Low-stress feline visits move further into the veterinary mainstream

Creating low-stress veterinary visits for cats is the focus of a new April 28, 2026, dvm360 podcast and article featuring Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, and Kathryn Primm, DVM, CVPM, FCCP (Elite), who argue that feline care has shifted meaningfully toward fear-free, lower-restraint handling over the past decade. In the discussion, Primm highlights practical steps clinics can take now, including carrier training at home, asking pet parents about the trip in from the parking lot, and making sure the whole team is aligned on how cats are approached and handled. She also pushes back on the idea that low-stress feline care is too time-consuming or not financially viable, saying it becomes efficient once teams build it into routine workflows. (dvm360.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this isn’t just a client-experience story. The 2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines say reducing fear and other negative emotional states can improve feline welfare, support more reliable diagnostic testing, and increase team satisfaction and caregiver confidence. Those guidelines also note that travel, the waiting room, and the exam itself are major stress points for cats, and that about one-third of caregivers in one survey said seeing that stress discouraged future visits. Separate Cat Friendly Practice survey data from the Feline Veterinary Medical Association show practices consistently rate lower feline stress as a top benefit, alongside stronger client satisfaction and retention. (journals.sagepub.com)

What to watch: Expect continued emphasis on team-wide feline protocols, pre-visit coaching for pet parents, and clinic design changes that reduce stress before the exam even begins. (dvm360.com)