Gold standard cat care at Acorn House
“Acorn House Veterinary Surgery is a gold standard cat-friendly practice”.
That was the assessment made last week by the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM). The ISFM assesses the facilities and services that veterinary practices offer to their feline patients – a little bit like an Ofsted inspection. We are delighted to have received the top level award!
Acorn House is the only gold standard cat-friendly practice in Bedfordshire.
So what have we been doing to make our practice so special? Over the course of 2015 we extended our building to include a completely separate cat ward. This means that cats can recover from surgery and illness in peace and quiet, away from the sounds and smells of the dogs in the practice and the hustle and bustle of our busy team. We can even watch the cats on our CCTV system, monitoring their every move without them realising it! Our cat ward boasts very large kennels with igloo-style beds for cats to relax in.
We also have the luxury of a completely separate isolation ward so that stray or infectious cats can be cared for without putting other patients at risk.
This picture shows our Senior Nurse, Paul caring for a cat with a viral infection in our dedicated cat isolation ward.
In the waiting room we have provided a separate cat waiting area. This area has elevated resting places for cat baskets as we know that cats feel safer when they are higher up.
We also have cat basket covers available to provide additional privacy. Special thanks to vet Romina and her mum for making these!
The entire practice team has undertaken additional training in cat-friendly handling. For example, Heidrun and Emily are examining Phoebe in the bottom half of her travel box as this helps her feel safer than perching on the bare consultation table.
Nervous cats may feel more secure in a snug towel wrap (as demonstrated by Sheldon and Hayley below) and others will respond to a ready supply of cat treats!
Of course, our feline patients continue to benefit from all of the other practice facilities such as two operating theatres, digital X-ray, dental suite with dental X-ray, endoscopy, ultrasound, piped oxygen and anaesthetic gases and our own vets and nurses available for emergency care at the practice or in your own home 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Next week’s blog will follow one of our feline patients through a typical day at Acorn House, bringing you all of the action behind the scenes!
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