During the last weekend of July, feline-focused veterinary professionals gathered in person and remotely for the 35th Annual Fred Scott Feline Symposium, a notable milestone for this world-renowned conference that has been hosted by the Cornell Feline Health Center since 1988.

Attendees had the opportunity to learn from leaders in their respective fields from within the Cornell community and abroad. The symposium provides attendees with a unique and fun weekend of learning, networking and connecting with friends both old and new.

Topics covered included updates on the diagnosis and treatment of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), feline communication, social needs of cats, non-insulin based therapeutics for diabetes mellitus, and normal biological variation of thyroid hormones, amongst others.

“This year’s symposium was a tour de force in feline focused veterinary education,” said Bruce Kornreich, D.V.M. ’92, Ph.D. ’05, Director of the Cornell Feline Health Center. “It also provided attendees with engaging and unique opportunities to socialize, network and learn from one another.”

Last year’s symposium was the first-ever hybrid format conference offered by the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, and the 2023 version built upon and expanded this unique experience. Based upon feedback from attendees, it is likely that all future offerings will be provided in this format.

A total of 368 attendees registered for this year’s symposium, with 93 joining us in person here in Ithaca and 275 virtual guests Zooming in from over 30 countries around the world, including Egypt, Japan, Brazil, Greece, Guatemala, Iran, Poland, Spain, Romania, Pakistan, Taiwan and Uruguay.

While the primary focus of the gathering was the sharing of knowledge and improvement of feline health, attendees also enjoyed unique social events during the weekend, including a wine and cheese reception and a catered barbeque with live music.

To unwind during this intensive weekend, in-person attendees took advantage of onsite massage therapists at our “Kneading Station,” and guests were able to enjoy both in-person and virtual yoga sessions. Another popular event was our virtual “Breakfast with Your Pets,” hosted by Dr. Kornreich on the final day of the symposium.

Attendees included veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary students, and latter group was invited to attend virtually free of charge.

One of our seasoned symposium attendees was Dr. Kathryn Stoltzfus, a member of the Cornell Feline Health Center and Symposium veteran.

“The 35th Annual Fred Scott Feline Symposium has been yet another great weekend to connect with feline practitioners from all over North America,” said Stoltzfus. “It’s an opportunity for everybody to come share our experiences as cat practitioners and to reconnect with old friends and develop new friendships. I think that's what's important and what makes this event spectacular.”

Kornreich knows that continuous growth in both content and delivery is necessary for the Fred Scott Feline Symposium to maintain its status as the preeminent conference on feline health.

“Each year we strive to improve the symposium’s offerings based upon feedback from attendees and advances in our knowledge and technology,” said Kornreich. “Our team is so happy with the way things worked this year, and very excited to continue to push the creative envelope as we plan for future symposia.”