Below you will find links to the newly updated and landmark Cat Friendly guidelines published in this month’s edition of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (JFMS).  The ISFM and AAFP assigned task force members have been working diligently together over the last year and a half to develop the most up to date document with regards to understanding and respecting feline emotions and applying this understanding to veterinary care. AAFP Past President Kelly St. Denis states that they have started by moving away from the terms ‘restraint’ and ‘handling’ towards ‘interactions’ with the guidance of eminent feline behaviourists Dr. Sarah Heath and Dr. Sarah Ellis, and with an understanding that our time with cats in the veterinary clinic should very much be an interaction rather than a forceful, imposed handling experience. She mentions that they have completely rewritten the original 2011 document and expanded the guidelines to include 2 main sections: Cat Friendly Interactions and Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment.  The November issue of JFMS also includes an article on 10 years of CF practice/clinics and the ISFM Cat Friendly Principles. Kelly also mentions that these pivotal guidelines will mark the foundation for feline veterinary care moving forward into the next decade and beyond.

https://catvets.com/guidelines/practice-guidelines/cat-friendly-veterinary-interaction-guidelines

https://catvets.com/guidelines/practice-guidelines/cat-friendly-veterinary-environment-guidelines