{"id":9699,"date":"2021-02-01T00:00:46","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T08:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=9699"},"modified":"2022-06-15T17:47:45","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T17:47:45","slug":"cat-care-veterinary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/cat-care-veterinary\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cat\u2019s Meow"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was 13, I found a litter of abandoned kittens in my 93-year-old neighbor\u2019s backyard. All the kittens were dead except for one. I persuaded my parents to let me rescue the survivor and, being a teenage girl, I named her Melissa. Weird name for a cat, I know.<\/p>\n

Melissa lived for 18 years. I recall her cool calico coloring and how loudly she purred. I recall how she loved to go outside first thing in the morning and how she\u2019d come running home every evening when I called to her from the back door: \u201cMelissa! Here kitty, kitty, kitty!\u201d I don\u2019t recall her ever visiting a veterinarian until I was an adult.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s funny the things we remember about childhood. I recall both of my parents being animal lovers but not them taking our pets to the veterinarian for wellness visits. Perhaps that\u2019s why Melissa hated veterinary visits much later in her life. Once, she clawed my leather jacket, ruining it, when I tried to get her into her carrier.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s well-known that cats visit a veterinarian less than their canine counterparts do. Today, I\u2019m reminded of how easily cat owners can give up, throw their hands in the air and wait until their pets seem sick enough before attempting a veterinary visit.<\/p>\n

Veterinary professionals and feline organizations have attempted to remedy that all-too-common scenario.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew there was an issue with people getting their cats to the hospital and with people thinking that their cats didn\u2019t need regular veterinary care,\u201d said Dana Wile, practice manager at Star of Texas Veterinary Hospital in Austin, Texas. \u201cOur cat numbers were very low and we wanted to see that number go up.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was 2012 and the American Association of Feline Practitioners had recently created its Cat Friendly Practice certification. At the time, about 20% of Star of Texas patients were cats, so Wile\u2019s team decided to apply for certification and work toward growing the feline base.<\/p>\n

Since becoming a Cat Friendly Practice<\/a>, Star of Texas has focused on making the practice something of a cat haven and worked on marketing to pet owners and educating them about the importance of feline veterinary care. Today, more than 30% of the patients are cats.<\/p>\n

Here are four ways to attract more feline patients.<\/p>\n

1. Complete More Continuing Education<\/h3>\n

Think your client service representatives don\u2019t need feline-specific CE? Think again. Your entire staff can influence patient care and client service. CSRs can ask about other household pets when clients call to schedule an appointment or when they check out and then inform those clients that cats need regular veterinary care, too. CSRs also can offer stress-reducing tips on getting cats to the clinic,\u00a0and they can incorporate methods to reduce feline stress during check-in and checkout.<\/p>\n

Cat-focused, role-specific CE helps ensure that your feline patients and their owners are well taken care of from the moment the appointment is requested to when they check out.<\/p>\n

2. See Your Hospital from a Cat\u2019s Perspective<\/h3>\n

Star of Texas Veterinary Hospital \u201cchanged everything,\u201d Wile said. \u201cWe made one exam room that was far away from the other exam rooms for cats only, and we made it a lot more comfortable for cats. Where that really made a difference was for those middle-of-the-road cats \u2014 the cats who weren\u2019t quite sure about coming out of their carriers. Suddenly, they started coming out and walking around the room with their tails in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n

To create a space that cats will love:<\/p>\n