SILVER CAT FRIENDLY STATUS FOR LYTHAM ROAD

Taking your cat to the vet can be a stressful experience, both for your feline friend and for you as their caregiver. Cats are often delicate and shy creatures that thrive in quiet, familiar environments. As territorial animals, they can feel unsafe in unfamiliar settings, which leads to stress, anxiety, and fear. New sights, sounds, and particularly smells can overwhelm them, making trips to the vet even more challenging.

Cats can’t understand that a visit to the vet is for their own well-being, and you can’t reassure them that everything will be fine. So, when it’s time to leave the safety of home for a check-up, test, or procedure, it may seem like a daunting task – especially if you know your cat doesn’t enjoy the experience.

The process can be equally nerve-wracking for you. Trying to coax an uncooperative cat into the carrier, with their legs stretched out in protest, is never easy. Their distressed meowing during the journey can make you feel bad, and if they’re particularly anxious, you may even find vomit or faeces in the carrier upon arrival.

In the consultation room, your normally gentle cat might hiss, swipe, or show other signs of distress during the examination. To make matters more difficult, the vet may send you home with medication, asking you to give tablets to your already upset and angry cat.

That is why we signed up to the Cat Friendly Clinic programme, designed to help address these issues, reducing the stress for cats and making veterinary visits easier for owners as well. We take great care to ensure that our feline friends feel as comfortable as possible in all our practices and are very proud to have recently achieved ‘silver’ status for our Lytham Road branch.

All our staff are trained to handle cats with care and patience. We will give your cat time to adjust to the practice surroundings and approach handling in a gentle and reassuring manner.

WHAT IS A CAT FRIENDLY CLINIC?

A cat friendly clinic is a vet practice that has met certain standards set by the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) to ensure that each cat has a better experience at the vet. An assessment is made of the clinic, and it is visited for checks every three years to ensure that standards are being maintained.

There are three tiers for cat-friendly status; bronze, silver and gold, with specific requirements at each level. These include; how the practice is laid out, what facilities are available, what equipment is available, and the level of knowledge of the veterinary staff.

Being a Cat Friendly Clinic gives you peace of mind and reassurance, showing that:

We’ve achieved certain minimum accreditation standards as laid out by the ISFM.
We’ve thought about the specific needs of cats and minimised the impacts of unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells in our practice.
We’re trained in the gentle and sensitive handling of cats to show respect and care and to minimise stress.
We’re always available to talk with you about any concerns and answer any questions you may have, offer cat care advice for your visit as well as tailor-made recommendations on, for example, giving your cat any medications at home.

WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR SILVER STATUS?

We have recently achieved silver status due to the extra measures we have put in place for our feline patients. All the requirements for bronze status have been met, including:

All veterinary staff need to have up-to-date knowledge about caring for cats.
A named Cat Advocate at the practice who ensures that the standards are being maintained.
Handling all cats in a low-stress way.
A cat-only waiting area, or consulting times separate from dogs should be available.

Additional requirements for silver status include:

A cat-only waiting area, including measures to prevent cats from seeing or hearing dogs.
A dedicated cat hospitalisation ward must be available and there are specific requirements for the sizes of kennels and facilities provided.
More equipment for performing surgery and diagnostics is required.
How can you improve your cat’s experience of going to the vet?
Using our cat-friendly clinic can improve your cat’s experience of vet appointments considerably, but improvements can be made at home before the visit.

BRINGING YOUR CAT TO THE VETS – HELPFUL TIPS FOR A HAPPIER CAT

It’s best to prepare for your trip to the vets a few days before your appointment. Making your cat’s vet visit a less stressful experience is possible with a few thoughtful steps:

Choose a robust and comfortable carrier: Opt for a sturdy carrier with ample space for your cat to sit comfortably. Carriers with removable tops are ideal, as they allow shy or anxious cats to be examined in the base without having to leave it.
Familiarise the carrier: Keep the carrier out in your home as part of your cat’s regular environment. Encourage your cat to sleep or rest in it, making it feel like a familiar space.
Add comforting scents: Place your cat’s favourite blanket or bedding inside the carrier. The familiar scent will provide comfort. Set the carrier out a few days before the visit, so your cat can sniff and get used to it.
Use a pheromone spray: Apply Feliway spray, a pheromone that helps increase your cat’s sense of security, inside the carrier and your car. Spray it at least 30 minutes before the journey to give it time to take effect.
Add an absorbent lining: Place an absorbent pad or lining under the blanket in the carrier in case your cat has an accident on the way to the vet.
Gentle wrapping: If your cat becomes stressed at the sight of the carrier, gently wrap them in a blanket or towel before placing them inside. This can help reduce their anxiety.
Cover the carrier: Drape a blanket or sheet over the carrier to block your cat’s view of other animals and minimise stress from visual stimuli.
Waiting area for cats: Once you arrive at the practice, ask about the best area to wait with your cat. Our Lytham Road branch has a separate waiting area with shelves for cat carriers to help them feel more secure.
Stay calm: Throughout the appointment, try to remain calm and speak in a soft, soothing tone. Your calm demeanour can help keep your cat more relaxed.
Keep them in the carrier: Never be tempted to get your cat out of their carrier until they are safely in the consult room and the vet/nurse has advised you to do so. You’d be surprised how quickly cats can escape when in an usual environment!

If your cat is particularly nervous about visiting the vets, please do contact us for more advice and we’d be delighted to offer some tailored advice for you and your feline friend!