Today we’d like to introduce you to Tammy Wages.
Hi Tammy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am the CEO, practice owner, and Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) at Cat Care of Fayette. I graduated from Mercer University with a degree in leadership and communications. I understand and appreciate each dynamic of the patients, clients, and staff of our animal hospital. I am most happy when our patients and clients go home feeling better than when they arrived. I am certified through the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) as a Cat-Friendly Veterinary Professional and VHMA (Veterinary Hospital Managers Association). I am also a proud ally of Pride VMC. I am happily married for 15 years and have one cool teenager that helps around the hospital on school breaks. We have five cats, four dogs, seven chickens, and always have a rotating door of rescues.
My adventure into animal medicine began when I was 20 years old. I started off as a kennel technician at a small animal companion hospital in Ellenwood, Georgia. The owner, Dr. Andrew McKnight took me under his wing and trained me to become his technician. I quickly developed a deep love for animal medicine under his supervision and guidance. I realized after a few years that our feline patients needed me. I worked on my handling techniques and took numerous continuing education courses to help me better understand our feline patients. Fast forward several years, and I landed my dream job at a feline hospital as a technician. I had the privilege of working with two amazing feline doctors, and I learned so many new techniques, ways of communicating and overall growth as a technician and as an individual. I have worked at Cat Care of Fayette since 2007 in almost every position of the hospital. In 2018, I purchased the hospital from my mentor, very dear friend and employer of many years, Dr. Lori Stearns. It was always a dream of mine to own a business designed around felines. I feel to my core that feline medicine is where I have always belonged. One of my closest friends, Dr. Alexandra Tharpe, and I had dreamed for years about owning Cat Care together one day.
In 2018, she went to veterinary school at the University of Georgia, and I made the decision to purchase my beloved cat clinic. It took me three years to make the decision to purchase it. My deepest fear was that being a non-veterinarian in my profession, this would be a huge endeavor that I was not prepared to undertake alone. Although I had worked at Cat Care for many years, I was unsure that I would be respected in my community and by our clients. With encouragement and support from my mentors and my husband, Kurt Wages we made the decision to go ahead and purchase Cat Care. To my amazement, our clients surrounded me with support and so much love. We have amazing clients and an incredibly supportive community. My journey of practice ownership has not been easy, but it has been extremely rewarding, and I have learned a tremendous amount about business management, self-worth, work/life balance, and finding footing in an ever-changing industry. After four years of practice ownership, my friend and colleague, Dr. Tharpe joined our team in 2022. To finally see all of the dreams we had come to fruition was such a satisfying feeling. There are good days, and there are bad days. But knowing that I get to come to work every day and do what I love is the best feeling. Also, knowing that I get to work with the best team in veterinary medicine is the greatest. I am surrounded by love and support every day. Not many people can say they have a rockstar team!
My ultimate satisfaction comes from having a hand in the healing of our patients through nurturing, community outreach, support for our clients, and having a team that’s dedicated to the highest standards. As veterinary professionals, we are charged to strive for the highest level of care, and we are to exhibit honesty, compassion, and dedication every day. I am thankful for the opportunity to touch the lives of those in our community.
Continual education and advancement in my career is what I strive for every day. To me, being committed to the pursuit of excellence in veterinary practice management is achieved through continual education, growth, and a team who strives for the same.
I am beyond blessed to love my career, my incredible team, and my clients and patients.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Practice ownership has been extremely challenging but also very rewarding. I purchased Cat Care of Fayette at the end of 2018, and in the spring of 2020 Covid-19 hit the veterinary industry hard. Here I was a baby business owner, with a large amount of debt, going through a pandemic. I feel like Covid-19 in conjunction of owning a new business, aged me tremendously. There were many nights of no sleep, worry for my team, worry for my clients and patients, and worry about making enough money to pay the loans that I had just taken in order to see my dream come to fruition. In spite of all the worry and stress, I had a wonderful team that remained loyal to me and supported and encouraged me through every day. I learned a lot about people and their character and realized more about myself and what I wanted to strive to do for my team, my own well-being, and my family. Melanie Doyal, Samantha Weir, and Rebecca Pittman made facing every day easier. They believed in me even when I could not believe in myself. They have been my backbone for years and they are what pushes me to be the best version of myself.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a feline and small furry exotic animal hospital. The hospital is located in Peachtree City and provides exclusive care to feline and exotic pets. Our loving and dedicated staff is experienced in the health care of the feline, from kittenhood to seniors. Our clinic is designed to offer the ideal stress-free environment for our special patients to thrive. We provide daily appointments and drop-off options for our clients. We also offer preventative health care, comprehensive medical and surgical services, and boarding that allow us the ability to provide our clients and patients the best possible customer service and veterinary care.
Contact Info:
- Website: catcareoffayette.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/catcareoffayette
- Facebook: facebook.com/catcareoffayette
