AAFP and ISFM Feline-Friendly Handling Guidelines
Abstract
Social behavior and communication
Feline behavior concepts
Recognizing anxiety and fear
Cats often respond to confrontation by avoidance or hiding …
Preparing client and cat for the veterinary visit
… Allowing cats to feel hidden while they are at the veterinary practice may facilitate handling.
Carriers provide safety for both client and cat during transport, and often give a cat a sense of security.
Training the cat to use the carrier
The goal is for the cat to enter the carrier voluntarily.
Getting an unwilling cat into the carrier
Transporting the carrier in a vehicle
Preparing the practice environment
Setting the stage
Waiting room/reception area
Exam/consulting room
Cat cages in the veterinary practice
Interacting with the cat in the veterinary practice
Preparing to greet the cat
Think ‘Go slow to go fast.’ For most cats, using a slow approach is more efficient in achieving the results you want.
Opening the carrier and accessing the cat
Recognizing and responding to cat signals
Performing the exam and working with the cat
Minimizing the stress of medical procedures
The panel does not condone lifting the cat or suspending its body weight with a scruffing technique.
Techniques for working with fearful or aggressive cats
Pre-visit techniques
Indications for chemical restraint
Fear is the most common cause of aggression in cats at the veterinary practice. Learn to recognize early signs and take steps to reduce or prevent escalation of fear.
Working with the cat at the practice
Going home
General tips for reducing inter-cat aggression at home
Where there is no history of aggression
Where aggression is a potential concern
Information resource | URL |
---|---|
American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP)
•
Client area with links to medical explanations and management strategies
•
Veterinary guidelines (eg, senior care, life stages, vaccination, pain management)
|
www.catvets.com |
American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists
•
List of anesthesiologist consultants
|
www.acva.org |
Catalyst Council
•
Videos about taking your cat to the veterinarian, and cat carrier training
•
Health care information
|
|
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
•
Cornell Feline Health Center videos demonstrate acclimating a cat to accept procedures such as brushing teeth, giving medication, trimming nails, taking temperature. Techniques can be adapted to other areas that may not be covered in the videos
|
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/pet/cats |
Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB)
•
Information for cat owners and breeders about feline medical concerns, behavior issues and environmental needs
•
Tips on giving pills or liquid to cats
|
www.fabcats.org > advice > owners > general cat care > medicating your cat
|
International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM)
•
Veterinary information formerly on the Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) website, including ‘Cat friendly practice'
|
www.isfm.net |
Ohio State University — Indoor Pet Initiative
•
Comprehensive information helping owners and veterinarians understand the behavior and environmental requirements of the pet cat and offering strategies to facilitate providing a lifestyle less likely to result in stress-related disease
|
http://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats |
Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia Support Group
•
Details about specific medications
•
Medication protocols
|
Further resources for veterinary teams and/or clients
Websites and online information
Client reading
Acknowledgments
Footnotes
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
Cite article
Cite article
Cite article
Download to reference manager
If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice
Information, rights and permissions
Information
Published In
Authors
Metrics and citations
Metrics
Journals metrics
This article was published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.
VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICSArticle usage*
Total views and downloads: 79195
*Article usage tracking started in December 2016
Altmetric
See the impact this article is making through the number of times it’s been read, and the Altmetric Score.
Learn more about the Altmetric Scores
Articles citing this one
Receive email alerts when this article is cited
Web of Science: 117 view articles Opens in new tab
Crossref: 165
-
The Influence of Noise Level on the Stress Response of Hospitalized Ca...
-
The domestic cat
-
Cross-sectional study of perceptions of competence and confidence in f...
-
Impact of stress on the tear production of healthy cats
-
Owner Perspectives of Cat Handling Techniques Used in the Veterinary C...
-
Advice on cat behavior in German veterinary practices:Expectations of ...
-
Reducing fear, anxiety, and stress in veterinary clinics
-
Profile of 5213 owners and perceptions about feline care and veterinar...
-
A Comparison of the Intrarectal and Intramuscular Effects of a Dexmede...
-
Cat owners’ disenfranchised guilt and its predictive value on owners’ ...
-
Construct validity, responsiveness and reliability of the Feline Grima...
-
Cat Friendly Practice improves feline visits, resulting in increased l...
-
Integrating Communication Skills, Awareness of Self and Others, and Re...
-
The identification and management of feline conjunctivitis
-
Effect of audible static on blood pressure measurement by Doppler ultr...
-
Why some canine and feline blood donors do not make the cut: A cohort ...
-
Are professionals receiving sufficient training in ‘feline friendly’ t...
