As a cat owner, you’d already know cats are very sensitive to their surrounds. They have exceptional hearing, sight, and smell. Their whiskers can detect even the slightest touch, and aid them to navigate in darkness. They also tend to be heat seeking (as they clearly demonstrate when the heating’s on)! Our experience as cat owners shows that cats do better when in a safe, ‘cat-friendly’ environment.

Recent research has shown that there are real physical benefits to a cat-friendly environment, too. For example, a recent study showed shelter cats that were handled gently and given daily cuddles actually had fewer upper respiratory tract infections and higher levels of immunity.¹ Another study found that cats responded favourably to classical music while under anaesthesia.² It was also demonstrated that shelter cats had reduced stress levels when given a box to hide in as environmental enrichment.³

At Melbourne Cat Vets, all our staff are specially trained in the gentle handling of cats, and will treat your cats as though they were our own. Our hospital is specifically tailored to optimize cat comfort – we have a clinic-wide climate control system, spacious custom-built cages, dimmable lights, and NO barking dogs or dog smells. We have invested in state-of-the-art warming devices such as fluid warmers and electric blankets to keep your kitties toasty. Our clinic has been purpose-built to conform to the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) Cat-Friendly Clinic guidelines.

Most of all, we all LOVE cats, which is something you won’t find in the average vet clinic! It’s safe to say that we’re all crazy cat ladies (and men) and we’re super excited to be able to meet all of your lovely feline friends!

• Gourkow, Nadine, Sara C. Hamon, and Clive JC Phillips. “Effect of gentle stroking and vocalization on behaviour, mucosal immunity and upper respiratory disease in anxious shelter cats.” Preventive veterinary medicine1 (2014): 266-275.
• Mira, Filipa, et al. “A pilot study exploring the effects of musical genres on the depth of general anaesthesia assessed by haemodynamic responses.” Journal of feline medicine and surgery (2015): 1098612X15588968.
• Kry, K., and R. Casey. “The effect of hiding enrichment on stress levels and behaviour of domestic cats (Felis sylvestris catus) in a shelter setting and the implications for adoption potential.” Animal Welfare3 (2007): 375-383.