LAS VEGAS, Dec. 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A Las Vegas veterinarian has further demonstrated her cat clinic's reputation as an official "Cat Friendly Practice" by achieving the American Association of Feline Practitioners' Gold Certification. The certification confirms that All About Cats Veterinary Hospital meets the guidelines and standards required by the organization's Cat Friendly Practice Initiative.
"This recognition is not only an honor for us but also a great reassurance to the cat owners who rely on us for their cats' care," says Dr. Terri Koppe. "It verifies our commitment to providing a high degree of quality care for feline patients."
The AAFP serves as a driver of feline veterinary care through the establishment of practice guidelines, access to ongoing educational opportunities in the form of conferences and certifications, and the promotion of clinical research grants, clinical trials and abstracts. "A Gold Certified Cat Friendly Practice is more than just a veterinary hospital that happens to treat cats," notes Dr. Koppe. "Cat friendly practices have demonstrated that they know how to interact with cats properly and maintain an environment agreeable to cats' special needs."
The Las Vegas veterinarian explains that cats differ from dogs and other pets, not just anatomically but also in their psychological and emotional makeup. "Cats are very special patients indeed," she says. "They require a certain amount of peace and quiet, an emotionally soothing ambience that won't add stress to their veterinary visits."
She adds that a clinic that has cats combined with dogs and other pets together will inevitably end up with distressed feline patients, and owners may be less than enthusiastic about bringing them back for necessary wellness visits. She cites this as one reason the quality of feline care often lags behind that of canine care at many facilities. Dr. Koppe's cat clinic, which has served cats exclusively since its founding in 2001, went through several steps to achieve the AAFP's Gold Certification.
The Cat Friendly Practice initiative requires each veterinary hospital comply with a checklist of 10 requirements indicating the standard of feline care at that facility. Additionally, one member of a Cat Friendly Practice must be an AAFP member in good standing. At All About Cats, all three veterinarians Dr. Terri Koppe, Dr. Cathy Berquist and Dr. Alissa McCorminck continue to be members of the AAFP in good standing.
"Our cat clinic was happy to take this opportunity to review its practices and make sure that they met the optimum AAFP standards, which in turn brought us our Gold Certification," she says. "But the most important thing about it is the fact that our patients are getting the best possible care." All About Cats offers general wellness care, medical care, surgery, cat boarding, cat grooming, behavioral counseling, endoscopic procedures, dental care and other services for Las Vegas cats. Information can be found via their website http://allaboutcatsonline.com/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/allaboutcatsvethospital.