4 Oct 2023
Small animal hospital in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, gains International Society of Feline Medicine’s top award following efforts led by RVN Molly Parkinson.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Hospital clinician Steven Gibbs and RVN Molly Parkinson.
A small animal specialist referral hospital has had golden celebrations after hitting the heights as a cat-friendly practice.
Swift Referrals – based in Wetherby, West Yorkshire – has been awarded gold cat-friendly status under the International Society for Feline Medicine (ISFM) initiative.
RVN Molly Parkinson had been a strong advocate of feline patients for some time and worked hard to ensure that the practice made the standard to achieve gold status.
Miss Parkinson said: “Achieving this award meant we had to look closely at our hospital and make changes to ensure high quality of care and provide best possible facilities for our feline patients.”
Swift already had separate cat and dog wards, and waiting area booths, but the practice now has a dedicated consult room for feline patients, while longer appointment times have also been introduced so cats have longer to roam and become accustomed to the practice environment.
Staff also undertook refresher training in feline patient handling and behaviour management to ensure best practice is achieved, and much effort has been put into environmental enrichment and mental stimulation. Toys, feeding puzzles, background music, pheromone therapy, cat hides, larger kennels, and separate bedding and blankets all feature.
Clinical nurse manager Cheryl Murray said “Achieving gold standard in this award shows how we at Swift work hard to always be aiming towards best standard of care for all our patients.”
The status is the latest advancement for a team that provides multidisciplinary referrals in internal medicine, soft tissue, orthopaedics and neurology. The practice said it “boasts world-class facilities”, including on-site CT and MRI, and a 24/7 dedicated intensive care unit.
