{"id":12544,"date":"2019-10-07T12:40:04","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T08:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/?p=12544"},"modified":"2019-10-07T12:01:43","modified_gmt":"2019-10-07T08:01:43","slug":"the-cat-vet-in-dubai-inside-the-uaes-first-feline-only-clinic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/2019\/10\/07\/the-cat-vet-in-dubai-inside-the-uaes-first-feline-only-clinic\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cat Vet in Dubai: inside the UAE’s first feline-only clinic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From the moment an appointment is booked at The Cat Vet, the latest addition to Dubai\u2019s veterinary scene and the UAE\u2019s first cat-only clinic, the difference is palpable. Staff email out a series of tips \u00adowners can employ at home to make the trip in less stressful for everyone. It includes putting the cat carrier in the living room ahead of time, \u00adplacing food or a blanket inside it, and covering the carrier with a towel for the car ride to block out any upsetting stimuli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving cats room to adjust
Once at The Cat Vet, the carriers are placed on cat stands and covered with blankets, rather than being left on the floor or the counter. There is no disturbing barking or distracting panting, calming pheromones are diffused throughout the clinic and relaxing music plays in the background. Appointments are also longer, meaning the vet gathers information from owners while the cat acclimatises to its new environment. \u201cWe open the box, they come \u00adwhenever they want,\u201d says Dr \u00adRaimundo Tamagnini, a veterinarian and the clinic\u2019s founder and director.

There were several compelling reasons to open a cat-only clinic in the UAE, he adds. Everything can be purchased in smaller sizes, with less variation \u2013 so the business investment is smaller. There are many more cats in the UAE than dogs. And then there is the kicker, one many frustrated cat owners can understand: \u201cMore than 50 per cent of cats have problems with going to the vet. They don\u2019t like the environment,\u201d says Tamagnini, who studied veterinary medicine in Portugal and earned his postgraduate degree from the University of Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His new clinic even makes house calls. \u201cAlthough we have ways of reducing the stress of cats, sometimes they are so stressed, it\u2019s better to fix them at home,\u201d he says. \u201cSome people don\u2019t have a car, it\u2019s too hard in the taxi; or when it\u2019s four or five cats that all need vaccinations, it\u2019s better for one vet and a nurse to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cats form attachments, too
Cats have long been a favourite in this region. Ancient Egyptians revered them and the Prophet \u00adMohammed was reportedly a fan, too. There are many stories about his affection for cats, but as one goes, when the Prophet Mohammed found his \u00adfavourite cat, Muezza, sleeping on part of his prayer robe, he cut off the robe\u2019s sleeve rather than disturb the feline\u2019s slumber.

For years, cats have been perceived as inferior to dogs in terms of loyalty and affection, but that seems to be changing. A study conducted at Oregon State University and published in the journal Current Biology, reports that for the first time, researchers have been able to demonstrate that cats have the same attachment capabilities as children and dogs. After watching 70 kittens, the team found that 64 per cent demonstrated a \u201csecure attachment\u201d when interacting with their owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur study indicates that when cats live in a state of dependency with a human, that attachment behaviour is flexible and the majority of cats use humans as a source of comfort,\u201d says Kristyn Vitale, a researcher in the College of Agricultural Sciences Human-Animal Interaction Lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stimulating a cat is important
\nSince 2011, animal behaviourist Jackson Galaxy (real name Richard Kirchner) has starred on the Animal Planet show My Cat From Hell, armed with an encyclopedic understanding of the cat psyche, 10 years of experience working in an animal shelter and a guitar case full of toys. Galaxy has also written several bestselling books on cats and the process of \u201ccatification\u201d, which involves making cat-friendly adjustments to any home. \u201cThere are no bad cats,\u201d he\u2019s fond of saying. \u201cJust bad owners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamagnini agrees that owners don\u2019t take enough responsibility for making sure their cat is happy and challenged: there is a lot more involved in their care than putting out a dish of food and making sure the litter is clean. \u201cThey are half-wild animals,\u201d he says. \u201cDogs are much more connected with man, and being part of a family and a home, rather than cats. Cats still need to bring their intelligence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A \u201ccatified\u201d house would feature a variety of hiding places, elevated perches, steps and ladders, \u201cso they can move around; they jump and they hunt and they play and they chase\u201d. There is much that can be done, Tamagnini explains, to cater to a cat\u2019s need for adventure, challenge, affection and security. \u201cThere are people who walk their cats, who can even walk them on a leash on the street,\u201d he says.
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When owners don\u2019t take those steps, it leads to a common problem \u00adTamagnini sees in Dubai: feline obesity. \u201cThey are neutered, they live in apartments, they live very often on their own,\u201d he says. \u201cThey are not stimulated, the owner doesn\u2019t play with them. The owner doesn\u2019t bring out their natural behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why The Cat Vet\u2019s staff tries to teach owners that mealtime should be used to create a challenge for the animal. \u201cYou hide food, you have toys for them to play with, you hide it inside the toy,\u201d says Tamagnini. \u201cSo mentally and physically they are active, they have to fight and play to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owners also need to learn more about interpreting their cat\u2019s actions and verbal cues. For example, a meowing cat does not always mean a demand for food. \u201cShe very often wants to ask: \u2018Hi, how are you?\u2019,\u201d Tamagnini explains. \u201cBut she is getting food. That\u2019s a misunderstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teaching a cat tricks
\nCats are increasingly seen on social media these days demonstrating a variety of mind-boggling tricks, everything from moonwalking to pushing trolleys to giving multiple high fives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cat Vet\u2019s Dr Raimundo Tamagnini believes it would take a special combination of patient owner and willing cat to make those sorts of tricks happen. That is due to the more random nature of cats, who can\u2019t be characterised or defined by breed, as dogs can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey are very individual,\u201d he says. \u201cThey do mostly what they want, at the times that they want, with whoever they want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do want to try to teach your old cat some new tricks, there are several dedicated animal behaviourists working online who can guide you through a process called \u201cclicker training\u201d. This involves the sound of a click either made verbally, by click pen or a clicker stick, to identify a behaviour, followed by a treat for the cat as a reward. Bonus: their social media accounts beat @CatsofInstagram any day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catschool.co<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former dog-trainer Julie Posluns changed course when a black cat she named Jones turned up on her Toronto doorstep. Cue a bow tie and videos featuring a pliable Jones demonstrating an astonishing variety of tricks: his high-stepping chorus line kicks are a true highlight. Through Catschool.co, Posluns sells information booklets, special cat clickers and guide sticks and offers online support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CatBossTV<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trisha Seifried started out her career as an animal trainer at Sea World and Busch Gardens before moving on to work on dog and cat performance teams at Purina Farms, a family-friendly pet attraction in St Louis, Missouri. Her website offers programming that guides owners through a variety of behaviour training. The recent Instagram video of Chow Chow moonwalking is particularly impressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the moment an appointment is booked at The Cat Vet, the latest addition to Dubai\u2019s veterinary scene and the UAE\u2019s first cat-only clinic, the difference is palpable. Staff email out a series of tips \u00adowners can employ at home to make the trip in less stressful for everyone. It includes putting the cat carrier …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12544"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12547,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12544\/revisions\/12547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}