Who we cite
AVMA
Also called American Veterinary Medical Association
What is the AVMA?
The AVMA, the American Veterinary Medical Association, is the main professional association for veterinarians in the United States, founded in 1863. It sets standards for veterinary schools and publishes pet care guidance for owners, which our pages cite on cold weather, warmth and the safe use of heated pet mats.
Who runs the AVMA?
The AVMA is a not-for-profit membership association run by and for veterinarians. Its history page traces it to 1863, when veterinary surgeons from several states met in New York and formed the United States Veterinary Medical Association, the body that later took the AVMA name. Today it reports more than 100,000 members, most of them practicing veterinarians, and it is governed by elected volunteer leaders and a house of delegates drawn from state and specialty groups.
What does the AVMA publish?
The AVMA publishes for two audiences. For veterinarians it runs the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Journal of Veterinary Research, and its Council on Education accredits veterinary schools. For pet owners it keeps a library of plain-language pet care pages on topics such as hot cars, cold weather, travel and disaster preparedness.
The owner pages are short and practical. They are general advice for all pets, not a plan for one cat, which is why our pages pair them with a reminder to ask your own vet.
What do our pages use from the AVMA?
Our guide to heated and self-warming cat beds draws on the AVMA's cold weather animal safety page. From it we take four points: cold weather may make some conditions such as arthritis worse; pets prefer to choose between sleeping places with more or less warmth; cats should be kept inside in cold weather; and heated pet mats should be used with caution because they can still cause burns.
The same page advises that an outdoor shelter be raised off the ground, with thick, dry bedding that is changed regularly, and that space heaters and heat lamps be avoided because of the risk of burns or fire.
How should you read AVMA guidance?
Read the AVMA's owner pages as a starting point. They describe what is safe and sensible for most pets. They do not rank products, and they do not replace an exam. If your cat seems cold, stiff or slow to get up, that is a reason to see a veterinarian rather than only to buy a warmer bed.
Questions about AVMA
What does AVMA stand for?
AVMA stands for the American Veterinary Medical Association. Our pages use the short name AVMA, and each mention links to this entry so you can see who it is. Its pet care pages for owners, rather than its journals or accreditation work, are the part our pages cite.
Does the AVMA endorse Danny's Cats?
The AVMA does not endorse Danny's Cats. We cite its published pet care guidance, and it has not reviewed or approved anything on this site or any product we list. Each page that quotes the AVMA names the exact page we used in its sources, so you can read the original yourself.
Where this comes up
Sources
- History of the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)
- Cold weather animal safety (American Veterinary Medical Association)