"Who let the dogs out (woof, woof, woof, woof)"
Rapid City’s Premier Cat Loving Veterinary Hospital

Hooray! It is finally May!
There is big ,big news here at Canyon Lake Veterinary Hospital. This is sure to cause an uprising amongst the dogs and their people, but-all I have to say about that is that it is about time that cats are finally getting the attention they deserve. Drum roll please…….

Canyon Lake Veterinary Hospital is pleased to announce that starting Tuesday, May 18th we will be having cat only days on every other Tuesday. Is that great, or what? Finally I get to spend time with my kitty friends with no dogs interrupting my catversations. My staff understands that we felines are just a bit more, umm, shall we say “dignified” than our canine counterparts. We like a little more peace and quiet and like it when the doctors and staff take the time to get to know us really well. So here’s what they have put together for you and your kitties…

Feline Friendly Tuesdays
Surgery in the mornings for cats only. Our hope here is to make a stressful time for your cat(s) a little less so by eliminating the smells and sounds of dogs.

Medical appointments in the afternoons for cats only. Again, this will eliminate some of the stress of a veterinary hospital visit by taking the dog sounds and smells of dogs out of the hospital.

Cozy exam rooms for cat appointments. Our exam rooms will have mini-makeovers for our feline patients. We will have the tables covered by fresh fluffy towels (no hard cold stainless steel), there will be feather wands and other toys in the rooms for play time during the exam. There will be hide boxes in the rooms so that when the doctor is finished with the exam, your cat can go in the hide box and not be put back in the carrier. Then if there is a need to draw blood, do a test, etc, your cat will not have to be taken out of the carrier multiple times. Owners will be with the pet for as much of the exam and treatments as possible. There will be Feliway diffusers in the exam rooms and the waiting room will be sprayed with Feliway room spray several times throughout the day. Feliway is a product that contains a synthetic formula of the facial pheromones that cats produce naturally. This product is proven to calm cats and to reduce their stress level.

Carrier Cozy Package. If your cat “hates the car ride” we encourage you to stop in the day before your appointment and pick up a Carrier Cozy Package. This will include a shearling mat to put in the carrier that has been treated with Feliway spray and a new toy. You can put the mat in your carrier before you put your kitty in it for the car ride here. We will re-apply Feliway before you leave. The mat is yours to keep for a nominal fee if you choose to. You can bring it in before your next appointment and we will re-treat it for you at no charge. Studies have shown that cats are the most popular pet in America, but that they don’t get the veterinary care they need and deserve. The top reason that owners give for this is because the trip to the vet is too stressful. We recognize this and and are implementing our cozy carrier package to help alleviate the stress factor.

Extended appointment time for new pets and for new kittens. If we have never seen your cat before, we will schedule a longer appointment time for you and your pet so that we can get to know you better.

Staff that are “Catvocates”. All of our staff are feline friendly! Dr Serena Heig, Dr. Mortimer, and Dr Goodrich are all members of the American Association of Feline Practioners.

Of course, Tuesdays are not the only days that we will see your kitty. But for those of you who would like the choice to bring your pet in on a day that is “just for them” you now have that option. Many of our clients have requested this service, so we are pleased to be able to provide this.

And for you dog folks, we will see your pooches on Cat Only Tuesdays if they are sick and need our undivided attention.

Can’t wait to hear from you!
Paws up for kitties!

Bob, Chuck and the staff here at Canyon Lake Veterinary Hospital