-
2022 WSAVA guidelines for the recognition,...
-
Pain in Pets: Beyond Physiology
-
Feline stress management during air travel: a multimodal approach
-
Herangehensweise an den Katzenpatienten: Allgemeine und dermatologisch...
-
Effectiveness of transdermal fluralaner in the treatment of Lynxacarus...
-
Evaluation of the effects of gabapentin on the physiologic and echocar...
-
Cats in the Clinic
-
Preventing Behavior Problems in Domestic Cats
-
Continuing the ‘cat friendly’ evolution
-
2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines: Approac...
-
Effect of mineral oil as a lubricant to collect feces from cats for mi...
-
Common Technical Procedures in the ER
-
Effect of a synthetic feline facial pheromone product on stress during...
-
Perception of stress in cats by German cat owners and influencing fact...
-
Handling Shelter Cats
-
Is Methylprednisolone Acetate-Related Insulin Resistance Preventable i...
-
Pharmacokinetics of single and repeated oral doses of pregabalin oral ...
-
Hematological Parameters from the Feline Blood Donor to the Blood Unit...
-
2022 ISFM Consensus Guidelines on Management of the Inappetent Hospita...
-
Cat Friendly Practice Program reduces the risk of injury
-
Feline blood donation adverse reactions: classification and descriptio...
-
The efficacy of pinch-induced behavioral inhibition (clip restraint) i...
-
Prevalence, association with systemic inflammatory response syndrome a...
-
Evaluation of the Attitudes and Confidence of Veterinary Undergraduate...
-
2022 ISFM Consensus Guidelines on the Management of Acute Pain in Cats
-
Development of an ethogram/guide for identifying feline emotions: a ne...
-
Clinical evaluation of the effects of a single oral dose of gabapentin...
-
Comparative Assessment of Heart Rate Variability Obtained via Ambulato...
-
Evaluation of hair and nail cortisol concentrations and associations w...
-
Human sporotrichosis outbreak caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis in a v...
-
Dental Patient Welfare
-
Outreach Medicine as an Experiential Teaching Tool to Improve Veterina...
-
Providing Humans With Practical, Best Practice Handling Guidelines Dur...
-
2021 AAFP Feline Senior Care Guidelines
-
Effects of Pre-Anesthesia Anxiety on Propofol Induction Dose in Cats
-
The Welfare Concerns of Heritable Dental Diseases
-
Sedative effects of acepromazine in combination with nalbuphine or but...
-
The impact of a stress‐reducing protocol on the quality of pre‐anaesth...
-
Design and Validation of a Simulator for Feline Cephalic Vein Cannulat...
-
Concepts and Prospects
-
Hospital Team Considerations
-
A cross-sectional survey of UK veterinary practices to determine preva...
-
Evaluation of clinical examination location on stress in cats: a rando...
-
Effects of Waiting Room and Feline Facial Pheromone Experience on Bloo...
-
2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines
-
Influence of clinical setting and cat characteristics on indirectly me...
-
Efficacy of Oral Sarolaner for the Treatment of Feline Otodectic Mange
-
2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines*
-
Evaluation of a stimulus attenuation strategy to reduce stress in hosp...
-
Factors influencing stress and fear-related behaviour of cats during v...
-
A Review on Mitigating Fear and Aggression in Dogs and Cats in a Veter...
-
Dos and don'ts for reducing feline anxiety in the veterinary environme...
-
Efficacy of oral sarolaner against Lynxacarus radovskyi ...
-
Over the reception desk: advice for creating a positive practice exper...
-
2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines
-
2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines*
-
Surgical and Behavioral Relationships With Welfare
-
Nursing the feline polyneuropathy patient
-
World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Dental Guidelines
-
Literature review on the handling and restraint of cats in practice an...
-
Cross-sectional survey of cat handling practices in veterinary clinics...
-
Development and Validation of a Feline Medial Saphenous Venipuncture M...
-
Effects of dexmedetomidine on glucose homeostasis in healthy cats
-
Getting a grip: cats respond negatively to scruffing and clips
-
Urinary tract infection and subclinical bacteriuria in cats: a clinica...
-
Approach to the Feline Patient: General and Dermatological Examination
-
Prevalence of 17 feline behavioral problems and relevant factors of ea...
-
Evaluation of Antioxidant Supplementation on Redox Unbalance in Hypert...
-
Stress and anxiety implications on long-term patients — nursing consid...
-
A blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the safety of oclac...
-
Redox unbalance in the hyperthyroid cat: a comparison with healthy and...
-
Efficacy of afoxolaner in the flea control in experimentally infested ...
