Tower Vets on Fulford Road in York has started playing classical music for cats staying at their clinic. This is part of several steps the practice is taking to make vet visits less stressful for feline patients.
The music is played in the new cattery, where cats wait for treatment or surgery. However, the practice has decided not to include Bach on the playlist.
Tower Vets is part of VetPartners, a York-based veterinary group. The clinic recently earned Cat-Friendly Clinic Status from the International Society of Feline Medicine. This award recognises the special care the practice provides for cats.
Senior vet and clinical lead Vicky Weston explained, “Classical music helps to soothe our cat patients. It creates a calm and relaxed environment. It also helps our staff feel calm when they enter the cattery. When team members are relaxed, the cats feel more comfortable too.”
Vicky added, “Happier cats make us happier.”
The clinic has made other changes to improve cats’ comfort. They created a waiting room just for cats, separated from dogs. This helps keep cats away from the noise, sights, and smells of dogs, which can scare them.
Calming pheromone sprays and diffusers have been placed in cat-only areas. Staff members have also received training on how to handle cats gently and carefully.
The clinic appointed veterinary nurse Megan Brown and vet Hannah Reddel as cat advocates to make sure these improvements continue.
Vicky, who is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine, said, “Even cats used to dogs can get scared when strange dogs are nearby. The less contact cats have with unfamiliar dogs, the more relaxed they feel.”
She added, “Lower stress makes cats easier to handle and gives them a better experience at the vet. Our clients appreciate the cat-only waiting room because their cats are calmer. These changes also help owners feel less worried about bringing their cats in.”
Vicky noted, “Some people avoid vet visits because their cats get upset. If we make the experience nicer for cats, more owners will bring their pets for important care.”
Tower Vets already holds dog-friendly clinic status. The Tower Veterinary Group operates three clinics in York: Acomb, Fulford Road, and Haxby.
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