An animal eye hospital has achieved "cat-friendly clinic" (CFC) status at all its practices.

Veterinary Vision, which has centres in Cumbria, Lancashire, Sunderland, and Glasgow, has been recognised by the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) for its "exceptional levels of expertise and compassion" for cats.

The Penrith and Bamber Bridge clinics have been awarded gold-level status, while the Sunderland and Newton Mearns centres have achieved silver.

Chris Dixon, clinical director at Veterinary Vision, said: "I am incredibly proud of all four sites and the veterinary nursing teams for their dedication to our feline patients.

"These ISFM accreditations reflect our ongoing commitment to providing the utmost care for cats, together with implementing best practices in ophthalmology.

"Cat-friendly clinic status is a true demonstration of the hard work and passion of all our staff at our sites in northern England and Scotland."

The practice's "cat advocates", who have played a key role in achieving the accreditation, were nurses Louise Redmond at Bamber Bridge, Bex Martin at Penrith, Michelle Stevens at Sunderland, and Melanie Gray at Glasgow, while Lottie Helm helped Bamber Bridge and Sunderland gain their accreditations.

The Penrith and Bamber Bridge clinics achieved gold-level status by having cat hospitalisation facilities.

All four sites have separate cat waiting rooms and consultation rooms, while cat cages are covered to help calm the patient.

Vets and nurses also complete specific ophthalmology training, and team members are trained in the gentle handling of feline patients.

The ISFM launched the cat-friendly clinic initiative to encourage veterinary clinics to make changes to improve the welfare of cats in their care.

Veterinary Vision has a team of 15 ophthalmologists offering a dedicated referral service for cases from across the UK.