Cat Friendly Surgeries

At Bath Vets we are taking steps to create more 'cat friendly' veterinary clinics to make visits to us as stress-free as possible for you and your cats.

At our hospital, and at our surgery in Melksham, we have a separate cat waiting area with raised stands so that eye contact with our canine patients is minimised and the cats baskets can be placed off the floor where cats would normally seek a safe vantage point. In some of our other branch surgeries (Melksham, Beaufort and Oldfield Park) we now have dedicated Cat Clinic times so that you can make appointments knowing that the waiting room will be dog-free. Your cat will value being able to hide so it is a good idea to cover their carrier with a towel or blanket and also to line it with a familiar smelling blanket or bed from home too. If you wish to borrow a blanket/cover whilst in the waiting room then please ask our receptionists to provide one for you.

Once in the consulting room, it helps to let your cat walk out of the carrier unaided to explore the secure room with their natural curiosity. Minimal restraint is practiced and, when possible, your cat will be examined facing you, ideally sat on their own bed from your carrier, or on the non-slip rubber mat on the consulting table.

If your cat needs to spend some time hospitalised with us they will be housed in a dedicated quiet cat ward with specially designed cages arranged so that there is no threatening eye contact between the patients. Hiding boxes and bedding are provided and a Feliway pheromone plug-in is used at all times. If you would like to leave some familiar smelling bedding then that will also help them feel more secure and you are invited to visit them at pre-arranged times during their stay.