-
Veterinary Professionals’ Understanding of Common Feline Behavioural P...
-
2019 AAFP Feline Zoonoses Guidelines
-
Humans can identify cats’ affective states from subtle facial expressi...
-
Tachycardia
-
Clinical Practice Guidelines: An Opinion of the Legal Implication to V...
-
Chronic pain in cats: Recent advances in clinical assessment
-
Attitudes of veterinarians and veterinary students to recommendations ...
-
2019 AAHA Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats*
-
Environmental methods used by veterinary centres to reduce stress of c...
-
Acute pain in cats: Recent advances in clinical assessment
-
Cats ( Felis silvestris catus )
-
Does the Feline Fort ® reduce stress in fe...
-
Pet owners’ perceptions of veterinary safety practices
-
Carrier training cats reduces stress on transport to a veterinary prac...
-
Setting up a cat friendly clinic
-
AAFP Feline Anesthesia Guidelines
-
Managing the Aggressive Patient
-
Better veterinary visits – working towards a patient-friendly practice
-
Behavioral awareness in the feline consultation: Understanding physica...
-
Efficacy of afoxolaner in the treatment of otodectic mange in naturall...
-
Evaluation of a canine and feline behavioural welfare assessment tool ...
-
Simple technique for aiding thoracic CT scanning of cats without gener...
-
Clinical Evaluation of the Feline Neurologic Patient
-
Rehabilitation of the feline patient: physiotherapy treatment as part ...
-
Minimising Stress for Patients in the Veterinary Hospital: Why It Is I...
-
Handling, Restraint, and Preanesthetic Assessment
-
Retrospective evaluation of unexpected events during collection of blo...
-
Effect of different types of classical music played at a veterinary ho...
-
How Recognition and Response to a Patient's Body Language and Behaviou...
-
A patient care report of a feline with newly diagnosed diabetes mellit...
-
A look at chronic pain in cats
-
Evaluation of environment and a feline facial pheromone analogue on ph...
-
Assessing stress in dogs during a visit to the veterinary clinic: Corr...
-
Improving the feline veterinary consultation: the usefulness of Feliwa...
-
Guardians' Perceptions of Cats' Welfare and Behavior Regarding Visitin...
-
Telephone survey to investigate relationships between onychectomy or o...
-
The Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ 2016 Veterinary Medical Care...
-
Use of oral trazodone for sedation in cats: a pilot study
-
Empathy towards animals and belief in animal-human-continuity in Itali...
-
Geriatric cats: care within the veterinary practice
-
Cat handling and associated stress: a clinical nursing perspective
-
Pinch-induced behavioural inhibition (clipthesia) as a restraint metho...
-
A survey of animal welfare experts and practicing veterinarians to ide...
-
Kitten Nurseries
-
Environmental Strategies to Promote Health and Wellness
-
Anesthetic-Related Morbidity and Mortality in Cats
-
Feline Anxiety and Fear-Related Disorders
-
Stress as a Risk Factor for Disease
-
Acute Pain and Behavior
-
Use of Pheromones in Feline Practice
-
Handling the Challenging Cat
-
Comparison of stress exhibited by cats examined in a clinic versus a h...
-
The influence of body region, handler familiarity and order of region ...
-
Assessment of the responsiveness of the Cats' Assessment Tool for Card...
-
To feed or not to feed: Counterconditioning in the veterinary clinic
-
2015 AAHA Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines*
-
Feline intake and assessment
-
Comparative Anesthesia and Analgesia of Dogs and Cats
-
2015 AAHA/AAFP Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats
-
Biology and Diseases of Cats
-
Sedative effects of intramuscular alfaxalone administered to cats
-
Evidence-based approaches to reducing in-patient stress – Part 2: Synt...
-
Behavioural considerations in veterinary practice
-
Anaesthesia of the cat
-
Cats in the practice
-
Evidence-based approaches to reducing in-patient stress — Part 3: How ...
-
Animal Behavior Case of the Month
-
Treatment and Assessment of Chronic Pain in Cats
-
Handling the ‘challenging’ cat
-
Developing cat‐friendly clinics
-
The Flat Cat...
-
Stress and Pheromonatherapy in the Veterinary Clinic
-
Letters to the Editor
-
Nursing care – the art of healing
-
AAFP and ISFM Feline-Friendly Nursing Care Guidelines
-
Restraint
Figures and tables
Figures & Media
Tables
View Options
View options
PDF/ePub
View PDF/ePubGet access
Access options
If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:
loading institutional access options
AAFP and ISFM members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.
AAFP and ISFM members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.
Alternatively, view purchase options below:
Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.
Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.