Our Tenterden team are delighted to have been awarded Silver accreditation by the International Society of Feline Medicine as a "Cat Friendly Clinic".
An accredited Cat Friendly Clinic has a higher standard of feline care. All of our team understand the needs of cats and we have made surgery visits more cat friendly, with our dedicated Cat Waiting Area. We have "Cat Advocates", Nicole Versteegh RVN and Esther Masso MRCVS who maintain our cat friendly standards and are happy to offer advice.
All our team understand how to approach and handle cats gently. Our clinical team are required to continually maintain and update their knowledge.
We understand the difficulties when bringing your cat to the
surgery:
- Cats do not often travel well and feel unsafe away from home
- They are sensitive to new sights, sounds and smells
- Most cats prefer solitude, quiet and are highly susceptible to stress
- Most cats are highly stressed by nearby dogs in the clinic
- Cats need to be handled gently and with respect.
Top tips for bringing your cat to the vets
- A top opening carrier is easier to put your cat in. Leave the carrier around in the home so your cat is used to seeing it not just when they need to go the vets! You can also put treats in and encourage them to use it as a bed.
- Pheromone sprays can help calm and relax your cat. They should be sprayed 15-30 minutes before putting your cat in the carrier.
- Cover the carrier with a blanket and ensure the carrier is lined with newspaper and a blanket stop your cat sliding around.
- Hold the carrier from the bottom not the handle to avoid swinging the carrier around.
- Be aware of what music and how loud you play it in the car. Our cats do not share our music tastes and cat friendly CD’s are available!
- Cat friendly vets like us will have elevated areas to put your carrier on so your cat can be placed above floor level while waiting to see the vet.
More advice, information and leaflets on "Cat Friendly Clinics" can be found on the ISFM website
