THE team at a Northolt veterinary hospital are feeling like the cat’s whiskers after being praised for offering the best possible care to their patients.

Mandeville Veterinary Hospital in Mandeville Road received the Gold Standard Cat Friendly Clinic Award from International Cat Care, a charity dedicated to improving the care of felines.

It recognises that the hospital provides the highest standard of care for cats and that team members have been trained to minimise the stress of a visit to the vet’s for a pet and its owner.

The hospital, part of Goddard Veterinary Group, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and has been caring for pets in Northolt and beyond for more than 50 years.

It has had a £160,000 refurbishment and now boasts a cat-only waiting area.

Longer appointments are allocated to cats, to give them time to adjust to their surroundings, and the pets are encouraged to explore the consulting rooms and find a spot where they feel comfortable to be examined.

The hospital also offers a dedicated cat-only ward for in-patients, which is away from the noise of barking dogs and has cat kennels made from materials to minimise noise.

Cat forts are provided so they have a place to hide if they prefer privacy.

Veterinary nurses Zoe Langley and Leanne Flanagan are the hospital’s cat-friendly advocates and have helped train colleagues.

Zoe said: “By keeping them away from dogs and allowing them to come out of their cat carrier in their own time helps them stay relaxed.”

As a 24-hour emergency hospital, Mandeville not only offers routine appointments such as vaccinations and health checks but also has high-tech CT and ultrasound scanning.