Meet Jo, The Cat Vet

First and foremost, as you've probably guessed,  I LOVE CATS!  I’ve always had them and I just love looking after them!  ​

For as long as I can remember, my mission in life has been to make a significant difference to the quality and quantity of life of every animal that I encounter. Becoming a vet certainly helped fulfill this ambition, but after years of working in other people's busy, stressful traditional vet practices, I saw first hand what a raw deal most cats tended to get. Also, a disturbing and recurring theme seemed to appear - too many cats were missing their routine examinations because their owners either led hectic lives, had chronic illness themselves, or were too apprehensive about stressful visits to the vet in times of seemingly good health. 

"People don't care how much
​you know, until they know
how much you care".  

As a longstanding and active member of the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), I am passionate about preventing disease with regular health checks. Ideally six monthly checks are better for detecting the subtle changes seen in the early stages of disease when intervention is most likely to be beneficial. The vast majority of cats in a traditional vet clinic setting are lucky if they get a thorough yearly check up with their vaccination. I couldn't help feeling upset going to work, knowing that the cats that I saw each day hated coming into the clinic. At the same time, I knew that I was powerless to help all the cats that were not brought in to the clinic in the first place. Not the best recipe for job satisfaction!

I could see that my affinity for understanding cats and their emotional needs could be put to much better use by setting up my own cat friendly clinic... so I did! ​I have always believed that the best way to practice cat friendly routine veterinary care would be to bring it to the place where cats feel most at ease ... their own home, so naturally this had to be a vital feature. 

For me, one of the things that makes a good vet involves taking the time to genuinely care and listen to people's concerns about their cats. Sometimes it's the smallest of details about a cat's history that can have a big impact on the types of diagnoses and treatment prescribed. This whole process takes longer than a 10-15 minute appointment slot in my experience. Although cat owners had always been grateful of the time, dedication and expertise I have given to their cats at other practices, I had always longed for the freedom to go the extra mile and give that bit more. When setting up my "ideal" cat friendly practice I knew I definitely needed to offer long, unhurried appointments. 

So.... with the support of my amazing husband, ​I finally set up The Cat Vet Home Visiting Clinic. I now have the freedom to run a cat friendly vet clinic that meets my own high standards and allows me the time to go the extra mile - something all cats and their owners deserve. Now I can devote my career to genuinely making a difference to the health & well-being of each & every cat that crosses my path but of course that has meant breaking free from the traditional vet practice mould and combine my two special concepts "Cats Only" and "Home Visiting" ... which I am sure you will agree is a simply purrfect combination.

Jo Lewis BSc BVMS (Hons) MRCVS 
The Cat Vet ... and lover of all things feline ​

More about The Cat Vet

Jo's Veterinary Journey

Want to know more about my background, veterinary qualifications & experience? Read more

Meet The Feline Team

Ok so they don't exactly help with the admin or the driving, but these little feline furries provide immeasurable love and support. On good days and sad, I can always count on coming home to my own little feline fan club. As any cat lover will know, they are a great source of relaxation and contentment and most definitely have their own unique personalities.

Having plenty of cats of my own means that I am always learning something new about what makes them tick. Naturally this often leaves me pondering how I can apply these experiences to better help my feline patients and their carers. Nobody likes to take advice from someone who hasn't "been there and done that". I'm on the front line of being a cat carer and have been since I could walk, so you'll often find me referencing my own purrsonal experiences with various behaviours, foods and treatments. 

​Now, if only I could train them to make a cup of tea!

Willie  
The Wonder Cat

The Cat Vet's PA (Purrsonal Assistant), Part time Pigeon Patrol

​Will-i-am as he is affectionately called is the dominant, stubborn male in the cat family who fancies himself as a bit of a male model. He has acute hearing when it comes to the sound of a yoghurt pot being opened in a 5 mile radius. He tends not to be a fan of new people, especially those that smell of other cats or aftershave. In his spare time he's a keen volunteer for the local pigeon patrol.  His naughty name is
​"Wicked Willie".

Harriet

Costume & Makeup,
Part time Thief

Harriet likes bald men with deep voices...it's true! She really is a bit of a floozy. She is a part-time petty criminal and particularly likes to steal elastic bands & ​pretend she's caught them, yowling proudly! She also has a habit of escaping into the loft whenever the hatch is left open for more than a millisecond. Harry was previously overweight. Portion control and environmental enrichment has left her sporting her new svelte figure.

Celine

Food and beverage manager,
​Part time Chief Mouser

Celine is the quiet one in the household. She prefers dining alfresco in the warmer months and come wintertime likes to indulge in her penchant for kneading fleecy dressing gowns. Her party trick is opening doors by swinging off lever handles. When she wants some extra attention or if you come home she will often be waiting in the hallway and delicately waves her paw at you. Oh, I almost forgot her other little quirk...if she likes you, she licks you! 

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