Cat Clinic News
Announcing Our Transition to Employee Ownership!
We are delighted to announce a significant milestone in our story……
In September 2024, The Veterinary Cat Clinic officially transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
This landmark decision helps to secure the future of the clinic and ensures that our practice continues to advocate for patients, clients and staff alike and remains dedicated to upholding our high standards, and delivering the great personalised care you expect.
By giving our staff a direct stake in our future, the EOT model reinforces our core values of collaboration and excellence, rewarding the invaluable contributions of the team who quietly and compassionately advocate for your cats every single day.
This move provides a stable and secure ownership structure, guaranteeing that we can continue to be the go-to feline GP clinic in Edinburgh for many years to come.
How Employee Ownership Benefits You and Your Cat
Our transition to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) is a commitment to the long-term stability of the clinic and quality of care for your cat. This structure was chosen specifically to ensure a future for the clinic where our core values of advocacy, collaboration, compassion, fairness and excellence are kept front and centre, whilst also rewarding the invaluable contributions of the team who quietly care for your cats every single day.
For you, this means:
Introducing Employee Directors
As part of our transition to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), we are excited to introduce the two employees elected by their colleagues to sit on the Trust Board: Catriona McHardy and Claire Ferries. Both Catriona and Claire are experienced vets in the practice.
Their role as Employee Trustees tasks Cat and Claire with the responsibility of ensuring that the clinic continues to perform well for both clients, patients and employees alike - safeguarding our culture, maintaining our high standards of patient care, and guaranteeing fairness for everyone involved. It also allows them to help shape the future of the clinic.
We are proud to have Catriona and Claire representing the voice of the team in this exciting new chapter for The Veterinary Cat Clinic.
In September 2024, The Veterinary Cat Clinic officially transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
This landmark decision helps to secure the future of the clinic and ensures that our practice continues to advocate for patients, clients and staff alike and remains dedicated to upholding our high standards, and delivering the great personalised care you expect.
By giving our staff a direct stake in our future, the EOT model reinforces our core values of collaboration and excellence, rewarding the invaluable contributions of the team who quietly and compassionately advocate for your cats every single day.
This move provides a stable and secure ownership structure, guaranteeing that we can continue to be the go-to feline GP clinic in Edinburgh for many years to come.
How Employee Ownership Benefits You and Your Cat
Our transition to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) is a commitment to the long-term stability of the clinic and quality of care for your cat. This structure was chosen specifically to ensure a future for the clinic where our core values of advocacy, collaboration, compassion, fairness and excellence are kept front and centre, whilst also rewarding the invaluable contributions of the team who quietly care for your cats every single day.
For you, this means:
- Continuity of Excellence: The day-to-day operations and management will remain the same. You will continue to see the familiar faces of the team members who know your cat best and are committed to staying curious and pushing themselves to deliver the best feline medicine possible.
- A Deeper Commitment: Our team now shares in the ownership and success of the clinic. This shared sense of responsibility reinforces our culture of collaboration, hard work, and going the extra mile, ensuring that we continue to put in the time needed and step in for each other to ensure the best possible patient outcomes.
- Stable Future: The EOT model provides a highly stable ownership structure, removing any future doubts about the clinic's direction and safeguarding our mission to advocate for cats with dignity, respect, and fairness.
Introducing Employee Directors
As part of our transition to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), we are excited to introduce the two employees elected by their colleagues to sit on the Trust Board: Catriona McHardy and Claire Ferries. Both Catriona and Claire are experienced vets in the practice.
Their role as Employee Trustees tasks Cat and Claire with the responsibility of ensuring that the clinic continues to perform well for both clients, patients and employees alike - safeguarding our culture, maintaining our high standards of patient care, and guaranteeing fairness for everyone involved. It also allows them to help shape the future of the clinic.
We are proud to have Catriona and Claire representing the voice of the team in this exciting new chapter for The Veterinary Cat Clinic.
September 2025 - Clinic News
We have welcomed some key new staff members in the last few months, including:
Jo Baron - Practice Manager
Sarah Barker - Veterinary Surgeon
Jen McLaughlin - Registered Veterinary Nurse
Alima Husain - Veterinary Care Assistant
Julia Anoardo - Veterinary Receptionist
You can learn more about them on our newly updated About Us page!
We have launched a new Advice/FAQ section on our website with answers to your most commonly asked questions.
We were nominated for The Petplan Veterinary Practice of the Year! Thank you to our wonderful clients that have nominated us.
