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A Special Interest In Cats
"We've got a certain niche here that we've created," says Dr. Paul Wade. "There's no noise, no threatening dogs. Everyone here loves cats." Dr. Wade is describing The Cat Hospital he has owned in Manchester since January 1994 and the boarding facility, The Cat's Inn, which opened in 1996. Located on Route 202 near the Augusta line, The Cat Hospital is a quiet, clean, full service medical clinic that is high-tech equipped to provide dental care, all lab and x-ray work, regular and laser surgery, and in-patient care in either the hospital or isolation ward depending on the nature of the illness. "We want people to know that we're here and we take really good care of the cats that are here as if they were our own," states Dr. Wade. "If there's something we can't handle we find some one who does." The clinic takes special care in dealing with cats that are afraid and with senior cats. Although Dr. Wade's background includes a former practice in Littleton, Massachusetts working with dogs, exotic birds, and other small animals, he has a very special interest in cats. "You put a cat on an examination table and it has no outside influences from the owner," he states. Dr. Wade's interest in being a veterinarian goes back to when he was a kid in Lexington, Massachusetts. Following four years in the Air Force, he attended Boston University and Iowa State undergraduate, received his DVM from Iowa State and returned to Massachusetts to practice. In 1987, his purchase of a hunting and fishing lodge brought him to Maine. "It fit in with all my hobbies," — his hunting, fishing, boating, flying, and being a registered Maine Guide, he states of that six-year experience. When he returned to veterinary work, "I had an idea to do cats only," he says. Through dealing with cats, Dr. Wade invented the town house concept, a business he has since sold. But his own boarders can enjoy these unique six-story "condos," each with an intriguing vacation destination name: such as the Bahamas or Florida. Aside from his work and his hobbies, Dr. Wade has many organizational activities to his credit: past president of the Maine Veterinarians Association, past president of the New England Veterinarians Association, on the Board of Trustees for Unity College, participation in many nonprofit groups, a member of the Sportsmens Alliance, and founder of the Maine Chapter of the Safari International Club. | ||
