CAT FRIENDLY / Feelin’ the Felines
importance of wellness care with an achievable means of making the vet- erinary visit a less stressful one are big parts of the process.” The clinic was certified in May 2012
and is just starting to market its new sta- tus. McCaw said the CFP confirmed many beliefs he held about less-stressful cat care and even taught him a few things. “To have this information in print…
it’s like a cookbook for creating a cat- friendly practice. The CFP really encour- ages practices to treat cats as an individ- ual species, rather than like small dogs. A lot of people in the veterinary community don’t take the time to appreciate what the individual cat is trying to tell them.” The clinic is planning a major reno-
vation to make it more cat-friendly. For now, its cat-friendly features include the following: • An alcove revamped as a private cat-only reception area
• Extensive client education through videos, articles and links on its website
• A dedicated feline exam room • A quiet, dimly lit feline ward • Use of a synthetic feline pheromone that marks territory as safe, with diffusers in all cat areas
• Ongoing in-house education on proper handling of cats
“My hope is that veterinary practices
will look at CFP as not just an opportunity to expand their business,” said McCaw, “but as a means of expanding quality health care to a significantly underserved species. The CFP gives them a concrete way to do this with no downside.”
Improvements being seen Whitesburg Animal Hospital in Hunts-
ville, Ala., had been aware of studies about cat visits and had seen a decline in cat visits of its own. The staff even learned that some dog-owning clients had cats at home they were not bringing in for care. The hospital had made several efforts
to become more cat-friendly, but, with the availability of CFP, everyone wanted
Trends magazine, May 2013
to take it on, said Kristen Fling, LVT. Fling was asked to lead the process and became one of the designated cat advo- cates along with owner Mark Russell, DVM, and Staci Armstrong, DVM. Because the clinic already adhered
to AAHA standards, said Fling, going through the CFP program was familiar. Groups of staffers each took a section of the program to review and present. “It took us about 3 months to com-
plete the program,” said Fling, who developed a notebook from the process to use to train new staff. The only challenge, she said, was the
CFP Gold requirement for full-mouth radiographs taken with every dental prophylaxis and treatment, which they preferred to offer as an option for cli- ents. However, the clinic, now at the sil- ver level, is discussing and considering incorporating the protocol. Improvements are being seen, said
Fling, including a slow rise in the number of cat visits. In addition, the practice has done the following: • Found the use of pheromone diffus- ers and better handling techniques have improved the attitudes of cat patients
• Increased its use of educational handouts
• Provided risk -assessment informa- tion to make clients aware of health care needs
• Provided cat-only appointment times when canine clients will be sched- uled only if it is an emergency
• Kept the waiting time in the cats- only reception area to less than 5 minutes
• Appreciated the CFP’s Continuing Education requirement that forces it to find new learning opportunities “People are pleased and respond-
ing well,” said Fling. “It does make the staff happier. We see the patients and our clients happier, and that makes our job easier. It’s not difficult to see why you should do it when you see the outcome.”
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