16 May 2023
Portland Vets, which has three sites in the south-east, has converted separate a building near its Edenbridge branch into a cat-only clinic.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Portland Vets has created separate dog and cat surgeries, with the large cat ward featuring individual cat kennels.
An independent practice has set up a cat-only clinic at one of its existing branches in Kent.
Portland Vets, in Edenbridge, has effectively created separate surgeries for dogs and cats by converting a brick-built former house adjacent to its existing branch solely for feline patients.
The new cat clinic means the number of consult rooms at Edenbridge has doubled, with two in each of the buildings.
The cat building has a separate operating theatre, while it also boasts its own pharmacy, reception and car parking. New shared office space and staff rooms have also been created.
The large cat ward features individual cat kennels and the option of cat castles to allow feline patients to hide in a safe space should they need to.
Director George Christopherson said the size of the cages would allow the practice to apply for coveted International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) gold status.
He said: “We think this update in the first opinion companion animal veterinary sector is a probable first.”
Portland Vets’ site in East Grinstead, West Sussex – which is 20 minutes away – provides overnight intensive care and inpatient services, and already holds the ISFM gold standard.
The new cat clinic at Edenbridge has eight solar panels and, like the existing building, has full wheelchair access. Portland Vets also has a branch in Horley, Surrey.
