Last week, Coco headed to the veterinarian. We use a Cat Friendly Practice, which means it’s a part of the Cat Friendly Practice® program run by the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
Just what does that it mean to visit a Cat Friendly Practice? When we walk in with one of our cats, we’re in a cats-only waiting area (with its own entrance).
While some Cat Friendly Practices have this separate waiting room to reduce cat stress from seeing dogs and other pets, other members of the program provide stress-free entrance by offering cat clients a separate space with some type of barrier to block visual contact, offering cat-only appointment times, or ushering cat clients directly into the exam room.
We were quickly taken to a waiting room where Coco’s carrier was draped with a cloth scented with Feliway, calming pheromones that mimic the scent a cat will remember from her nursing mother. Coco stayed in her carrier until after the vet and I had spoken.
(Lucky, who is about half of Coco’s weight, has a soft top-loading carrier. On his last exam, he stayed in the carrier nearly the entire exam as the vet reached in the top of the carrier to check him.)
The American Association of Feline Practitioners has a handy search form so you can check for a Cat Friendly Practice in your area.
Here’s more about what to expect at a Cat Friendly Practice:
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- 80 Names for Cats with Spots and Speckles - March 3, 2024