Residents of

The Cat Clinic of Norman

Oklahoma

Left-click thumbnails for enlargements (JavaScript should be enabled),
but please allow all images to load before doing so, or some may not display
(if this happens, use Refresh from your toolbar to reload the page)

Norman is situated south of Oklahoma City and is the third largest city in Oklahoma state, as well as being the home of the University of Oklahoma. It's also the home of The Cat Clinic of Norman or CCN, and we're pleased to feature their resident 'clinic cats'. Information was initially courtesy of then practice manager, Christopher Davey, in 2006.

The Clinic was founded in early 2001 by Chris's wife Dr Letrisa Miller. The first cat to be adopted, before the clinic opened, was Monster. He was a sickly kitten who was not thriving; he had bladder infections from an early age and was often in hospital. When he was brought in with a ruptured bladder, Dr Miller offered to adopt him so that he could be given the ongoing care he needed — his owners accepted the offer with some relief. It turned out that Monster had some very unusual 'plumbing'. Although outwardly a male he was actually a hermaphrodite, with some female urinogenital organs — this explained the frequent problems. Several bouts of surgery later he was much improved, growing well and behaving as a kitten should. A few months later he was the obvious first candidate to be a 'practice cat' when the clinic opened. Shortly afterwards he was entered in a cat show sponsored by a local animal shelter — and won three awards including 'best in show'! He loved all the attention.

There are still occasional medical problems, but now Monster is a favourite with clients, loves sitting on the reception desk to greet people, and given the opportunity he will even make himself comfortable in visitors' cat carriers, or try to get into the bags of cat food they buy. He can still be a 'monster' and bite if people pet him for too long — and he has been known to pee on someone's shoes!

The next practice cat, One-eyed Jack, also had his problems when very small. He was brought in, after probably having been abandoned, with a bulging, infected mass where his left eye should have been. We'll skip the details: he lost the eye, but as he was so young he's never known what it's like to have two, so he adjusted well. He's not very sociable, though; unlike Monster, he doesn't much like people, hates being petted and mostly keeps to himself — although from time to time he deigns to observe goings-on from a safe chair in the reception area.

Forrest Gimp has also lost an eye, this time the right-hand one. He came in with serious injuries and concussion from an encounter on the State Highway. Dr Miller patched him up and for some reason he reminded her of the character Forrest Gump from the movie — and because of his injuries he limped. His preferred name is TipToe, again because of the way he 'tiptoed' around the place during and after his recovery — he was very timid around other cats and most people, and always seemed to be on tiptoe! However, his shyness has now long gone and he has become an enthusiastic reception-desk lounger and front-doormat welcomer.

In 2006 the newest of the four residents was Momma Kitty, who was also quite shy and not seen much around the clinic. She's a bit of a flirt, though, and likes to cosy up to One-eyed Jack.

Details and more photos of all the cats, including other much loved residents who suffered terminal illnesses and were gently put to sleep, are to be found on two of the clinic's pages: Clinic Cats and Cat Clinic Photos, or check the site map from the home page. The clinic is also on Facebook.

Update

In late 2010 we learned that all four of the above residents were still going strong: and in addition there were three new ones! We are indebted to practice manager Wendy for supplying us with the following synopsis and photos.

'Roameo is our elderly resident, although you wouldn't know it by his quick reflexes when it comes to food! He has severe food allergies and urinary problems, so he must adhere to a strict hypoallergenic diet. This does not stop him from leaping into trash cans in search of treats. He is also quite a lap cat; his favourite people are Christina, the senior receptionist, and me: if I am gone from my desk for even a few moments, Roameo seizes the opportunity to use my computer as a napping station.

'Smoke is our resident local celebrity. He has been featured in a newspaper article and has visited the J.D. McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities. He was hit by a car a few years ago and needs a wheelchair to get around. He actually walks when in his wheelchair, but his brain does not realise he has use of his rear legs. However, this is fine with Smoke, because he loves flying through the clinic in his wheelchair, running over anything and anyone in his path! He has also been serving as a foster dad to orphaned kittens; he has fostered several litters, cleaning them, snuggling, disciplining, doing everything their mom would do except nurse them! His sweet demeanour and zest for life are an inspiration to us all.

'Our newest resident is Bella. She is a sweet girl who purrs constantly and loudly. She has taken over Dr Miller's office as her domain, and she often helps with typing, writing, and sorting paperwork. Her favourite activity besides office work is hiding in the desk drawers. She welcomes everyone who comes into 'her' office with lots of purring and snuggling.'

Connecticut Feline Medicine and Surgery, LLC

In 2011 Dr Letrisa Miller, who'd been at the Norman Cat Clinic in Oklahoma for over 10 years, sold that practice and relocated to Connecticut with her husband. In July 2012 she started a new cats-only practice there in the town of Manchester. To keep her company and help inaugurate the new project, two of the cats from Norman went with her — Monster (left) and Bella (right).

• Facebook page
• Practice website

Northeast Veterinary Clinic, El Paso, Texas

We have found a companion for the practice cats of Norman, Oklahoma at the Northeast Veterinary Clinic in El Paso, Texas. CC (for Clinic Cat) came to the clinic in late 1999 via a garbage can in which he was found with a broken elbow and a dislocated hip. Surgery was needed to fix both injuries, and while he was recovering the clinic staff fell for him and so he became official mascot of the practice.

His duties include early-morning greetings, maintaining staff morale and acting as 'official paperweight'. When not on duty he enjoys knocking things off desks, pushing buttons on the phone during calls, and entertaining patients in the hospital. He also likes to join staff during their lunch breaks, when he often takes the opportunity of having a nap. And he loves strawberries!

Recently (we think 2011 —Ed.) CC has been joined by a second 'clinic kitty', a great, younger companion for CC called Cricket (left).

This information was taken from the clinic's web page for staff, where there were some more pictures of CC. Unfortunately we received a reply to an enquiry in January 2013 that CC 'is no longer with us', and 'he was a wonderful cat'; the additional photos of CC have been removed from that page, with Cricket now the only feline representative pictured in his own right as staff. He has thus taken over as the official 'meeter and greeter', and is also said to be 'the clinic supervisor for quality food control'.