16-05-2025
York vet soothes cats with classical music - but Bach is banned
A veterinary practice is soothing cats with classical music.
Tower Vets, in Fulford Road in York, has been playing Classic FM to its feline inpatients.
The practice said this is part of a series of improvements to make vet visits less stressful for cats.
The music is played in the practice's new cattery, where cats await treatment or surgery.
The practice has said that Bach is banned from the playlist.
Tower Vets, part of York-based veterinary group VetPartners, has been awarded Cat-Friendly Clinic Status by the International Society of Feline Medicine in recognition of the thoughtful touches that have been made to the practice.
Senior vet and clinical lead, Vicky Weston, said: "Playing classical music is really soothing to our cat patients and helps to create a calming and relaxed environment.
"It's also soothing for our colleagues when they go into the cattery, and our patients pick up on team members being relaxed and it makes them feel comfortable.
"The cats are happier in the practice and that makes us happier, too."
The practice has also made other changes to help the cats feel more comfortable, including a separate cat-only waiting room away from the noise, sight, and smell of dogs.
Calming pheromone sprays and diffusers have been placed in feline-only areas.
Team members have undergone training on the best ways to handle cats, and the practice has appointed veterinary nurse Megan Brown and vet Hannah Reddel as cat advocates to oversee the improvements.
Vicky, who is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine, said: "Even cats that have grown up in a household with a dog can feel frightened when strange dogs are around them.
"The less contact cats have with dogs they don't know, the more comfortable they will be.
"Anything we can do to lower their stress levels makes them easier to handle and they have a better experience in the practice.
"Clients like the cat-only waiting area and feel their cats are much calmer.
"The changes we've made have created a better client experience for those owners who feel stressed bringing their cats to vets.
"It can put people off bringing their pets to the practice for important routine care if they know their cat will be upset.
"If we can make it nicer for cats, people are more likely to bring their pet in."
Tower Vets already has dog-friendly clinic status.
Tower Veterinary Group has branches across York in Acomb, Fulford Road, and Haxby.