We want to celebrate 6 months since launching Nurse Consults at The Cat Clinic! We have lots more in store for our nurse clinics which we are planning on rolling out soon.
We have welcomed some key new staff members in the last few months, including:
Jo Baron - Practice Manager
Sarah Barker - Veterinary Surgeon
Jen McLaughlin - Registered Veterinary Nurse
Alima Husain - Veterinary Care Assistant
Julia Anoardo - Veterinary Receptionist
You can learn more about them on our newly updated About Us page!
We have launched a new Advice/FAQ section on our website with answers to your most commonly asked questions.
We were nominated for The Petplan Veterinary Practice of the Year! Thank you to our wonderful clients that have nominated us.
We want to celebrate 6 months since launching Nurse Consults at The Cat Clinic! We have lots more in store for our nurse clinics which we are planning on rolling out soon.
March 2025 - Staff News
We would like to welcome a few new faces in the clinic. We have a new full time vet, Dr Kirsten Davies, who you will be sure to see around the clinic. We are excited to have her capable hands with us.
Marissa Scallon joined our ranks in January 2025 as the third Registered Veterinary Nurse in the clinic. Her start has made possible positive additions to the clinic such as daily nurse consultations and additional assistance to vets in-consult. We are so lucky to have her with us.
Rosie Quinn joined us in October 2024 as a newly graduated Veterinary Care Assistant. She's proving to be a great addition to the team as she grows into her role.
We have also recently welcomed Elaine Allan as our new Veterinary Receptionist. She will be covering the reception duties of our Administration Manager, Rebekah Sutherland, while she is off on maternity leave. We are wishing Beka the best while she is on maternity and are warmly greeting capable Elaine in her stead!
We would like to welcome a few new faces in the clinic. We have a new full time vet, Dr Kirsten Davies, who you will be sure to see around the clinic. We are excited to have her capable hands with us.
Marissa Scallon joined our ranks in January 2025 as the third Registered Veterinary Nurse in the clinic. Her start has made possible positive additions to the clinic such as daily nurse consultations and additional assistance to vets in-consult. We are so lucky to have her with us.
Rosie Quinn joined us in October 2024 as a newly graduated Veterinary Care Assistant. She's proving to be a great addition to the team as she grows into her role.
We have also recently welcomed Elaine Allan as our new Veterinary Receptionist. She will be covering the reception duties of our Administration Manager, Rebekah Sutherland, while she is off on maternity leave. We are wishing Beka the best while she is on maternity and are warmly greeting capable Elaine in her stead!
May 2024 - Staff News
As of May 2024, we have had some exciting changes in The Cat Clinic. We would like to welcome Dr Shannon Street who started working with us in November 2023 and has hit the ground running. We are extremely happy to have her with us!
We would also like to welcome Bernadette Stranack, our Animal Care Assistant, who started with us back in July 2023 and Colette Chien, our receptionist, who joined us at the beginning of this year. Our team now feels even stronger and we are so happy to have them join us.
January 2022 UPDATE:
In August 2021 we welcomed our Registered Veterinary Nurse Sam Brigg. You might have seen him around in the last few months! He fits right in with the team and we love having him here.
From the end of December 2021, our vet Kirsten will be on maternity leave. We wish her all the best looking after her lovely wee boy. We are sure her other furry baby 'Douglas' will love having her home for cuddles.
Dr Steven Crowe joined the team to cover Kirsten's maternity leave in January 2022 and has hit the ground running. He has travelled all the way up from the south of England to join us and we are very excited to have him as part of the team.
In August 2021 we welcomed our Registered Veterinary Nurse Sam Brigg. You might have seen him around in the last few months! He fits right in with the team and we love having him here.
From the end of December 2021, our vet Kirsten will be on maternity leave. We wish her all the best looking after her lovely wee boy. We are sure her other furry baby 'Douglas' will love having her home for cuddles.
Dr Steven Crowe joined the team to cover Kirsten's maternity leave in January 2022 and has hit the ground running. He has travelled all the way up from the south of England to join us and we are very excited to have him as part of the team.
October 2021: Newsletter
May 2021 - Staff news
The last 12 months coping with veterinary life in a pandemic has caused much of the veterinary profession (countrywide) to re-evaluate their lives. This has had a knock on effect on staffing everywhere and we, at The Cat Clinic, have not been immune. We have lost both vets and nurses throughout the last year but have been joined by some fabulous new staff who are quickly cementing themselves as part of our close team.
