Local veterinary clinic Grove Lodge Veterinary Hospital, Worthing has achieved accreditation as a Cat Friendly Clinic (CFC). The CFC programme has been developed by the International Society of Feline Medicine, the veterinary division of the leading feline charity International Cat Care, and accreditation has been made available in partnership with Ceva, Royal Canin, Boehringer Ingelheim, Idexx, Elanco and Zoetis . It aims to promote well-being and high standards of care for all cats visiting or being hospitalised in a veterinary clinic.
Under the programme, a clinic has to prove rigorous adherence to a set of criteria which includes provision of facilities and demonstration of staff activities and attitudes aimed at reducing stress in cats, both as in-patients and out-patients. The criteria includes having separate dog and cat waiting areas, feline-friendly hospitalisation cages, and veterinary equipment specifically for treating cats. Most importantly, staff are encouraged to approach and handle cats sensitively and respectfully. Clinics are expected to maintain high standards of veterinary care, including continuing to update their knowledge of feline medicine as new knowledge becomes available.
Nicola Bromley, the clinic’s Cat Advocate, was proud to receive the clinic’s Gold Cat Friendly Clinic accreditation: “We wanted to make sure that a trip to our clinic was as stress-free an experience as possible for our cat patients and their owners. Cats can get very anxious when taken out of their usual environment, and this can make owners reluctant to seek veterinary attention when their cat needs it. By undertaking Cat Friendly Clinic accreditation, we’ve committed to delivering high standards of cat care, with compassion and expertise.”
The International Society of Feline Medicine launched the Cat Friendly Clinic initiative to encourage veterinary clinics everywhere to make changes to improve the welfare of cats in their care. The programme advises clinics on how to make their environment as welcoming to cats as possible, as well as providing support in staff training, handling techniques and cat-specific client care.
Cat owners can find out more about International Cat Care and the Cat Friendly Clinic initiative at www.catfriendlyclinic.org.