At West Midland referrals in Burton-Upon-Trent, we’re proud to be a Silver-accredited Cat-Friendly Hospital and are members of the ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine).
We recognise that cats are unique creatures with specific needs, and we must 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 West Mislands Referrals the best it can possibly be for our feline patients. Cats by their 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 West Midlands referrals a less stressful experience than anticipated.
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. To maintain Silver status. 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 and provides support in staff training, handling techniques and cat-specific client care.
The ultimate aim is to promote well-being and the highest possible standards of care for all cats visiting or being hospitalised.
To achieve our silver Cat-Friendly Clinic accreditations, we have had to meet 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 and have pledged 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-friendly clinic status
West Midlands Referrals, based in Barton Under Needwood, near Burton, 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 www.wm-referrals.com or search for West Midlands Veterinary Referrals on social media.
