What is a Cat-Friendly Veterinary Clinic?

If you own a cat, you understand how stressful vet visits can be for both you and your feline friend. From confining your cat to a carrier, enduring car travel, to sitting in a waiting room with other pets – particularly dogs – the routine visit can be challenging for our sensitive companions.

Cat-friendly veterinary clinics are designed specifically to ease this stress, creating a calmer, safer environment tailored to cats' unique needs. The International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) supports a global programme that accredits clinics demonstrating their commitment to feline welfare through thoughtful clinical design and special care practices.

Understanding the ISFM Cat Friendly Clinic Scheme

The ISFM’s Cat Friendly Clinic programme encourages veterinary practices worldwide to make specific changes that reduce stress for cats during visits. Clinics apply to join the scheme and must meet rigorous criteria concerning clinic layout, feline handling, and veterinary protocols. Successfully joining allows clinics to promote themselves as cat-friendly, signalling to owners a higher standard of specialised care.

What Makes a Cat-Friendly Clinic Different?

Unlike general veterinary practices that treat all species together, cat-friendly clinics are designed with cats’ comfort as a priority. Key features include:

• Providing a cat-only waiting area separate from dogs, or scheduling exclusive appointment times to avoid stressful encounters.
• Ensuring quiet, calm waiting spaces that minimise noise and chaotic stimuli.
• Scheduling longer consultation times tailored to cats’ slower, more cautious nature, with at least 10 minutes per appointment recommended.
• For inpatient care, offering separate hospitalisation areas for cats, away from dogs, with secure, solid-walled kennels and cosy hiding spots to help cats feel secure.

Moreover, staff members in these clinics receive training in gentle, feline-specific handling techniques. They understand subtle signs of feline distress or illness, which improves diagnosis and treatment outcomes.

The scheme operates across three tiers — bronze, silver, and gold — indicating the level of investment and facilities dedicated to feline care, with gold clinics sometimes having dedicated cat wards designed to reduce visual and auditory stress triggers.

Benefits of Visiting a Cat-Friendly Clinic

Regular veterinary visits are crucial for cats’ health, yet stress often makes owners reluctant to book them. Cat-friendly clinics help by making visits as comfortable as possible. This reduced stress improves cats’ cooperation during exams, facilitates early disease detection, and enhances overall wellbeing. For owners, it means less anxiety around vet visits.

How to Find a Cat-Friendly Clinic Near You

You can find local accredited cat-friendly clinics through the International Cat Care website. Choosing such a clinic means choosing compassionate care that recognises the unique needs of cats, encouraging healthier, happier feline patients and reassured owners.

Ensuring your cat receives veterinary attention in an environment made just for them shows responsible ownership and contributes to their long, comfortable life.