Who We Are
ACAT is a membership association of qualified and insured animal therapists. It provides its members with an important associating body and allows animal owners to find a practitioner that they can trust to treat their animal.
ACAT was established in 2002 to provide an associating body for students and graduates of the Institute of Complementary Animal Therapies (ICAT), a leader in the field of equine and canine massage therapy training courses. Although our history is closely associated with massage, many of our members have additional qualifications in other complementary and physical therapies so it was decided to open our membership up to practitioners with qualifications outside of massage with the aim of supporting a wider range of animal therapies.
Aims of ACAT
• To raise the profile of the profession.
• To protect and further advance the interests and working lives of our members.
• To promote good practice amongst our members.
• To set appropriate standards of training and practice .
• To provide accreditation of courses that meet ACAT standards.
• To provide continual professional development seminars/training.
• To provide the public with a register of approved practitioner members.
What is Complementary Animal Therapy?
Complementary animal therapies are any kind of physical therapy that supports and 'complements' the work of a veterinarian. Historically, ACAT has been an association for equine and canine massage therapists, but we have extended our membership to other complementary therapies including but not limited to, physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathy and other soft tissue or joint manipulative therapies as well as other healing therapies.
All complementary animal therapists, of any discipline, must adhere to the Veterinary Act 1966 and gain veterinary permission before treating an animal.
ACAT supports a wide range of complementary therapies but the roots of the association lie with equine and canine massage.
