The European Society of Feline Medicine, the veterinary wing of the Feline Advisory Bureau, is changing its name and widening its scope because of a huge interest in feline information worldwide.  ESFM is morphing to ISFM – the ‘European’ becoming ‘International’. The new logo unveiled at BSAVA Congress (FAB stand 107) in April, still incorporates the familiar typeface and pink colour of the charity.  

FAB Chief Executive Claire Bessant explains, ‘The reason for the change is actually very simple and straightforward – increasingly ESFM has been attracting interest, membership and strategic partnerships with individuals and groups way beyond the confines of Europe.  For example, the veterinary cpd distance learning programme is in partnership with the University of Sydney and the society’s Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery is also the official journal of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.  While a lot of our work will remain ‘Eurocentric’, and without wishing to detract or dilute in any way from what we are doing in Europe, it seems ridiculous to disenfranchise those people outside of Europe by not embracing them fully within the organisation.’

Along with the change in name, FAB is undertaking a review of activities so that veterinary-orientated activities will all come under the ISFM branding and public/lay-orientated activities (including client information sheets) will come under a ‘fabcats’ branding.  Having just two visible brands will help to clarify the organisation’s activities.

The aims of the ISFM are to:

• Provide a worldwide resource for veterinarians on all aspects of feline health and wellbeing
• Provide resources to enable practices to develop more ‘cat friendly’ approaches
• Provide information and resources that practitioners can use with clients both in and beyond the consulting room
• Continue publishing the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery – a high quality, peer reviewed, practitioner-orientated journal
• Develop international guidelines and policies on important and relevant feline issues
• Provide conferences and other ‘continuing professional development’ (cpd) opportunities on an international scale
• Develop an internationally recognised, practitioner-orientated, post-graduate feline veterinary qualification
• Provide information and resources for veterinary nurses/technicians on feline health and welfare
• Collaborate with veterinary cat groups worldwide, where possible through ISFM National Partnerships, and to share information, expertise and knowledge of ‘best practice’.

For further information on ISFM go to www.isfm.net and for client-information sheets to www.fabcats.org.
Ends                               April 8, 2010

For further details contact Karen Bessant, FAB press officer on telephone 01380 827 142, kbessant@aol.com or from the FAB/ISFM headquarters 01747 871 872.

Attached file contains the new ISFM logo