- Nikki McLeod RVN -Kirsten Matheson (vet)
- Lianne Jones - Animal Care Assistant -Catriona McHardy (vet)
Leavers: Patricia Pimenta (vet), Anne Christison (maternity cover vet), Miriam Main (vet), Emma McLean (nurse).
Find out more about our new staff on our About Us page
January 2021
April 2020 - New online appointment booking, repeat prescription request and video consultation platform launched.
August 2019 - The practice has invested in the latest digital dental X-ray system allowing us to offer a much more complete dental service for your cats.
January 2019 - The Veterinary Cat Clinic has been nominated by our clients for The Petplan Veterinary Practice of the Year for the nineth consecutive year.
The last 12 months coping with veterinary life in a pandemic has caused much of the veterinary profession (countrywide) to re-evaluate their lives. This has had a knock on effect on staffing everywhere and we, at The Cat Clinic, have not been immune. We have lost both vets and nurses throughout the last year but have been joined by some fabulous new staff who are quickly cementing themselves as part of our close team.
- Nikki McLeod RVN -Kirsten Matheson (vet)
- Lianne Jones - Animal Care Assistant -Catriona McHardy (vet)
Leavers: Patricia Pimenta (vet), Anne Christison (maternity cover vet), Miriam Main (vet), Emma McLean (nurse).
Find out more about our new staff on our About Us page
January 2021
- Emma McLean (known to many as 'Emma Nurse') has left The Cat Clinic team to pursue a new challenge in the NHS. Emma was a key member of our support team for a number of years - always unflappable despite the crisis and ever organised, she will be missed.
- We've been nominated for The Petplan Veterinary Practice of the Year for the eleventh consecutive year.
April 2020 - New online appointment booking, repeat prescription request and video consultation platform launched.
August 2019 - The practice has invested in the latest digital dental X-ray system allowing us to offer a much more complete dental service for your cats.
January 2019 - The Veterinary Cat Clinic has been nominated by our clients for The Petplan Veterinary Practice of the Year for the nineth consecutive year.
October 2018 - New Rewards Scheme launched
The introduction of our new practice management system has allowed us to move to a fairer, more flexible reward scheme for our clients - still rewarding loyalty to the clinic but now allowing us to include clients right from their initial visit with their cat(s).
The introduction of our new practice management system has allowed us to move to a fairer, more flexible reward scheme for our clients - still rewarding loyalty to the clinic but now allowing us to include clients right from their initial visit with their cat(s).
Simon has announced his retirement.
Vet, Simon Pope, has announced that he will be retiring from The Cat Clinic at the end of this month (January 2018). All of the staff, and I’m sure many of the clients, will be sad to see him go. His excellent clinical and surgical skills and calm, assured manner have always been a steadying influence.
When Aileen Brown, Simon’s partner, took over The Cat Clinic in 1995 she worked hard, nurturing the fledgling business from its original shop front location in Morningside Drive and growing it steadily. By 1996, the clinic was in need of more space and the move was made to our current premises on Blackford Avenue. In 2002, Simon joined The Cat Clinic as a veterinary surgeon and soon became co-director alongside Aileen. Together they have continued to both invest in, and expand, the business ensuring that the clinic has kept abreast of modern veterinary medicine, all the while maintaining the caring, welcoming, ‘one big family’ feeling we all enjoy. Although she has continued her directorship and behind the scenes involvement in The Cat Clinic, in 2007 Aileen left to work at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.
As some of you will be aware, in February 2017, Jenny took over the business and became the sole director of The Cat Clinic. Under Simon’s watchful eye she has spent the last year learning the business side of things, and with the knowledge that the clinic is in safe hands, Simon has decided it’s time to say a fond farewell.
With a loose plan for the future which definitely involves some local animal rescue charitable work and brushing up on their scuba diving skills, I’m sure both Simon and Aileen will enjoy a more leisurely pace of life.
We wish them both well with everything in the future. Who knows, maybe we will be able to persuade them to come back to locum for us sometimes?
What next for The Cat Clinic?
The last year has been a period of transition for The Cat Clinic with the change of management, but hopefully, one that has gone almost unnoticed by you, our clients.
The faces may be changing but The Cat Clinic has always had a very stable staff structure and we are confident that the ethos of the practice, one of clinical excellence, caring and compassion, will continue as before. It will be business as usual!
