The Evidence Behind Cat Friendly

Cat Friendly is more than a program or designation

It is an evidence-based approach to feline care that helps veterinary teams better understand cats’ unique behavioral, emotional, and medical needs while creating a more positive experience throughout the veterinary journey.

The result is better healthcare for cats, improved experiences for caregivers, greater confidence for veterinary teams, and stronger outcomes for practices.

For Cats

Cats benefit from a veterinary experience designed around their behavioral, emotional, and medical needs. Cat Friendly standards can:

Reduce fear-anxiety, and distress associated with veterinary visits^{1, 2, 4}
Support more thorough physical examinations⁵
Improve diagnostic opportunities, patient assessment, and outcomes^{2, 3, 5}
Increase detection of common feline diseases^{1, 5}
Encourage more consistent preventive care throughout life¹
Create safer, more positive healthcare experiences that make future visits easier^1,4,6

For Caregivers

Many caregivers delay or avoid veterinary visits because they believe the experience is stressful for their cat or difficult to manage. When caregivers feel supported and their cats have a better experience, they are more likely to seek care proactively rather than waiting until a problem becomes severe. Cat Friendly standards help:

Reduce transportation and visit-related stress¹
Improve the veterinary visit experience¹
Improve communication and trust^1,4
Increase willingness to return for routine and preventive care^{1, 5, 7}
Support treatment success and long-term compliance¹

For Veterinary Professionals

Working with cats should not feel unpredictable, stressful, or unsafe. Cat Friendly techniques help veterinary professionals:

Better understand feline emotions, behavior, and wellfare needs⁴
Increase confidence when working with feline patients⁴
Improve patient cooperation, care and outcomes¹
Improve team efficiency and workflow^{1, 2}
Reduce the risk of workplace injuries associated with feline handling^{1, 6, 7}
Improved communication skills for discussing feline care with caregivers¹

For Practices

Cat Friendly isn’t simply about creating a better experience. It’s also good medicine and good business. Benefits may include:

Increased utilization of feline healthcare services^{5, 7}
Stronger client retention and loyalty^{4, 7}
More complete examinations and diagnostics^{2, 5}
Earlier disease detection and treatment¹
Improved team dynamics⁴
Safer teams; reduced workers compensation claims^{6, 7}
Increased opportunities for preventive care and lifelong patient relationships¹
Increased practice revenue^{4, 5, 7}

As cat ownership continues to grow, practices that embrace feline-focused care are positioned to better meet the needs of a rapidly expanding population of cats and caregivers.

Cats play an increasingly important role in companion animal healthcare

Cats now represent a growing share of the pet population, and recent data show that feline veterinary visits are increasing even as canine visits have declined.

At the same time, many cats continue to receive less routine and preventive care than they need, creating a significant opportunity for veterinary medicine. The veterinary profession has an opportunity to close that gap and ensure cats receive the same consistent, proactive care expected for other companion animals.

CATalyst Council Veterinary Visit Forecast

Ayers J, Fortunato G, Wuhrman K, Brunt J, Hansbauer J, Crisp S, et al. Puppocalypse, Kitten Craze, and the Expectations Reset. CATalyst Council; 2026 Aug.

The challenge is not a lack of knowledge or medical advances.

Over the last decade, research has demonstrated that feline-specific approaches to handling, communication, environment, and care can improve the veterinary experience for cats, caregivers, and veterinary teams alike. Yet many practices still face barriers to implementation, and many caregivers continue to delay or avoid veterinary visits because they perceive them as stressful for their cat.

The good news is that meaningful progress does not require a complete practice transformation.

Small, practical changes, such as modifying handling techniques, reducing environmental stressors, using accurate terminology, and providing better pre-visit preparation, can have a measurable impact on visit quality, team confidence, diagnostic opportunities, and overall patient outcomes. This moment represents an important opportunity to make feline healthcare more effective, accessible, and successful for everyone involved.

Rodan I, Dowgray N, Carney HC, Carozza E, Ellis SLH, Heath S, Niel L, St Denis K, Taylor S. 2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines: Approach and Handling Techniques. J Feline Med Surg. 2022. doi:10.1177/1098612X221128760.
Moody CM, Picketts VA, Mason GJ, et al. Can you handle it? Validating negative responses to restraint in cats. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2018;204:94-100. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2018.04.012.
Furgala NM, Moody CM, Flint HE, et al. Veterinary background noise elicits fear responses in cats while freely moving in a confined space and during an examination. Behav Process. 2022;201:104712. doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104712.
Feline Veterinary Medical Association. Cat Friendly Practice® Program: 2025 survey results infographic [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2026 Sep 17]. Available from: https://catvets.com/cat-friendly/cfp/
St Denis K, Saffire A, Michael H, Drake C, Burton W. Cat Friendly Practice improves feline visits, resulting in increased laboratory testing and increased diagnosis of certain common feline conditions. J Feline Med Surg. 2023;25(11). doi:10.1177/1098612X231204199.
Cat Friendly Practice Program reduces the risk of injury. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 2022;24(7):676. doi:10.1177/1098612X221106357
10 years of Cat Friendly. J Feline Med Surg. 2022;24(7):675. doi:10.1177/1098612X221106356.