Owner Testimonial, 1-27-25

Denise Hatin, with Dayze, Ember, and Daddy

Denise Hatin is a lifelong animal lover and current employee with Affectionately Cats who started her career here volunteering for our Vermont Spay/Neuter Clinic. Since she started with us, she has made herself a staple of the practice, and our clinics would not run the same without her. She has written the post below about three of her cats, Dayze (pronounced like “Daisy”), Cinder, and P-Daddy, and the care they received from the doctors and staff here at Affectionately Cats.

Dayze
Several years ago, Dr. Denise Long examined my senior cat Dayze, who had suddenly stopped eating. This was a HUGE sign something was wrong for Dayze, since she LOVED to eat! Dr. Long diagnosed her with possible pancreatitis and, thanks to her immediate treatment, she saved Dayze from several days of intense abdominal pain. I was incredibly thankful that Dayze did not have to go through any more pain and recovered quickly! Dr. Long listened to me, trusted my own knowledge of my cat, and responded with care and compassion.

Cinder
In Summer of 2023, my gut told me something was wrong with another one of my cats, Cinder, age 6. Dr. Long once again listened to my concerns, and suggested we run a blood test. The results of the test were considered within the “normal” range, but did not resolve Dr. Long’s concerns. Based on her experience, she recommended a full abdominal ultrasound to investigate further, which revealed signs of cancer, lymphoma. Since then, we have been treating Cinder with chemotherapy and diet changes, and now she is doing really well! She even has zoomies like she used to! I am so grateful to Dr. Long for diagnosing this when she did, and to the staff who did not hesitate to begin Cinder’s treatment right away. Each and every staff member treated me and Cinder with compassionate understanding throughout her many tests and examinations.

P-Daddy
Last June, I consulted with another of Affectionately Cats’ doctors, Dr. Elizabeth Berger, regarding a feral cat outside my home that was noticeably coughing and sneezing. I grew worried, and wanted to get him the care he needed, and potentially introduce him to the other cats in my family once he was healthy. With Dr. Berger’s guidance and suggestions, I was able to safely trap him and bring him in for an exam. Together we have been able to get P-Daddy his vaccinations, medications for his respiratory issues, and extensive dental work to significantly improve his quality of life!  We took special considerations and precautions due to Cinder’s health, and P-Daddy has slowly integrated with the rest of the family. Dr. Berger was incredible! I knew from my prior experience volunteering for the Vermont Spay/Neuter Program that Dr. Berger had extensive knowledge of feral cats, however I was still very impressed with her and her team’s handling of this senior boy, who clearly had gone through so much in his nine years of life. Now, thanks to the medical knowledge, care, and complete understanding shared among the staff at Affectionately Cats, this senior cat resides quite happily in my home.

Yes! I recommend Affectionately Cats Hospital for any and all care for your feline friends. My cats are definitely more relaxed when attending appointments here than anywhere else! I am very glad I chose to bring my cats to this veterinary hospital. They truly care about your cat!

Denise Hatin