We are a cat friendly clinic!

At The Neighbourhood Vet we’re proud to hold Silver Cat Friendly Clinic accreditations at our East Dulwich, Crofton Park and Penge branches, as well as being members of the ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine).

We recognise that cats are unique creatures with specific needs and it’s important to us to demonstrate our commitment to the animals you entrust into our care. Working with International Cat Care (iCC), we have looked at how we can make The Neighbourhood Vet the best it can possibly be for our feline patients.

Cats by nature are sensitive to changes in their environment, and by understanding and accepting this we can recommend measures to make your cat’s journey to the vets, and their visit to us a less stressful one.

In order to achieve our silver Cat Friendly Clinic accreditation, we have had to meet a carefully selected criteria as stipulated by iCC. We have demonstrated that we:

• Understand the needs of cats and strive to make visits to the vet clinic cat friendly
• Approach and handle cats gently and with care through ongoing staff education
• Follow the ISFM Feline Friendly Handling and Nursing Care guidelines, having made the pledge to be ‘scruff free’
• Have invested in equipment to manage the specific care requirements of cats
• Have an appointed Cat Advocate member of staff to implement and oversee our cat https://www.theneighbourhoodvet.co.uk/about-us/accreditations friendly clinic status

As a Silver Standard Cat Friendly Clinic, we are trained to handle cats in a manner that minimizes stress, fear and anxiety, as well as advising you on the best way to safely and comfortably transport your cat to The Neighbourhood Vet.

We have several in-house cat-advocates who are available to answer any questions or concerns you may have, and to provide information and advice on caring for your cat. Our advocates can be found HERE.

Our cat friendly facilities include:

• A separate cat waiting area. There are raised areas on which to place your cat carrier which will be away from areas where other animals may be waiting
• The use of feline pheromone diffusers to help calm and reassure
• A quiet, well equipped consulting room suitable for cats to feel calm in
• A range of equipment such as blood pressure monitors and cat specific weighing scales to provide a high level of care to our feline patients
• A designated kennel area, keeping cats and dogs separate from one another. Providing comfortable, soft bedding and cat igloos or perch and hide boxes to allow your cat privacy during their stay with us
• Facilities for surgery, dentistry, lab testing and diagnostic imaging are available to allow procedures to be performed to a high standard of care for feline patients

If you have any questions regarding the facilities and care we provide for your cat, please don’t hesitate to contact us.