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.