Success is being seen on the tails of the Cat Friendly Practice Makeover initiative, which works with volunteer clinics to increase the number of cat visits by providing education, specialized training and reconfiguration to make the clinic more cat friendly, the CATalyst Council announced. The initiative was announced earlier this year. The CATalyst Council discussed the initiative’s success at the American Veterinary Medical Association conference in St. Louis last week. “We are confident that this pilot will show that there are relatively easy steps that veterinary practices can take to increase the number and frequency of feline visits,” said Jane Brunt, DVM, executive director of the CATalyst Council. “We’re excited about the positive initial results that we’re seeing and exploring opportunities to make a difference in the lives of cats everywhere.” Click here to see a video related to this subject. The initiative received 1,800 pet owner responses via survey to gauge beliefs and attitudes toward veterinary care. Respondents shared their opinions about veterinary care, which were similar to some of the Bayer-Brakke study findings. The results confirmed that cats are not receiving the same level of care as dogs. The survey showed that if an animal never visited the veterinarian, it was two times more likely the pet was a cat rather than a dog. Read the full story on the Bayer-Brakke study in VeterinaryPracticeNew.com One in four pet owners who hadn’t brought their cat to the veterinarian in the past year indicated they did not think a visit would improve their cat’s overall health or lifespan. One third of respondents said that they would bring their cat to the veterinarian more frequently if the veterinarian explained the value and importance of preventive care. More than half of the respondents who had a cat said transporting their cat to the veterinarian was difficult. The CATalyst video Cats and Carriers: Friends Not Foes teaches owners five steps to acclimate cats to their carriers and is being incorporated into the initiative. The videos are given to clients of practices enrolled in the pilot makeover to help make their veterinary visit more pleasant. The full results of the pilot program will be revealed at the council’s November meeting. <Home>
