Why more clinics are adopting fear-free handling for anxious cats

Many cats find the journey and the clinic stressful, which can make examinations harder and hide the signs vets need to see. Low-stress handling aims to reduce that fear from the moment the cat arrives.

Clinics taking this approach offer separate cat waiting areas, cover carriers with a towel, use calming pheromone sprays and let cats stay in the base of their carrier during the exam.

The vets in the video say the extra few minutes pay off: calmer patients are easier to examine, owners are more likely to come back for routine checks, and staff are less likely to be scratched.