Cat Friendly Clinic
Sherborne (01935 816228):
Weekday: 8:30am to 6:00pm | Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed
Yeovil (01935 474415):
Weekday: 8:30am to 6:00pm (open until 8pm Tuesday & Thursday) | Saturday: 9am to 2pm | Sunday: 9am to 12pm
We understand that cats possess unique behaviours and requirements when compared to our canine and small mammal patients.
Cats are incredibly sensitive, solitary creatures who may feel stressed and/or unsafe when away from their home territory. The journey, sights, sounds and smells associated with a visit to the vets can often have a negative impact on our cats. As an ISFM Silver Accredited Cat Friendly Clinic, at Newton Clarke Vets in Yeovil we endeavour to make your cats visit to the practice a positive and stress-free experience wherever possible.
What is a Cat Friendly Clinic?
A Cat Friendly Clinic is a veterinary practice which has been recognised and accredited by the ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine) as providing an exceptional standard of care to their feline patients.
Here at Newton Clarke Vets in Yeovil we:
- Have met certain criteria and high standards required by the ISFM enabling us to achieve a Silver Cat Friendly Clinic Accreditation.
- Recognise signs of stress, anxiety and fear in our feline patients and try to minimise anything which may induce such emotions including loud noises, smells and contact with other patients.
- Promise to approach, handle and treat your cat with understanding, gentleness and respect at all times. This means we strongly avoid heavy manual restraint and ‘scruffing’.
- Have staff who have undertaken further feline-specific education or training and have a particular interest in feline care and medicine.
- Have cat-specific facilities and equipment, including separate waiting areas for cats, blankets provided to cover baskets whilst waiting, separate cat wards, and examination tables in quiet areas away from dogs.
- Will always be happy to discuss your cats diagnosis, treatment and recovery plan with you in a sensitive manner to ensure you understand the aims and outcomes.
- Aim to keep our clinical knowledge as up to date as possible through continuing professional development (CPD).
All staff maintain a high standard of technical ability through continuous professional development.
We believe in preventative healthcare to identify behavioural and medical problems early on in their development and we believe in early intervention. This approach relies on regular examinations when we discuss the individual needs of your pet.
Whilst a Cat Friendly Clinic requires the involvement and support of all members of our team including veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, animal care assistants and receptionists, each accredited practice has at least one 'Cat Advocate'.
The Cat Advocate is an individual member of our team who promotes and ensures that cat friendly standards of care are adhered to. Our Cat Advocate is one of our Registered Veterinary Nurses, Jordan Clayton RVN, who has a keen interest in all things feline. As part of this role, she is responsible for ensuring that our practice adheres to the ISFM’s accreditation criteria and that all staff and facilities are working in a ‘felinefriendly’ manner. Our Veterinary Surgeon, Leanne is currently completing a further qualification in Feline Practice to ensure that the standard of care and treatment options available to our feline patients is being maintained to the highest possible standard. In addition to Leanne, several of our vets share a particular interest in feline medicine and surgery and all of our staff are trained to handle cats in a kind and compassionate manner.
Out-of-Hours Care
If you have an emergency outside of our opening hours you can be seen by contacting Medivet, Dorchester on 01305 262913.
For less-urgent enquiries, or if you are uncertain whether your cat needs to be seen as an emergency, our Pet Health Plan members can use our Vidivet service.
If your cat requires overnight care, you may need to transfer them to Medivet, Dorchester, where 24-hour supervision by a Vet and Nurse is available. Alternatively, they may be hospitalised at our Yeovil or Sherborne sites and receive an out-of-hours check by a Vet or Nurse. When appropriate, we will discuss these options with you to find the best solution for you and your cat.
