West Midlands Referrals (WMR) near Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, has been recognised as a silver level cat-friendly clinic by the prestigious International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM).
Jade Lee, registered veterinary nurse and cat advocate at Linnaeus-owned WMR, said the hospital had introduced a raft of measures to achieve the prestigious accreditation and ensure its surroundings and team provided a stress-free environment for feline patients.
Jade said: “We’re very proud to have achieved silver cat-friendly clinic status at WMR. It really has been a true team effort and is a fitting reward for everyone’s hard work and dedication.
“To earn silver accreditation, the ISFM examines the provision of facilities and staff activities and attitudes aimed at reducing stress in cats, both as in-patients and out-patients. Its criteria includes having separate dog and cat waiting areas, feline-friendly hospitalisation cages and veterinary equipment and consult rooms specifically for treating cats, all of which we have introduced here at WMR.
“We have ensured we always provide a low-stress environment which respects the natural needs of our feline patients and all of our team members are encouraged to approach and handle cats sensitively and respectfully.
“Practices are also expected to maintain high standards of veterinary care, including continuing to update their knowledge of feline medicine as new knowledge becomes available, which again is something the team here has embraced.”
The ISFM launched the cat-friendly clinic initiative to encourage veterinary clinics to make changes to improve the welfare of cats in their care. The programme advises practices on how to make their environment as welcoming as possible for cats, as well as providing support in staff training, handling techniques and cat-specific client care. The ultimate aim is to promote wellbeing and highest possible standards of care for all cats visiting or being hospitalised.
WMR, which is based in Barton Under Needwood, Staffordshire, provides a wide range of high standard veterinary services delivered by experienced clinicians and supported by state-of-the-art facilities to facilitate accurate diagnosis and treatment.
For more information about WMR, visit their website or search for West Midlands Veterinary Referrals on social media.
