What Is a Certified Cat Friendly Practice?

It’s Not Just Your Cat

Did you know… According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners, over 58% of cat owners report that their cat hates going to the vet. There are almost 60 million pet cats in America, which means that there are a LOT of cats that hate going to the vet!

How Cats Are Different

Our feline patients are unique – they are not small dogs. Because of their innate behavior as solitary hunters, coming to the veterinarian is incredibly stressful for them. They are in an unfamiliar environment, with strange smells, sounds, and sights. They have been in a carrier for several minutes, and have ridden in the car, both of which come with their own stressors. It’s no wonder, with all of that happening before the cat even sees our team or the veterinarian, that they are scared and stressed.

Seeing that kind of reaction in their normally sweet and cuddly feline can be incredibly stressful for cat owners too. According to a survey by the AAFP, 38% of cat owners get stressed just at the thought of taking their cat to the veterinarian.

How We Sooth Their Stress… and Yours!

We feel that treating cats in a respectful and thoughtful manner is the best way to make visits for our feline patients as stress-free as possible. We are a Gold Certified Cat Friendly Practice. This means that our veterinarians and staff members have gone through extensive education and training to make sure that we handle cats in a manner that reduces their stress levels, and in turn, reduces the stress of their owners.

Our facility is also laid out to be as feline-friendly as possible. We have one exam room designated “feline only” so that dog odors are not present in “their room.” They have their own hospital wing that often has the lights dimmed and is away from loud barking or harsh noises. We use feline pheromones throughout the cat room and cat wing of the hospital to help soothe our feline patients naturally while they are with us.

Our goal is to make the veterinary visit as positive and low-stress as possible for our feline patients and their owners.  If you have any questions about our feline-friendly approach please don’t hesitate to contact us. Your feline family member’s veterinary visit actually starts at home and we can provide helpful tips for both you and your feline companion.