Cat Friendly Certificate Program

The award-winning Cat Friendly Certificate Program was created for all veterinary professionals who work with and provide healthcare for cats.

About the Certificate

The Cat Friendly Certificate Program is designed to build and enhance your feline knowledge and skills so that you can learn and/or reinforce the best practices in feline healthcare. based on your individual role within a practice. The Certificate Program consists of three certificate categories based on your individual role at a veterinary practice: Cat Friendly Veterinarian^® (CFV), Cat Friendly Veterinary Professional^® (CFVP), and Cat Friendly Veterinary Advocate^® (CFVA).

The Certificate Program consists of up to nine modules that explore a variety of feline-specific topics. Completing this Certificate Program will allow you to:

Enhance your ability to fulfill caregiver and patient needs.
Build your confidence in working with cats.
Demonstrate your commitment to feline healthcare.
Increase your ability to showcase your feline expertise.
Contribute to your professional development.
Earn a Certificate that will stay with you throughout your career.

Veterinary Practice Benefits

Veterinary practices that include the Cat Friendly Certificate Program in their staff training benefit from:

Developing veterinary team talent and their understanding of cats.
Reinforcing the important role feline knowledge and understanding play in the practice.
Increasing professional development amongst the staff team, and demonstrates to clients the value and commitment you place on providing care for their cats.

The Cat Friendly Certificate Program is the winner of the 2021 ASAE Gold Circle Award and the 2021 Best in Business Award from Veterinary Medical Association Executives.

Certificate Program Details

The Cat Friendly Certificate Program has a one-time enrollment fee and does not need to be renewed. The Certificate Program is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Please Note: All certificate courses must be completed within 90 days of enrollment.

Cat Friendly Veterinarian® (CFV)

Intended for Veterinarians and Veterinary School Students.
9 Modules and 5 RACE-approved CE hours
Members: $119
Non-Members: $229
Students/Faculty: $59.50
- Free to Student Chapter Members and staff at schools with an official Student Chapter of the AAFP as part of the AAFP’s 50^th Anniversary celebration in 2024. See if your school has a Chapter here.
Multi-individual Discounts Available
- Please see FAQs.

Learn More Frequently Asked Questions

Cat Friendly Veterinary Professional® (CFVP)

Intended for Veterinary Technicians/Nurses, Students at Veterinary Technician Schools, and others who work directly with cats.
Modules and 3.5 RACE-approved CE hours
Members: $79
Non-Members: $129
Students/Faculty: $39.50
- Free to Student Chapter Members and staff at schools with an official Student Chapter of the AAFP as part of the AAFP’s 50^th Anniversary celebration in 2024. See if your school has a Chapter here.
Multi-individual Discounts Available
- Please see FAQs.

Learn More Frequently Asked Questions

Cat Friendly Veterinary Advocate® (CFVA)

Intended for practice team members including customer service representatives, front office teams, assistants, managers, and others in the veterinary industry.
4 Modules and 2 Race-approved CE hours
Members: $39
Non-Members: $69
Students/Faculty: $19.50
- Free to Student Chapter Members and staff at schools with an official Student Chapter of the AAFP as part of the AAFP’s 50^th Anniversary celebration in 2024. See if your school has a Chapter here.
Multi-individual Discounts Available
- Please see FAQs.

Learn More Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Get Started?

Select a Program Below to Register

Veterinarians Veterinary Professionals Veterinary Advocates

Cat Friendly Certificate Program Acknowledgements

The AAFP gratefully acknowledges the tireless efforts and contributions provided by Kelly St. Denis, DVM, DABVP (Feline), and Ilona Rodan, DVM, DABVP (Feline) who helped this Certificate Program come to fruition. We also deeply appreciate the assistance, review, and contribution of specific modules by Apryl Steele, DVM.

We thank the following for their help in reviewing and providing input for portions of the Certificate Program (listed alphabetically):

Ms. Alicia Artman
Dr. Hazel Carney
Dr. Audrey Cook
Dr. Lauren Demos
Dr. Robin Downing
Ms. Alison Gottlieb
Dr. Ed Kanara
Dr. Diana Lafer

Dr. Michael Lappin
Dr. Susan Little
Dr. Cathy Lund
Dr. Michelle Meyer
Dr. Kathleen Neumann
Dr. Jessica Quimby
Dr. Michael Ray
Dr. Renee Rucinsky

Dr. Patricia Shea
Dr. Andrew Sparkes
Dr. Eliza Sundahl
Dr. Dana Tatman-Lilly
Dr. Cynthia Ward
Dr. Mark Westman

Photo credits are contained within the slides of the modules

Testimonials

“The Cat Friendly Certificate Program is fantastic! Every veterinary professional can benefit from this program. It helps improve understanding of feline behavior, feline handling and the common but complex feline diseases. I would recommend this program to everyone!”

“The Cat Friendly Certificate Program should be utilized by all veterinarians regardless of years of practice. We are severely lacking in being taught these techniques and ideas in school, and we did not get a degree in dog medicine only. We should discontinue the idea that cats are the lesser species.”

“This Program provided great information on making our feline patients’ experiences calmer and safer for everyone involved. We are able to provide top of the line care tailored to the personality of each cat we see with the tools and techniques gained from the modules in these lessons.”

“This course helps break down some of the more complex principles in our profession so that we can translate it to clients effectively and efficiently. Understanding cat behavior is difficult and anything that we can do to bridge that gap will only help our patients and clients – This was a very valuable tool.”

“The Certificate Program is a fantastic, compact, efficient way to boost your knowledge of general feline handling and medical practice. Every bit of information provided is practical to our general practice setting and will greatly impact the care we able to provide for our feline patients for years to come.”

“I work in Emergency and Critical Care and sometimes it is challenging to provide a relaxing environment for our feline patients. With the help of the Cat Friendly Veterinarian^® Program, I have learned useful techniques to provide a reduced-stress environment and lead to faster recovery for our feline patients.”

“I recently completed the Cat Friendly Veterinarian^® Certificate and am very excited to implement some new protocols that will benefit my feline patients and utilize the extensive resources to help clients better understand the behavioral and health needs of their cats.”