The Columbus Blue Jackets are excited to partner with First Merchants Bank to recognize small businesses in our community. Each month throughout the season, one company will be featured as the Small Business of the Month presented by First Merchants Bank. February’s Small Business of the Month is Cats Only Veterinary Clinic.
Andrea Lukuch is a cat person.
In her line of work, that means a lot.
Lukuch is the owner, hospital administrator and self-described chief kitty petter of Cats Only Veterinary Clinic, which serves our feline friends with locations in Columbus and Lewis Center.
Considering that Lukuch started at the clinic in 1996 and took over from Dr. Cynthia Bowlin as owner in 2016, being a cat person has taken her a long way.
“(Dr. Bowlin) was like, ‘Cat people want something different,’ and I drank that Kool-Aid, and I realized that cat people do,” Lukuch said. “Their cats are so special to them, and they realize that cats are just a different animal than a small dog, which is what a lot of vet hospitals treat cats as. So for over 35 years, we’ve been taking care of these precious little creatures.”
The clinic has been doing it at a high level, as well. Cats Only was recognized as a gold standard Cat Friendly Practice by the American Association of Feline Practitioners in 2013 and has landed on Columbus Business First’s Best Places to Work list each year from 2019 through 2024.
The clinic’s mission statement is that the veterinarians and staff members speak MEOW: They provide Meaningful care, Excellence, Originality and an experience that is Worth it.
“The clients want something better,” Lukuch said. “They want something different. They challenge us every day on what we can do to make their cats more comfortable. They want cutting-edge technology. They want the best medicine for their cats. And my team delivers. They want the best for our patients, so they strive for excellence. They really do speak MEOW.”
Services provided include standard veterinary care as well as behavior counseling, vaccinations and preventative care, surgery, dental wellness, diagnostic services, boarding and grooming, and claw counseling. It is also only one of three clinics in Central Ohio that performs radioactive iodine treatment for cats suffering from hypothyroidism.
It’s all backed by the decades of experience for the clinic – which opened in 1988 – and its veterinarians.
“They get the little guys – every body movement, every whisker twitch, we know what the cat is saying,” Lukuch said. “It’s so rewarding. We know that when every member of our team goes to bed and puts their head on the pillow, they know they did great work today to make sure that bond between the owner and their cat is maintained.”
Cats Only Veterinary Clinic was hosted by the Blue Jackets at the team’s game Feb. 6 vs. Utah Hockey Club, getting the opportunity to watch the game from club level and take a picture on the ice after the game.
And in case you’re wondering how Lukuch feels about other animals, she’s a fan.
“We love dogs,” Lukuch said. “We just don’t work with them.”
