Welcome to our Gold-Level Cat Friendly Clinic
Through our commitment to the excellent care of cats and their owners, Kentdale Referrals has been accredited by International Care Care (iCatCare) as a Cat Friendly Clinic at the Gold Level.
At Kentdale, we understand that cats are not just small dogs! Cats not only have a different range of diseases to those of their canine cousins, but they also have different temperaments that should be handled and treated in a different way.
Bringing your cat to the Vet can be stressful for you and for your cat. Here at Kentdale Referrals in Cumbria, we do all we can to minimise the difficulties that cats and their owners may encounter when they come to see us. Our staff are trained to be aware of the needs of cats and their owners, and we have put in place feline-friendly facilities as well as ways of working to make your visit as stress-free as possible.
Our Cat Friendly Staff
- Knowledgeable Vets, Nurses and Clinical Support staff who are aware of the different needs of cats
- Cat-friendly receptionists offering advice on reducing stress during travel and for your visit
- Caring, empathetic handling of feline patients
- Feline patients are handled in a quiet, stress-free environment, away from dogs
- Veterinary and Nursing team members provide care for our feline in-patients 24 hours a day, 356 days a year.
Our Cat Friendly Facilities
- A spacious, quiet, off-street car park for stress-free transfer to the reception area
- A warm welcome at reception, with the option of a privacy cover for your cat’s basket
- A separate cat waiting area, allowing your cat to relax in their basket, out of sight of other animals
- Cat weighing scales
- A fully appointed cat ward equipped with:
- a layout that prevents sight of other cats
- igloos for privacy and to provide a higher viewpoint
- comfortable, cosy bedding
- a variety of types of cat litter
- cat-friendly toys
- privacy covers for kennel doors if needed - Isolation ward fully for hospitalisation of infectious cases
- A quiet examination room for individual, private assessment of in-patients
- State-of-the-art diagnostic and surgical facilities catering for the smaller anatomy and physiology of cats.
Meet our Cat Friendly Advocates:
Emily McHugh
Patient Care Assistant
Emily joined us at Kentdale in June 2021 after a job change from hospitality. Within the practice, she is interested in post-operative care and diagnostic imaging, particularly CT and X-rays.
Outside of work she is a photographer, having studied this at university, an avid crafter and antiquer. She has a rescue cat called Simon, who is always up to mischief in the house!
Lauren Robinson
Student Veterinary Nurse
Lauren previously studied Animal Management and progressed onto a conservation course; she aims to become a veterinary nurse in the future.
Lauren loves spending time with the animals before and after their surgeries and building relationships with them.
Out of work, Lauren enjoys spending time with her friends and family, going for walks with her dog Freddie, paddle boarding, kayaking and wild swimming! She also enjoys doing different DIY and artsy activities.
Beth Backhouse
Registered Veterinary Nurse
Beth first joined Kentdale in 2019 as a part of her university placement. Since then, she has continued studying for her Veterinary Nursing BSc (Hons) degree at Edinburgh and has recently been offered a student role in our team.
Beth’s main areas of interest include in-patient care and anaesthesia.
Outside of work, Beth spends her time ticking off the famous Wainwright mountains with her border collie Freddie and spending time with family and friends