Veterinary Surgeons
Amy Bergs dvm manzcvs (Feline Medicine) mrcvs
The Cat Doctor’s director and founding vet Amy trained in America, graduating from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. After a year in general practice in Chicago, she relocated to Surrey where she worked in veterinary clinics in Esher, Shepperton and Richmond, developing a reputation as ‘the cat vet’. Although Amy enjoyed working with all animals, she was constantly reminded that her real passion was for her feline patients with particular interests in feline internal medicine, senior cat care and pain management.
Seven years of clinic work taught Amy many things about cats and in particular, how easily they become stressed and the effects this stress can have on their health. Realising that most veterinary clinics naturally focused on the needs of their canine patients first, she wanted to create a practice that was entirely designed around the wellbeing of cats. This, of course, meant avoiding the clinic and the need to travel to it whenever possible! So in 2013, The Cat Doctor’s home visit veterinary practice was born.
In 2016 Amy qualified as an RCVS recognised Advanced Practitioner in feline medicine. The following year, The Cat Doctor gained both RCVS Practice Standards Scheme and iCatCare Cat Friendly Clinic accreditation, the first fully mobile clinic in the UK to do so. She continues to attend lectures and conferences whenever possible and is an avid journal reader with the goal of learning something new every day.
When she’s not working, studying or spending time with her family, Amy enjoys hiking, travelling, and singing with several choirs in and around London. She has grown up with cats all of her life and often fosters felines in need of a temporary home. She resides in Coulsdon with her two young sons.
Veterinary Nurses
Shreen Haywood RVN Cert FN
Originally from Bermondsey in London, our founding nurse Shreen gained a great deal of experience in both her studies (gaining an NVQ in business) and various employments before deciding that veterinary medicine was where she wanted to be. She achieved a distinction ANA (Animal Nursing Assistant) qualification whilst attending MYF Training in Aldershot to complete her NVQ in veterinary nursing, and became a registered member of the RCVS in 2010.
Working for vets in Mitcham, Esher and the RSPCA broadened her experience even further and although she enjoys caring for all animals, she has a particular soft spot for cats. Shreen has been an integral part of The Cat Doctor since day one and is excited to be part of a team that provides cats with the quality of care that they deserve. In 2017 she completed the ISFM Certificate in Feline Nursing and uses this knowledge every day to ensure that our patients are happy and comfortable.
Shreen met her husband, David, whilst working in Wimbledon and they now share their home in Sutton with their young son. Cats have always been a part of her life and she has an incredible ability to put them at ease no matter what the situation, a skill much appreciated by her three current feline companions, Aaliyah, Doris and Horatio.
Molly St. George RVN Cert FN
Molly joined us in March 2018, having previously worked at veterinary practices in Esher and Sutton. She was instrumental in helping her previous practice achieve the ISFM Cat Friendly Clinic award and saw first-hand how making small changes significantly improved the wellbeing of cats in a veterinary clinic. She was therefore thrilled to be part of The Cat Doctor team where care is tailored to each cat and their owners.
A break from a design career to volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation centre cemented her decision to retrain as a veterinary nurse. Three years later she qualified with a Diploma of Veterinary Nursing from MYF College in Aldershot, a rewarding three years of combined study and work in practice. Her upbringing in rural Portugal was never without cats and dogs at home and volunteering at local vets, so it is little surprise that she has found her calling. Molly completed the ISFM Certificate in Feline Nursing in 2022, bringing even more specialist feline knowledge to our little team.
Having met her future husband during a spell of travelling around Australia, they chose to live in Surrey in 2004 and, in 2017, settled in Epsom with their two young children and two cats. The little spare time she has is split between keeping up to date on feline health matters (including working on her ISFM feline certificate) and sharing her interest for horticulture with her family through outings to parks and gardens.