A Vet Shares the Secrets of the Real House Cats of Orange County — And Their Owners

Courtesy of Dr. Kelly Wright

Dr. Kelly Wright of the Cat Clinic of Orange County.

The Questioner

Ask any member of my staff who our number-one client is and they'll tell you it's Margie, who has not gone an entire week without contacting us by phone, email or in person, tying up our receptionist for hours. Margie will always make herself the priority, regardless of what is happening around her. 

She has had up to 10 cats, some indoor kitties and some “strays." And our time together at each appointment consists mostly of her firing an endless list of questions at me. After each probing question, she promptly and enthusiastically agrees with my answer. “That is just what I was thinking, Dr. Kelly.” 

I have deduced that this game we play makes her feel like she's in control, that my recommendations are actually her ideas. She occasionally calls my home number, which is why I've spent more than one holiday pacing the floor with her “urgent” concerns.

She can make the staff’s hair stand on end, but despite her rough, sometimes annoying demeanor, she has a heart of gold. Now if only I could get her out of the clinic on occasion without questions about the bill . . . .

The Hypochondriac

Daphne is what I call a boomerang client, who leaves us for a little while but eventually realizes that the litter box isn’t cleaner on the other side.

When Daphne was a client many years ago, I remember strolling through the mall around Christmas while trying to talk her off the ledge regarding her latest cat crisis. I can’t say that I was sad to see her go: She never listened to my recommendations, preferring to just “talk it out.”

But things had obviously changed when her chart landed on my desk a few months ago — a chart so giant, in fact, that it needed a volume two. Well, it turns out that Daphne had been dealing with some severe health problems, which had mysteriously turned into her cat’s problems. It was uncanny how they shared symptoms.

The notes from the interim vet were extensive, to say the least. Every test had been run, and no stone had been left unturned. I dare say that the vet who copied those records felt that his prayers had been answered.

Every appointment so far has started out with what is currently wrong with Daphne: “Do you think that my eyes look yellow, Dr. Kelly?” or “I'm sorry that I was late for the appointment, but my spleen was hurting.” 

I feel sorry for Daphne, but I also feel sorry for Daphne’s cat, who has her blood glucose checked while she eats. And I especially feel sorry for my staff, because they get hourly email updates on her kitty’s current mystery symptoms. This cat lady could be any vet’s nightmare, but how lucky for us that she lives in the O.C.

Why I Love the O.C. Vet Life

I really wouldn't trade my clients and patients for anything in the world. I would take my rescuer, questioner and hypochondriac over clients who say little and make my day routine and boring.

Living in Orange County, the land where the sun always shines and the housewives lounge by the sea, my life as a cat vet is just, well, purrfect.