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Perth Cat Hospital, West Leederville, WA
Designing Perth’s First Cat-Only Veterinary Hospital
Perth Cat Hospital was founded on a clear and ambitious vision: to create Western Australia’s first veterinary hospital designed exclusively for cats.
Director and Principal Veterinarian, Dr Martine van Boeijen, partnered with Therian to address a long-standing challenge in veterinary care — the stress and anxiety cats often experience in traditional mixed-species clinics.
Therian was engaged to deliver both concept and detailed architectural design for the transformation of an existing single-level medical centre in West Leederville into a purpose-built feline hospital. From the outset, the brief centred on low-stress handling principles, feline behavioural needs, and the creation of a calm, welcoming environment for both cats and their owners.
“Opening the first, exclusively cat-only veterinary hospital in Perth has been a career-long aspiration of mine. It was paramount to me that my hospital was designed by architects who understood the unique needs of cats and could design it with a unique point of difference. The team at Therian shared my enthusiasm and passion, and with their extensive industry knowledge and understanding of low-stress housing for cats we were able to create my dream hospital.
– Dr Martine van Boeijen, Director & Principal Veterinarian, Perth Cat Hospital
Architecture Designed Around Feline Behaviour
Cats are uniquely sensitive to their surroundings. As both prey and predator, their instinctive fight-or-flight response can be triggered easily in unfamiliar environments — particularly those filled with the sights, sounds and smells of dogs.
With this in mind, the architectural team used the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) Gold Standards for Cat Friendly Clinics as the foundation for the hospital’s design, intentionally removing common stressors wherever possible.
The layout was carefully planned to prioritise feline comfort, safety and recovery, incorporating:
- A quiet, low-stimulus ward
- A dedicated isolation ward for contagious patients
- A purpose-designed intensive care area for close monitoring of critical cases
- Clear zoning to minimise noise, odours and cross-traffic
- Boarding facilities that support natural feline behaviours — play, perching and rest
Every element of the hospital has been created exclusively for cats. The result is a calmer, more controlled clinical environment that supports better patient outcomes while reducing stress for both cats and their owners.
Specialist Equipment & Cat-Only Housing Solutions
Once construction was complete, Therian delivered a comprehensive equipment and animal housing fit-out throughout the hospital. This included multiple models of Therian Ventilated Cat Condos, selected for their ability to reduce airborne illness and disease while providing a comfortable, secure environment for cats during short- and long-term stays.
The hospital wards and “cat hotel” for longer stay patients, feature our Therian Ventilated Cat Condos that were designed with industry and behaviour experts for cats’ natural behaviours. Each condo incorporates vertical space for perching, along with a separate ensuite litter area to provide privacy and hygiene — important elements of feline behaviour and wellbeing.
Therian also supplied and installed:
- Fibreglass cages throughout wards and care areas
- A custom L-shaped island workstation forming the central hub of the treatment room
- Cut-away wet procedure tables in treatment areas
- Cut-away exam tables in consultation rooms
- And more.
Together, these elements support efficient clinical workflows while maintaining a calm, low-stress environment for feline patients. By integrating feline-specific architectural and equipment design, the hospital optimises recovery outcomes and significantly reduces stress for cats in care.
A Hospital Designed for Long-Term Success
The Perth Cat Hospital project was the result of more than twelve months of planning and collaboration, ensuring every detail aligned with the hospital’s feline-first philosophy. The outcome is a facility that delivers exceptional clinical care and helps foster greater confidence and comfort for owners bringing their cats in for treatment.
Since opening, the practice has flourished. Perth Cat Hospital has achieved Gold Level ISFM Cat Friendly Practice accreditation — the highest level attainable — and has been recognised with a Telstra Business Award for Emerging and Energised Businesses (WA).
“My practice has flourished since opening only a few years ago and has been awarded a Gold Level ISFM Cat Friendly Practice. We have also won a Telstra Business Award for Emerging and Energised businesses for Western Australia. None of this would have been possible without having an outstanding and impressive facility and I am so grateful to Therian for helping me achieve this.”
– Dr Martine van Boeijen, Director & Principal Veterinarian, Perth Cat Hospital
A Feline-First Benchmark in Veterinary Design
Perth Cat Hospital sets a new benchmark for feline-only care in Australia — demonstrating how thoughtful architecture and specialist equipment can transform the clinical experience.
Therian is proud to have partnered with Dr Martine and her team to realise this vision, creating a hospital where cats are treated with respect, compassion and considered care from the moment they arrive.
Planning a new veterinary facility or refurbishing your existing practice? Contact Therian’s specialist architecture and equipment team to discover how feline-first, low-stress design can elevate patient care and practice performance.
Project Details
DATE
February 15th, 2017
CLIENT
Perth Cat Hospital
PROJECT TYPE
New Veterinary Hospital
ARCHITECT
Therian
SIZE
230m²
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