WE’VE GONE FOR THE GOLD!

At USVC, we are proud to be an accredited gold level Cat Friendly Clinic and members of ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine). Working with International Cat Care (iCatCare), we have looked at how we can make USVC the best it can possibly be for our feline patients.

In order to achieve our gold Cat Friendly Clinic accreditation, we have had to meet carefully selected criteria as stipulated by iCatCare. We have demonstrated that we:

  • Approach and handle cats gently and with care through ongoing staff education

  • Follow the ISFM Feline Friendly Handling and Nursing Care guidelines and have made the pledge to be ‘Scruff free’

  • Have invested in equipment to manage the specific care requirements of cats

  • Have an appointed Cat Advocate member of staff to implement and oversee our cat friendly clinic status

HOW USVC PROVIDES A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR YOU AND YOUR FELINE COMPANION:

SEPARATE WAITING AREA

Cats will inevitably be anxious and stressed in the waiting area as they are outside their normal territory. As such, we have a separate cat waiting area where cats can be placed high and visually isolated from other cats and dogs so they feel safe while waiting.

FELINE CONSULTATION ROOMS

We reserve two of our consultation rooms exclusively dedicated to feline use –this helps avoid the smell of dogs in the room and so may reduce anxiety for the cat. It is also equipped with a Feliway pheromone diffuser which pours happy pheromones in the environment.

CAT-ONLY IN-PATIENT AND HOSPITALISATION WARDS, OPERATING THEATRE AND PREPARATION ROOM

Our feline patients are kept in their own specially designed cat-only hospital, providing a safe, warm, quiet and calm area for sick and recovering cats. We also provide a separate cat operating theatre and preparation room away from the sights, sounds and smells of our canine patients.

MEET OUR CAT ADVOCATE

Whilst all of our staff are very knowledgeable in feline healthcare, under our gold accreditation we have a clinic cat advocates who is responsible for ensuring our gold standards are adhered to and kept up to date with the most recent feline clinical information.

Marilyn Byers (QVN), has a special interest in feline patient care within hospital and educating clients on cat care at home. If you have any questions regarding the facilities and care we provide for your cats, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.