Delivering veterinary services to cats is a different breed of care. That's because a visit to the veterinarian is often traumatic for a cat, which can make cat owners reluctant to bring them in. Although some veterinary practices are exclusively dedicated to the care of cats, others would like to develop an increased focus on feline healthcare.

Partners for Healthy Pets (PHP), an alliance of 100+ veterinary associations, veterinary colleges, and animal health companies focused on preventive care led by AAHA and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), is offering free, downloadable tools to help your practice maintain or develop a strong emphasis on felines.

The Feline-Friendly Practice series includes two web conferences and a series of videos to assist the practice team in minimizing stress for cats and clients.

“Becoming a Cat Friendly Practice” is a one-hour web conference presented by Elizabeth J. Colleran, DVM. The webcast offers strategies to lessen the stress of the veterinary visit and create a more cat-friendly practice. This means improving your understanding of your feline patients' needs creates a win-win for all involved—the cat, the client, and the practice.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners Feline-Friendly Handling Guidelines web conference is also an hour, and presented by Ilona Rodan, CVM, DABVP. Learn about respectful feline handling and gain a better understanding of normal feline behavior and more:

• Better handle cats in a manner that greatly reduces feline fear and fear-associated aggression, and subsequently human injury
• Develop a standard operating procedure for handling cats
• Educate team members and clients how to prevent feline stress during veterinary visits 

Check out the CATalyst Council’s cat friendly practice videos, including the best place to examine a cat, how to massage and calm an anxious cat, and handling a cat for a lab sample collection.

Finally, an eight-part video series outlines ways a practice can minimize stress for both the cat and client during visits. Videos include “Understanding Feline Behavior,” “Enhancing the Feline Examination,” and more.

It’s a challenge to get cats in for healthcare visits, and these free, downloadable tools should help your practice continue or start to focus on feline healthcare.

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