Feelin’ the Felines / CAT FRIENDLY
47
Pouncing on Opportunity Many practices are seeing the benefit of being cat friendly by Maureen Blaney Flietner A
ware that cats are an underserved population, more veterinary prac- tices are pouncing on the idea of becoming designated “cat-friendly.” While some practices have made
varied efforts on their own, the Ameri- can Association of Feline Practitioners’ (AAFP) Cat-Friendly Practice (CFP) pro- gram, begun at the end of February 2012, provides an exact guide to becoming feline-friendly. “The completely self-paced, online
program is a step-by-step approach for changing the experience for cats and cat owners in a small-animal practice set- ting,” said Elizabeth J. Colleran, DVM, DABVP Feline, former president of the AAFP and owner of Chico Hospital for Cats in California. As of February 2013, 554 practices were in the process of becoming certified, and 294 had reached gold or silver levels. The CFP covers 10 topic areas with multimedia presentations, supplemen- tal educational resources, photos and a practice checklist. A practice may obtain Silver Standard status by meeting the essential criteria and can get the Gold Standard status by incorporating the opti- mum criteria.
Perfect timing for Maine clinic At Veazie Veterinary Clinic in Veazie,
Maine, Michael McCaw, DVM, said, “The CFP arrived at an opportune time because we realized the veterinary community needed to do a better job catering to the
“The CFP guidelines give the practice a tangible way to
set up, promote and run a tight ship on all things feline.” —Michael McCaw, DVM
unique needs of cats. Like magic, the AAFP Cat-Friendly Program appeared.” “We’ve always practiced good feline
medicine,” continued McCaw, “and as a cat lover myself, I have always promoted the proper handling of cats with my col- leagues and our technical staff. “But before this program came out, I
was having a hard time seeing the for- est for the trees. The CFP guidelines give the practice a tangible way to set up, promote and run a tight ship on all things feline. Public education on the
Trends magazine, May 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60