Jenny is delighted to welcome Miriam Main as our new veterinary surgeon, joining us in February. Miriam has a keen interest in cats and jumped at the chance to work in a feline only environment - even to the point of uprooting her family from their current lives in Cornwall! We are sure she will be great addition to the clinic.
Vet, Simon Pope, has announced that he will be retiring from The Cat Clinic at the end of this month (January 2018). All of the staff, and I’m sure many of the clients, will be sad to see him go. His excellent clinical and surgical skills and calm, assured manner have always been a steadying influence.
When Aileen Brown, Simon’s partner, took over The Cat Clinic in 1995 she worked hard, nurturing the fledgling business from its original shop front location in Morningside Drive and growing it steadily. By 1996, the clinic was in need of more space and the move was made to our current premises on Blackford Avenue. In 2002, Simon joined The Cat Clinic as a veterinary surgeon and soon became co-director alongside Aileen. Together they have continued to both invest in, and expand, the business ensuring that the clinic has kept abreast of modern veterinary medicine, all the while maintaining the caring, welcoming, ‘one big family’ feeling we all enjoy. Although she has continued her directorship and behind the scenes involvement in The Cat Clinic, in 2007 Aileen left to work at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.
As some of you will be aware, in February 2017, Jenny took over the business and became the sole director of The Cat Clinic. Under Simon’s watchful eye she has spent the last year learning the business side of things, and with the knowledge that the clinic is in safe hands, Simon has decided it’s time to say a fond farewell.
With a loose plan for the future which definitely involves some local animal rescue charitable work and brushing up on their scuba diving skills, I’m sure both Simon and Aileen will enjoy a more leisurely pace of life.
We wish them both well with everything in the future. Who knows, maybe we will be able to persuade them to come back to locum for us sometimes?
What next for The Cat Clinic?
The last year has been a period of transition for The Cat Clinic with the change of management, but hopefully, one that has gone almost unnoticed by you, our clients.
The faces may be changing but The Cat Clinic has always had a very stable staff structure and we are confident that the ethos of the practice, one of clinical excellence, caring and compassion, will continue as before. It will be business as usual!
Jenny is delighted to welcome Miriam Main as our new veterinary surgeon, joining us in February. Miriam has a keen interest in cats and jumped at the chance to work in a feline only environment - even to the point of uprooting her family from their current lives in Cornwall! We are sure she will be great addition to the clinic.
A goodbye message from Simon and Aileen
We can’t quite believe that the time has come to step back from The Cat Clinic but when we realised that between us, we have over 60 (!!) years’ experience as vets, we felt the time was right. We're planning a bit of a break initially but we both know we'll find it difficult not to have some involvement with cats, hence our intention to see what we can do in the field of cat welfare.
We couldn't have made the business the success it is without the help and support of everyone who has worked in the clinic over the years so we would like to thank all of them, past and present. We would also like to thank all of our wonderful clients - new staff and visiting trainees frequently comment on how lovely you are! It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to have looked after your cats over the years and we’ll miss you.
It’s no surprise that we could only consider this change if we knew that the clinic was going to be in the right hands so we were delighted when Jenny took over ownership last year. We’re more than confident that Jenny and the team will take the clinic forward whilst retaining its very simple ethos – to treat the clients as you would like to be treated yourself and to treat the cats as if they were your own.
Rocky, our infamous but ageing thug of a cat, will continue to be under the care of the clinic so we may bump into old faces when we're there as clients. Far better that Rocky’s looked after by a team dedicated to up-to-date cat care than by two rusty/rusting vets!
Take care everyone and give your cats an extra special hug from us.
Simon and Aileen
We couldn't have made the business the success it is without the help and support of everyone who has worked in the clinic over the years so we would like to thank all of them, past and present. We would also like to thank all of our wonderful clients - new staff and visiting trainees frequently comment on how lovely you are! It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to have looked after your cats over the years and we’ll miss you.
It’s no surprise that we could only consider this change if we knew that the clinic was going to be in the right hands so we were delighted when Jenny took over ownership last year. We’re more than confident that Jenny and the team will take the clinic forward whilst retaining its very simple ethos – to treat the clients as you would like to be treated yourself and to treat the cats as if they were your own.
Rocky, our infamous but ageing thug of a cat, will continue to be under the care of the clinic so we may bump into old faces when we're there as clients. Far better that Rocky’s looked after by a team dedicated to up-to-date cat care than by two rusty/rusting vets!
Take care everyone and give your cats an extra special hug from us.
Simon and Aileen