Medivet Balderton Earns ‘Feline-Friendly’ Award
Medivet Balderton has become the first veterinary practice in the town to be awarded a Silver Standard Cat-Friendly Clinic Award from the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM). This was in recognition of its efforts to create a cat-friendly practice and to reduce the stress suffered by feline patients during a visit.
The team at Medivet Balderton was inspired to enter for the Award by student veterinary nurse Miss Kelly-Louise Cobb. A keen cat-lover, Kelly-Louise had studied for a Certificate in Feline Nursing with the IFSM and felt there was an opportunity for the practice team to do even more to help its feline patients – and their owners – to cope with a visit to the practice.
She said: “We’ve always set out to offer the highest level of care to our feline patients but, while studying for my Certificate, I realised that there were a few additional changes we could make to improve things even further.
“Cats are particularly sensitive to noise so, for instance, in addition to our separate cat and dog waiting room and kennels, we have created pathways around the practice to ensure that noise around our feline patients is kept to a minimum and we have invested in equipment such as silent clippers to make routine procedures such as clipping as quiet as possible. As a team we have also undertaken additional training in cat behaviour and cat handling.”
She added: “We’ve been really pleased with the results and our cat-owning clients have responded very positively.
Receiving the Silver Standard Cat-Friendly Clinic Award from IFSM is the icing on the cake.
Sarah Endersby, Veterinary Development Manager at ISFM, said: “Reducing the stress experienced by cats and their owners during a visit to the vet is critical for improving the health and welfare of cats.
“We are delighted that Medivet Balderton has achieved the Silver Standard Cat Friendly Clinic accreditation. It is a major achievement and demonstrates real dedication on the part of the practice to create a cat-friendly environment.”
