Our Codes of Conduct
Team Code of Conduct
We respect and highly value our Canberra Cat Vet clients, their family and most importantly
their cats. Cats are our life!
As a valued client, you can expect that your CCV team will:
1) Align with Canberra Cat Vet’s Accountable Behaviours, particularly Respect, Trust,
Reliability, Kindness and Communication.
2) Address you respectfully and commit to an environment free of discrimination. We
don’t judge, we only want the best for your cat, no matter who you are.
3) Stay on time to the best of our ability. We aim for less than a 10 min wait. Where
this is not possible e.g. in an emergency, we will endeavour to keep you updated of
time frames, informed of your options or we may have one of our highly trained
nurses begin your consult.
4) Work with you to assess your options if you are experiencing financial difficulty.
Again, no judgement. We aim to be flexible.
5) Provide an estimate (for your approval and signature) before commencing any
treatment or procedure. We aim to be transparent and to always communicate costs
when humanly possible. If things change, we will update you.
6) Provide recommendations regarding the health and wellbeing of your cat/s and work
collaboratively with you.
7) Be aware of the referral process where your cat/s may require specialised care. We
are not specialists. Our veterinarians are GPs with a particular interest, further
education and certification, in all things feline. We will only perform a test,
procedure or surgery that we feel competent in.
8) Abide by the Australian Veterinary Association Members Code of Professional
Conduct and the ACT Animal Welfare Act 1992 in conjunction with all other relevant
laws and regulations.
9) Care for our own health and wellbeing to provide the gold standard support and
excellence, that you expect from us.
10) Treat your cat/s as if they are our own. We know they are your family.
11) Commit to ongoing learning, development and improvement in order to uphold our
Mission: To provide excellent, trustworthy care for cats and clients in a 360-degree
supportive and compassionate workplace
12) Be honest and express this kindly. We are here for your cat.
13) Ensure that your personal information is kept confidential.
14) Always act in the best interest of your cat/s. We advocate for cats as they can not
advocate for themselves.
Client Code of Conduct
We respect and highly value our Canberra Cat Vet team—Receptionists, Veterinary Nurses,
Clinic Assistants, Nurse Assistants, Veterinarians and Directors alike. We have a duty of care
to protect them. More than that, we really care about our team. You want a physically and
mentally healthy team looking after your cat and as such, we expect our clients to act in
accordance with the following:
1. Canberra Cat Vet’s Accountable Behaviours, particularly Respect, Trust, Reliability,
Kindness and Communication.
2. Address all team members respectfully, regardless of their position within Canberra
Cat Vet.
3. Our reception team are the gatekeepers. Please respect them, they are your access
to all things Canberra Cat Vet.
4. Understand that we prioritise emergencies. Have patience as we never know what
will walk through the door. We try our hardest. One day you may have an emergency
that requires our immediate attention.
5. Be on time for your appointment. This is not only a courtesy to our team, but also to
others who have scheduled appointments after you.
6. Give at least 24 hours notice if you need to cancel your appointment so that we can
then provide care to another cat that needs it. There is currently a shortage of vets
Australia wide.
7. Always keep your cat in their carrier when visiting Canberra Cat Vet and keep them
away from other cats in the waiting area. Anxious cats are not open to meeting new
friends.
8. Be honest with our team regarding financial constraints. Our team will work with you
to assess your options. Unfortunately, veterinary services are not government
funded like human medicine and as such we need to cover our costs to pay our well
deserving team. They have families too.
9. Please accept your invoice within the agreed upon and signed estimate. Disputing
after the fact only places unnecessary stress on our team. If an estimate is not
feasible, be honest about this at the time of signing.
10. Allow a minimum of 48 hours when ordering medication and be aware that special
prescriptions incur a fee (time is needed to assess your cat’s file and avoid dispensing
errors). Our Vets often do the above in their lunch break or after hours.
11. Visit us every 6 months with your cat, to review ongoing prescription medication and
allow us to operate within the law.
12. If you send someone in your place to attend a consult, ensure that they are well
informed about your cat’s health and situation. Make sure that they can either make
decisions on your behalf or can contact you immediately for a history and consent.
13. Trust the recommendations made by our team. They are highly trained and really
care about you and your cat. Please work collaboratively with them.
14. We are here to give you and your cat excellent, trustworthy care in a compassionate
environment, and we ask that we are given the same care in return.
If your behaviour is problematic, we reserve the right to discontinue service. Together
we can lead by example, by embodying Canberra Cat Vet’s Accountable Behaviours,
particularly Respect, Trust, Reliability, Kindness and Communication.