, and direct
them to the above websites forinformation. Almost any veterinary
clinic can become cat friendly withsimple, inexpensive changes anda determination to help improvethe care of cats in their care.

Some features of different levels of Cat Friendly Clinic accreditation

Area ofthe clinicBronze

Silver*Gold*

Waiting room

Cat-only appointment
times if there is no
separate area for cats towait, and there must be
facilities for carriers to be
kept off the floor

Must have separate waiting area for cats, blankets tocover carriers and facilities for carriers to be kept off thefloor

Hospitalisation
facilities

Not necessarily required

Dogs and cats must be
separated in the ward,
with cages meeting orexceeding minimum
cage sizes

Consultations

Safe, secure and well-equipped consultation/examination room. Minimum of 10-minute consultation
times; longer for sick, ageing or anxious cats, behaviouralconsultations and complex cases

Dedicated cat
consultation/examination
room. Minimum of
15-minute consultation
times; longer for sick, ageingor anxious cats, behaviouralconsultations and complex
cases

Operations

Surgical facilities notrequired on the premisesMust have facilities toanaesthetise cats, if neededMust have a separate
dedicated operating theatre

Equipment

Good level of cat friendlyequipment required

Additional equipment(eg, dental treatmentequipment) requiredHigher level of equipment(eg, laboratory equipment)
requiredMust have separate
cat-only ward and larger
cage sizes*Higher levels must meet requirements for lower levels, plus offer extra features, as described in the table5Support our work
Our Cat Carer Guides, provided to inform andadvise cat owners and caregivers alike, arecarefully created by the International Cat Careteam; all in the hopes that we can promote
more awareness and spread the word about‘cat friendly’ treatments for cats.
We all want the best for our cats, and we hopethat you find this free guide useful. If you would
like to show your gratitude, a donation would begreatly appreciated. Every gift goes to support
our work towards a world in which each cat’s life
experience will be as good as it can be.

To find out more, or to make a donation,please go to:
icatcare.org/support-us/donate
Thank you from all of us at International
Cat Care and on behalf of cats

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