Created by experienced feline practitioners, the Cat Friendly Practice® (CFP) Program is leading the worldwide movement to make veterinary care less stressful for cats and their caregivers.
Established by the Feline Veterinary Medical Association, formerly known as the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the International Society for Feline Medicine (ISFM), the CFP Program is a global initiative designed to elevate care for cats by enhancing the environment and experience, as well as reducing stress for the cat, caregiver, and also the entire veterinary team.
Improving Feline Care
The Cat Friendly Practice® Program seeks to transform and elevate the delivery of feline veterinary care by:
- Laying the groundwork for the delivery of care to the underserved feline population.
- Identifying trends and baseline species information essential for understanding cats.
- Acknowledging the essential role of the cat caregiver in the veterinary visit.
- Providing support to veterinarians and their teams to create a Cat Friendly Practice® environment.
- Outlining strategies for introducing changes in the delivery of care that incorporate a better understanding of the cat’s distinct needs, emotions, and behaviors.
- Consider every aspect of the experience for the cat and caregiver, and how to adjust each visit.
Application Checklist
The CFP Program consists of 10 topic areas outlined in an online self-assessment 130-point checklist. This will guide your practice in setting the standard of providing optimum feline care and achieving a Cat Friendly Practice® Silver or Gold status. Many of the techniques and criteria contained in the CFP Checklist are readily achievable because they focus on approach and creativity.
The CFP Program does not require remodeling your practice, but provides creative solutions for you to help decrease stress during feline care visits. The most important step is to recognize there is a need to make these adaptations to provide a better experience for cats, their caregivers, and your team.
View Creative SolutionsTen Topic Areas in the Cat Friendly Practice® Checklist
- Staff Training & Continuing Education | Client Communications
- Veterinary Practice Premises | Waiting Area
- Feline Handling & Interactions with Clients
- Examination Room(s) | Clinical Records
- Hospitalization & Boarding of Cats
- Pain Management | Operating Room & Anesthesia
- Surgical Equipment | Dentistry
- Diagnostic Imaging | Laboratory Facilities
- Treatment | Health & Safety
- Feline Preventive Healthcare Individualized by Life Stages
Benefits of the Cat Friendly Practice® Program
- Less stress on feline patients and staff.
- Demonstrates how much you care about your patients.
- Higher satisfaction among current clients.
- Increased staff knowledge and expertise in clinic.
- Highlighted practice listing on the AAFP cat caregiver website.
- Gain more new feline patients.
- Lower reported feline-associated injuries
- Increased diagnostics leading to earlier disease detection
According to this article, “Cat Friendly Practice® improves feline visits, resulting in increased laboratory testing and increased diagnosis of certain common feline conditions” in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, Cat Friendly Practices®:
- Had higher mean visits per year per patient.
- Performed diagnostic testing at 12% more clinical visits.
- Had higher annual revenue per feline patient for all visits and for visits including diagnostic testing.
- Had higher odds of patients having bloodwork or urinalysis.
- Identified a higher number of cats with clinical findings.
Additional articles and case studies can be found here.
Cat Friendly Practice® Sets You Apart
- The Cat Friendly Practice® designation is a recognized symbol of excellence.
- Creates a more calming environment and minimize stress for cats, clients, and staff.
- Belonging to a worldwide program dedicated to creating the best experience for each individual cat which demonstrates your practice’s commitment to elevating the standard of care for cats.
- Access to online marketing toolkit including CFP logos, advertising and promotional items, social media visuals, educational presentations, client resources, and more ways to help promote your designation to prospective clients.
- Exclusive ongoing access to educational resources for clients and staff.
*as reported by designated Cat Friendly Practices® from 2023 survey results.
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