It's All About The Cat

Phoenix: Setting the Bar in Cat Care

We were so close.

Had it not been for the great cat owners of Tampa, Florida, Phoenix would have been named the number 1 cat-friendly city in the country.

On March 27th, 2009, the CATalyst Council recognized Phoenix as one of America's 2009 top 10 cat-friendly cities second to Tampa. They also recognized our very own doctor, Judy Karnia, as one of Arizona's prominent feline-only veterinarians. Dr. Karnia stood on the stage at the American Animal Hospital Association conference and gracefully congratulated Tampa for their victory. We were honored and pleased to have been recognized by the CATalyst Council.

What makes a cat-friendly city? The love and care cats receive, says the CATalyst Council. Among the criteria for choosing the top cities were number of AAHA accredited practices and number of veterinarians who are members of the Association of Feline Practitioners. The Scottsdale Cat Clinic is proud to be members of both.

The CATalyst Council is a national initiative to champion the cat in light of troubling statistics released by the AVMA. They are comprised of animal health and welfare organizations. Their purpose addresses the desire to change society's image of cats as aloof creatures, not in need of human contact or care. Recent data suggests that cats truly are America's number one companion according to the AVMA U.S. PetOwnership & Demographics Sourcebook. The number of cats owned (81.7 million) outnumbers that of canines (72 million) by nearly 10 million amoung the pet-owning public. Unfortunately with this rise in the cat population we've also seen visits to the veterinarian fall some 11 percent between 2001 and 2006. Overcrowded animal shelters are also seeing more cats given up than their canine cousins.

The 'vision' of the CATalyst Council is to raise the level of care and welfare of cats by cat owners. To ensure that cats receive the proper care and attention they need and deserve the council is reaching out to all parties - the pet healthcare community, shelter and welfare organizations, government, commercial groups and the public.

Working together, the CATalyst Council intends to make a difference in the way the United States sees and experiences cats. Phoenix is helping set the bar for other cities showing how they love and care for their cats.

To learn more about the organization click here: CATalyst Council