Setting the gold standard: our journey to becoming an ISFM cat friendly clinic

As pet owners, we understand the unique needs and sensitivities of our feline friends. Cats are not just pets, they are cherished members of our families. Here at Kingsclere Veterinary Surgery, we have made it our mission to create a welcoming and stress-free environment specifically tailored to our feline patients. Today we’re proud to announce that we’ve achieved the prestigious accreditation of being an ISFM Gold Status Cat Friendly Clinic, setting the gold standard for feline care in Hampshire. We are the only practice in the Basingstoke and Newbury area to hold this certification.

From the moment you step into our practice, you’ll notice the difference. We’ve created a separate waiting area in our reception exclusively for our feline patients. Here, cats can relax away from the sights and sounds of other animals, using Pet Remedy spray and cat carrier covers helping to minimise their stress levels.


Once inside, our cat-only consultation room provides a calm and tranquil space for veterinary appointments. Designed to be welcoming and non-threatening, this room is equipped with all the necessary amenities to ensure a thorough and comfortable examination for our feline patients including a cat castle to perch or hide in.


We understand that some cats may require overnight stays which is why we provide our own out-of-hours care, meaning we are here for you and your pets 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This allows us to provide your pets with uninterrupted care by a familiar face when they need it most.


Our cattery is on a separate floor to our dog ward and is soundproofed to minimize noise disturbances, providing a peaceful and stress-free environment for our feline guests to rest and recuperate. Whenever we have a cat in residence, our cattery has cat music playing at a low volume, which is shown to decrease stress levels in clinical settings.


Other important features of our cattery include large cat condos (117x71cm) which ensure patients have plenty of space to stretch out fully and keeps litter trays separate from their food and rest area. Each condo comes with a Cats Protection Cat Castle, these provide somewhere high up for them to perch and underneath to hide and feel secure.


To closely mimic what our feline patients are used to at home, we have multiple litter tray sizes and litter types available, as well as variety of food bowls and food options too. For our playful cats, we have a range of toys and enrichment feeding options to keep them entertained.


Cats have an excellent sense of smell, so are sensitive to unfamiliar or overpowering scents, for this reason we use unscented cleaning sprays alongside our hospital grade ventilation system to remove any lingering smells. We also have specific cat-only bedding to ensure they remain free from any canine or exotic scents.  
The window in our cattery is unfrosted to allow our patients to watch the birds and trees outside and provides our patients with natural lighting. Our condo’s do not face each other as this is also important to reduce frustration or stress from watching unfamiliar cats in close proximity.


Our cattery is fully temperature controlled, with dimmable lighting to ensure the ambience encourages our patients to be relaxed. Movement in and out of the cattery would disturb our patients which is why it is fully equipped to perform clinical exams and treatments (on our silent hight-adjustable table). We also have a camera to allow for hands-off monitoring which helps up to reduce disturbing them as frequently when they are resting or if they are anxious.


We have piped oxygen to our cattery and an oxygen cage which is important as it allows us to provide oxygen therapy to any critical patients will minimal handing which can sometimes exacerbate breathing difficulties.


Other facilities in our practice that are required for Gold Cat Friendly Clinic includes; dental radiography in our dental suite, an ultrasound and radiography machine on-site, the ability to run a range of important blood, urine and tissue diagnostic tests in-house, and in-depth monitoring of all anesthetised patients.


Achieving Gold-Status ISFM accreditation is no small feat, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our team. They worked tirelessly to ensure that our practice met the rigorous standards set by the ISFM, implementing feline-friendly protocols and procedures every step of the way. Thanks to their efforts, we are proud to be one of the only independent practices in Hampshire to receive this prestigious accreditation.


We would love for you to call and book a private tour of our practice to experience the difference that an ISFM Cat Friendly Clinic can make for your cat’s health and well-being.