By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
Craven Animal hospital is excited to announce Craven County’s first exclusive feline only veterinary hospital, opening in September 2022! The new 6,000 square foot facility, located at 4605 Old Cherry Point Rd between New Bern and Havelock, features an open lobby, four exam rooms, a large treatment area, and luxury feline boarding!
Boarding areas include 4×6 private rooms and “catios” which have inside / outside / multilevel cat trees and natural light, creating an atmosphere of comfort.
Owner of Craven Animal Hospital and Feline’s First Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Bobbi Kotrba, says “Throughout the years, our feline owners have told us that they wanted a quieter spot for their cats to be treated in a lower-stress environment. There is currently no other facility in Craven County that provides a feline exclusive hospital, so we are catering to them, and creating a very different experience.”
In anticipation of many new patients, the hospital has also added a new doctor to their team, Dr. Meghan Dail, who is a feline exclusive veterinarian and is Fear Free certified.
Treatments in the new facility include medical and surgical, digital x-ray, ultrasound, and laser therapy for recovering from wounds, surgery and osteoarthritis. “The new technology at the feline hospital is going to compliment the diagnostics we already have at the Craven Animal Hospital, but is going to be specific to feline patients,” says Dr. Kotrba. “We will, however, continue seeing cats out our main building as well, where I will be staying.”
Dr. Kotrba, who has always had a passion for animals and caring for them, understands the importance of the human-animal bond. “People always say that they want to get into veterinary medicine because they love animals, but you actually have to love people too. I have yet found an animal that can speak or pay for their own care,” she says. “As a young woman, I was not going to let anything deter me from my education. I went from high school into undergraduate college and then directly into vet school. I financially supported myself with having several jobs all throughout my entire educational career. After vet school I moved to New Bern to work with Dr. Don Campbell. After several years as an associate veterinarian I really wanted to try my hand at ownership and eventually bought Craven Animal Hospital from him. I have built a practice with the underlying principle that it takes a village to run this business. I have empowered my staff to make decisions and make the job as rewarding as possible. Delegation of duties and education are key. I am hoping that this new feline facility will continue to grow the Craven Animal Hospital brand and make Craven County known for its excellent veterinary care for all animals.”