Feline-Friendly Pet Care

Gentle, Respectful, and Tailored Veterinary Care for Cats

Our team at Kippax Veterinary Hospital recognises that cats are not just small dogs—they’re unique creatures with distinct needs. That’s why we proudly offer feline-friendly care in Holt, ACT, providing a calm, low-stress environment backed by feline-specific expertise and accredited by the ISFM as Cat Friendly.

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As an accredited ISFM Cat Friendly practice, we are committed to making every visit more comfortable for your cat and more successful for you. From cat-specific waiting areas to gentle handling techniques, everything we do is designed to support feline wellbeing.

What Is Feline-Friendly Care?

Feline-friendly care means creating an environment and approach that recognises how cats experience the world. Our dedicated team uses feline-specific handling methods, communication styles, and medical protocols to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) in cats.

Key elements of our feline care approach include:

  • Separate dog and cat wards to reduce noise and scent stress
  • Cat-only consultation rooms when possible
  • Gentle restraint techniques and feline pheromone use
  • Staff trained in feline behaviour and handling
  • Diagnostic and treatment plans tailored to feline physiology and temperament
  • Quiet ‘cat hour’ period between 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm on Wednesdays, with longer appointment times available with feline-friendly veterinarians who are as crazy about your cat as you are!

Why Feline-Friendly Care Matters

Cats are incredibly sensitive to their environment. Noise, unfamiliar smells, and restraint can trigger stress responses that make it harder to perform exams, run diagnostics, and provide treatment effectively.

By reducing stress, feline-friendly care allows us to:

  • Perform more accurate assessments
  • Detect early signs of illness (which cats often hide)
  • Reduce trauma associated with vet visits
  • Build trust with both pet and owner

Better experiences at the vet mean better health outcomes over a cat’s lifetime.

What to Expect from Your Cat’s Visit

At Kippax Veterinary Hospital, your cat’s visit may include:

  1. Quiet Arrival: Let us know when you arrive. Our team may bring you straight into a consult room to avoid the waiting area.
  2. Gentle Handling: We use minimal restraint and cat-friendly techniques to reduce stress.
  3. Thorough Feline-Focused Exam: Tailored to your cat’s age, lifestyle, and health history.
  4. Comfort-First Diagnostics: Blood tests, imaging, and procedures done with feline stress levels in mind.
  5. Personalised Advice: Nutrition, behaviour, environmental enrichment, and at-home care tips to support your cat’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
  6. Ongoing Support: From kittenhood to senior care, we offer continuity and compassion at every life stage.

Our team is happy to provide advice on stress-free transport, ideal carriers, and ways to help your cat feel more at ease before their appointment.

Why Choose Kippax for
Cat Care?

  • ISFM Cat Friendly Clinic Accreditation
  • Quiet, feline-preferred environments and consult protocols
  • Compassionate, cat-savvy veterinarians and nurses
  • Decades of experience caring for cats across Holt and north-west Canberra
  • Trusted by cat lovers from Belconnen, Macgregor, Flynn, Fraser, Dunlop, and beyond
Cats may not always show it, but they benefit immensely from regular preventative and responsive care. We’re here to make those visits more manageable for both of you.
a child playing with an orange cat on a cat tree

Supporting Your Cat's Health: The Feline-Friendly Way

At Kippax Veterinary Hospital, we believe that every cat deserves care that respects their unique needs. We’re here to help your feline family member stay healthy, relaxed, and well understood—at every stage of life. Schedule their feline-friendly consultation today in Holt, ACT.