American Association of Feline Practitioners

Veterinary professionals passionate about the care of cats

Veterinary Professionals

The Cat Friendly Practice® Program - Elevating Feline Care

Cat Friendly Practice Banner

Created by experienced feline practitioners, the Cat Friendly Practice® (CFP) Program is leading the worldwide movement to make veterinary care less stressful for cats and their caregivers.

Established by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the International Society for Feline Medicine (ISFM), the CFP Program is a global initiative designed to elevate care for cats by enhancing the environment and experience, as well as reducing stress for the cat, caregiver, and also the entire veterinary team.

 

 

The program consists of 10 topic areas outlined in an online self-assessment 125-point checklist. This will guide your practice in setting the standard of providing optimum feline care and achieving a CFP Silver or Gold status. Many of the techniques and criteria contained in the practice checklist are readily achievable because they focus on approach and creativity. The program does not require remodeling of your practice, but provides creative solutions for you to help decrease stress during feline care visits. The most important step is to recognize that there is a need to make these adaptations in order to provide a better experience for cats, their caregivers, and your team.  

Elevate the Delivery of Feline Care

The Cat Friendly Practice Program seeks to transform and elevate the delivery of feline veterinary care by:

  • Laying the groundwork for the delivery of care to the underserved feline population.
  • Identifying trends and baseline species information essential for understanding cats.
  • Acknowledging the essential role of the cat owner in the veterinary visit.
  • Providing support to veterinarians and their teams to create a Cat Friendly practice environment.
  • Outlining strategies for introducing changes in the delivery of care that incorporate a better understanding of the cat's distinct needs and behaviors.
  • Consider every aspect of the experience for the cat and client, and how to adjust each visit.

Survey Results

Benefits of the Cat Friendly Practice® Program* 

  • Less stress on feline patients and staff. 
  • Demonstrates how much you care about your patients.
  • Higher satisfaction among current clients. 
  • Increased staff knowledge and expertise in clinic. 
  • Highlighted practice listing on AAFP cat caregiver website
  • Gain more new feline patients. 
  • Lower reported feline-associated injuries

   

Cat Friendly Practice® Sets You Apart

  • Designation is a recognized symbol of excellence. 
  • Create a more calming environment and minimizing stress for cats, clients, and staff. 
  • Belonging to a worldwide program that is dedicated to creating the best experience for each individual cat which demonstrates your practice's commitment to elevating the standard of care for cats. 
  • Access to online marketing toolkit including CFP logos, advertising and promotional items, social media visuals, educational presentations, client resources, and more ways to help promote your designation to prospective clients.
  • Exclusive ongoing access to educational resources for clients and staff. 

 


More Information and Benefits

How to Apply

Creative Solutions

CFP Veterinary Practice Flyer

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Choose CFP?

Cat Friendly Certificate Program

CFP Veterinary Video Playlist

CFP Cat Owner Video Playlist


*as reported by designated Cat Friendly Practices® from 2022 survey results. 

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