Abstract
Feline day in Budapest
Every year ESFM, with the support of Hill's, holds a feline day during the ECVIM Congress to update on feline issues and to present the annual ESFM/Hill's award for outstanding contributions to feline medicine. This year in the beautiful historic city of Budapest a large audience heard talks on infectious diseases, cystitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and radioiodine treatment, chaired by ESFM President Myra Forster van Hijfte. The award winner this year was Dr Julie Levy well known from her work not just on feline infectious diseases but also her work on feline welfare.
Julie is an Assistant Professor of Small Animal Medicine at the University of Florida who joined the college's faculty in 1997. She received her DVM from the University of California-Davis in 1989 and a PhD in immunology from North Carolina State University in 1997. Julie's research and clinical interests centre on feline infectious diseases, neonatal kitten health and humane alternatives for cat population control. She is the founder of two university-based feral cat spay/neuter programs, including Operation Catnip, which have sterilised more than 10,000 cats since 1997.
Julie was presented with the award by Dr Jaak Debraekeleer from Hill's Europe (see picture).
Next year the meeting will be in Ghent (September 4 to 6) and ESFM hopes to welcome many feline orientated veterinary surgeons to the feline day which will be held on the Saturday.