Abstract
ISFM
Making the most of ISFM practice membership
Up to five veterinarians can be listed as part of an ISFM practice membership and receive access to a range of member benefits including webinars, Clinical Club, Research Roundup and the ISFM members’ forum. In addition, a free virtual ticket for the this year’s ISFM congresses is available to every ISFM veterinary member.
In order to access all these benefits, the names and email addresses of veterinarians listed within the practice’s membership need to be correct, and these can be checked and updated by the practice’s ISFM administrator via the clinic’s membership account. For further instructions, visit:
iCatCare
Claire Bessant receives BSAVA ‘unsung hero’ award
Claire Bessant, who will be stepping down in August after 28 years as CEO of international Cat Care, the parent charity of iSFM, has been awarded the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Ray Butcher Award. Presented annually, this ‘unsung hero’ award recognises an individual who has made a significant contribution to animal welfare in the community. The award is in memory of Ray Butcher, President of the BSAVA between 1993 and 1994, who passed away in 2015.
Claire has been recognised for her time at iCatCare, previously called the Feline Advisory Bureau, which she has transformed from a small, mainly UK-based organisation focusing on breeders to an international charity with a vital role in veterinary education. During her time at iCatCare, Claire has developed the Cat Friendly Clinic programme, and has worked with breeders, cattery owners, other charities and cat owners to improve the welfare of cats. She has travelled the world over, supporting conferences, has written no fewer than 10 books on cat care, and authored and coauthored many magazine articles and papers in veterinary journals. Although not a veterinarian herself, Claire has a deep understanding of the profession, and also of others who work with cats and cat owners. She advocates for cats on many committees.
In response to receiving the award, Claire comments: ‘As a non-vet who has very much enjoyed working with vets for over 30 years, i am especially honoured to receive this award from the BSAVA. i knew and respected Ray and his work, alongside his great sense of humour and pragmatic approach to improving animal welfare. i hope he would have been pleased with what we have done to help cats. All of this work would not have been possible without the people, companies and organisations (including BSAVA) who have helped iCatCare and iSFM to grow from a small UK organisation to a charity reaching across the world to improve cat welfare.’
Nicola Martin announced as new CEO
iCatCare is delighted to announce that Nicola Martin will be joining the charity to take over from Claire Bessant, who, as mentioned above, will be retiring after 28 years as CEO.
Veterinary surgeon Nicola brings a wealth of experience to the organisation. She is currently Chief Executive of Canine Partners and is also Chair of the Trustees of Assistance Dogs. in addition, she was previously a trustee of the Animal Welfare Foundation, and the Head of Pet Health and Welfare at the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). in her position at the PDSA, Nicola helped to develop and deliver pet welfare strategic plans and veterinary services, and designed and grew the ground-breaking annual PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report in conjunction with YouGov.
Nicola comments: ‘i am thrilled to be appointed as CEO of iCatCare and look forward to working with the trustees, passionate team, and diverse and expert stakeholders to continue to improve the lives of cats worldwide. The charity has been close to my heart throughout my veterinary career and the opportunity to lead the next phase of its development is extremely exciting. Over the past 28 years, Claire and the team have worked tirelessly with all those who share iCatCare’s vision and have made significant strides forward in so many areas of feline welfare. So much has been achieved for cats, but there is still so much to be done and i look forward to taking on the baton and finding new and innovative ways to work with others to make a real difference to the mental and physical wellbeing of cats worldwide.’
Vet legacy supports work with unowned cats
iCatCare’s work with unowned cats has been given a boost by the generosity of a legacy from Tony Welsh, a retired veterinary surgeon. Many charities benefited from his generosity during his lifetime and iCatCare is very grateful to have received a legacy, after his death in 2020, specifically to focus on education regarding unowned cats.
With his legacy, iCatCare has set up the Tony Welsh Educational Fund, which will be used to develop effective and sustainable solutions to help people working with unowned cats internationally. Three new iCatCare documents to aid cat friendly decision-making will be launched in the near future thanks to the fund. Further work on the development of tailored courses and online programmes will also take place during 2022 and 2023.
AAFP
Save the date: AAFP Annual Conference
The AAFP is excited to announce that its 2022 Annual Conference will be taking place as a live hybrid event on October 27-30 in Pittsburgh PA, USA. As such, virtual attendees will be able to view live-streamed sessions in real time, and all attendees will have virtual access until the end of June 2023. In-person attendees will have an enriched experience, including access to the bustling exhibit hall, social and networking functions, and exclusive in-person sessions.
This year’s conference theme is ‘Enriching feline care & the veterinary experience - elevating the standard of feline medical care and integrating cat friendly techniques’. When thinking about being cat friendly, it is often the handling and interaction with cats that is considered; however, much of being cat friendly is also about elevating the standard of medical and surgical care that cats receive. While the conference will cover aspects of the environment, interactions, techniques and education of caregivers, it will also cover many medical topics, enabling even the most experienced participant to stay current and up to date on feline medicine topics. This conference will allow everyone, no matter what their role in the practice or their level of experience with cats, to increase their feline knowledge in order to continue to elevate the standard of care for cats.
AAFP Cat Friendly Certificate Program hits a new milestone
The Cat Friendly Certificate Program aims to build knowledge, skills and best in-clinic practices for feline care based on an individual’s role within a practice. Since its launch in September 2020, over 5000 veterinary professionals have received their certificate as either a Cat Friendly Veterinarian, Cat Friendly Veterinary Professional or Cat Friendly Veterinary Advocate. In total, more than 8000 veterinary professionals have registered for one of the three available certificates.
According to the Certificate Program survey, 98% ranked the content as good to excellent and 95% would recommend the Certificate Program to others (with 4% undecided until they are able to apply the education).
Veterinary professionals interested in learning more about the AAFP’s Cat Friendly Certificate Program, including program module descriptions, enrollment, member and multi-individual practice discounts, student and faculty discounts, and member testimonials, can visit catvets.com/certificate.
