THE county's first cat clinic has opened in Worcester.

Veterinary group Severn Veterinary Centre has launched the brand new specialist practice catering exclusively for cats and called Cats@Severn Vets in Lowesmoor Wharf. It is Worcestershire’s first cat only clinic, dedicated to feline health and welfare and has been fully equipped with instruments designed specifically to treat them. Cats@Severn Vets also has its own on-site laboratory.

Royal Bank of Scotland supported the opening of the practice with a six figure funding deal. This enabled Severn Veterinary Centre to acquire the Worcester city branch of Wyre Forest Veterinary Centre that was previously located at the site and develop it into the feline only facility.

Caroline Queen, owner of Severn Veterinary Centre said: “There are a handful of feline only veterinary practices in the UK but this is the first one to open in the Worcestershire area. Cats are very different to other animals and we wanted to create a practice which caters specifically for them so that they can be cared for in an environment where they feel as safe and comfortable as possible. All of our staff are cat lovers and are extremely knowledgeable about their needs both in and outside the veterinary clinic setting. They understand how to approach and handle cats gently and with care.

“The entire practice has been designed to cater for cats inherent likes and dislikes. For example, cats have an excellent sense of smell and hearing which can make them very sensitive and is why they do not like sharing kennel spaces with dogs, even if they quite happily live with dogs at home. They are solitary animals and do not like spending time with other cats so we have designed the facility to ensure that any hospitalised patients are not in direct visual view of each other in their beds. We have also designed our spacious waiting room with shelves for the animals to sit on, as they often feel safer when high up or hiding, and have an array of cosy large beds with plenty of blankets, tables and boxes for the cats to hide under, in and around.

“We have invested a great deal in equipment specifically designed for use on cats such as specific anaesthetic, blood, x-ray and monitoring machines and surgical equipment. The support we have received from Royal Bank of Scotland has been excellent and I am thrilled with the relationship that we have developed with the bank. Our Relationship Manager Kam Sangha has worked brilliantly alongside us to ensure that we had the necessary funding in place needed to acquire the premises and develop the new facility.”

Four jobs have been created by the opening of the practice with David Godfrey, a board-certified specialist in feline practice and RCVS advanced practitioner in small animal dermatology employed by the group to provide specialist care. Cats@Severn Vets also has soft tissue and orthopaedic surgeons on site for all surgical cases and employs registered veterinary nursing staff who hold the certificate in feline practice.