The expert team at a leading London animal hospital has celebrated after receiving the ultimate recognition for its excellent care for cats.
Linnaeus-owned London Vet Specialists in Hammersmith has earned a coveted gold award as a at friendly clinic from the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM).
Dr Helen Kirkpatrick, head of emergency and critical care at LVS, is one of the hospital’s cat friendly advocates and said the award demonstrated the hospital’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the very best care for cats.
Helen said: “We are proud to be an ISFM gold-level cat-friendly clinic, which is an independent recognition of our commitment to our feline patients here at LVS.
“We have thoughtfully designed our new hospital to ensure every patient’s journey is as low stress as possible, and we train all members of our team on feline behaviour and handling to directly improve the welfare of our patients.
“It’s so good to work with a team which recognises the needs of individual cats and can support them through their journey at our hospital.
“That journey first begins before they arrive here, progresses throughout their hospital stay, and continues even after they are discharged.
“It is clear that small changes and feline empathy really do make a big difference to their ability to cope and ultimately our success in treating them.
“All cats come with their own set of specific likes, dislikes and needs and it's our job to tailor a specific care plan that works for them and their family.”
The ISFM gold award comes just months after the official opening of new LVS hospital earlier this year, which offers a wide range of cat friendly facilities and features.
The state-of-the-art hospital has separate cat waiting areas, cat specific consultation rooms and ward, all with plug-in diffusers which provide calming pheromones.
There are cat-specific kennels with soft bedding and hides available complete with toys, food puzzles and scratching pads where appropriate.
Relaxation music is also played in the wards and cat waiting area, which has been proven to help keep cat visits and stays stress free.
The first-class feline-friendly measures at LVS are backed up by gold standard veterinary care with specialist-led treatment allied to the latest hi-tech equipment, facilities and diagnostic services.
The ISFM set up the Cat Friendly Clinic programme to help and encourage veterinary hospitals and practices to make cats’ visits much less stressful and to cater for cats specifically within the clinic.
The aim is to ensure the delivery of a much better experience for both cats and their owners with accredited clinics earning bronze, silver or a prestigious gold award.
LVS moved to its new state-of-the-art hospital earlier this year. The 12,000 sq ft site boasts impressive facilities and cutting-edge equipment, including nine consult rooms, a surgical suite containing three surgical theatres, a separate intensive care ward and an isolation ward.
The multidisciplinary veterinary referral facility offers expert care in anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, neurology, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, ophthalmology and soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery.
