Cat-Friendly Practice

Companion Animal Hospital of Traverse City recently named a “Cat-Friendly Practice” by the American Association of Feline Practitioners

It’s an age-old question – are you a cat person, or a dog person? The public has spoken. In 2011, more than 86-million cats were owned as pets, compared to 78-million dogs. Even so, many cats never visit a Veterinarian or owners wait until they are ill to receive care. “We certainly would prefer to prevent disease in our patients and help educate clients before their cats become ill,” states Dr. Marcia Izo (Seymour) of Companion Animal Hospital. “Our feline patients live twice as long nowadays and we want that life to be the best it can be.”

Many cat owners report that the stress of transporting their pets, along with the cat’s reluctance, causes anxiety for owners and their feline friends. In fact, cats and their owners are often stressed out before they even set foot into a veterinarian’s office. Once there, many veterinarians are unsure of the best ways to handle cats and the office works in a very canine-focused environment.

Companion Animal Hospital is the first veterinary hospital in Traverse City to be officially named a “Cat Friendly Practice” by the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Qualifying for this certification involved several steps to assure the practice is sensitive to the needs of cats, educated and equipped to address their physical and behavioral needs. A Cat Friendly Practice has tailored an environment that is less stressful to cats when it comes to interaction, handling, examinations, procedures and more.

“Companion Animal Hospital is proud to have earned this distinction”, said Dr. Izo. “We are committed to providing quality care to all of our patients. When we heard about AAFP’s Cat Friendly Practice program, we knew it was something we could participate in. We already had many of the AAFP requirements in place. We’ve always worked hard to make all patients as comfortable as possible.”

Companion Animal Hospital has a special guest room dedicated to cats, actively separating them from dogs. Pets and owners will feel comfort in knowing they can have some segregation as well as confidence in a staff that is highly trained for cats.

Companion Animal Hospital actively puts the comfort of their patients and open communication with clients as top priorities. They have been serving the Traverse City and the surrounding area for the past 11-years with four Veterinarians who focus on dogs, cats, and ‘pocket pets’, such as rabbits, rats , hamsters, guinea pigs, hedgehogs and chinchillas.

Companion Animal Hospital is one of the few Northern Michigan Veterinary Hospitals that blend both traditional “Western” medicine with alternative “Eastern” medicines, such as acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic, biopuncture, diet therapy and homeopathies.

What our Clients are Saying

The staff is fantastic. They were very attentive with my newly adopted fur baby, answered all of my questions and let me know the cost of treatments and meds upfront so there were no surprises at checkout. Top notch and highly recommended!

~ Heather I.

I wouldn’t take Cody anywhere else. Dr. DeSimone and your staff are extremely knowledgeable, compassionate and caring of not only my four legged babies but their Mom as well. Thank you for everything.

~ Carol R.

Oh my goodness not sure you could have done anything differently. You all were kind, accommodating, thorough, and excellent listeners. You ALL are FABULOUS!

~ Elizabeth B.

Sumo has severe cardiovascular issues that were discovered by a very thorough DeSimone and through this, led to treatment that saved his life. Beyond excellent care. Cannot recommend highly enough.

~ Ramona C.

The doctors and tech team are so kind and compassionate. They have great bedside manner and have really mastered the idea of relaxing the environment but still being direct and clear. We brought our French lop in for a sick visit after having some respiratory issues. The staff handled both her and us with such compassion and care. They even called a few days later to ensure we weren’t having issues administering her medications and to check in. They will exclusively be our vet going forward!

~ Nicole R.

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