Man Almost Dies, Opens Successful Family Practice Clinic With Therapy Cats

Sometimes, people can face challenges in their life or go through a traumatic experience. When this happens, people can feel like they have hit rock bottom. On the other hand, these experiences can make them stronger in the long-term and even inspire people to make changes in their life. One person who has experienced the highs and lows of life is Dr. Will Powers. Back in 2017, Dr. Powers was enjoying a wonderful lie. He was married to another doctor and they had three beloved cats; Sirius, Arcturus, and Cygnus. Dr. Powers believed that his cats were very special, and two of them held Guinness World records, says Cheezburger. One had the record for the longest tail on a cat, and another held the record for the tallest cat alive.

Dr. Powers and his wife were loving life, and this was partly down to the fame of their cats. Together, they were booking charity events and appearing on television shows. Dr. Powers had also become the president of Ferndale Cat Shelter and he spent a lot of time raising money for street and rescue cats in Detroit. Tragically, Dr. Powers’ life took a very dramatic turn for the worse on November 12, 2017. In a detailed account of his experiences on Imgur, Dr, Powers describes how he woke in the early hours to find that his home was ablaze. He began a desperate search for his cats and opened many doors for them along the way so that they had some escape routes available. Soon, Dr. Powers was overcome by smoke inhalation, and he passed out.

Fortunately, the first responders found Dr. Powers in the basement of his home and he made a full recovery. Sadly, his house had burned to the ground. Even worse, his three beloved cats had all died. Powers was completely devastated by his loss, and it took him more than a year to recover mentally and physically from the incident. After a year, Dr. Powers decided that it was time to make some changes in his life. He decided that the best way to do this was to open his own family practice clinic, which he called Powers Family Medicine. He wanted his family practice clinic to stand out from others in the area, so he made the decision to integrate two of his greatest passions into his new business venture- cats and video games.

He wanted to have cats in the waiting areas to act as therapy cats. Dr. Powers hoped that the presence of the cats would help to keep patients calm if they were feeling anxious about their appointments. Studies have shown that petting an animal can recue levels of stress and anxiety. His choice of cats was important, as he did not want the cats to deter patients who suffer from allergies to cats. Therefore, he chose Bengal and Savannah cats. These are both exotic cat breeds that do not have the Fel D1 gene in their saliva. This is the gene that causes people to have an allergic reaction in many cases. Choosing these cats meant that Dr. Powers could continue to treat patients with cat allergies. The cats are also fully vaccinated and free from zoonotic infections. With the exception of the sterile zones, the cats have the free reign of the office.

One of the resident cats is Phoenix Arcturus, who is a Savannah cat and the half brother of Dr. Powers’ deceased cat Arcturus, the tallest cat to ever live. Phoenix likes to spend his time at the nurse’s station or to bask in the rainbow beams of one of the examination rooms that has prisms on the windows. Phoenix is not the only cat at this clinic as he also has two co-workers, and they all take shifts. Phoenix is the resident cat on Monday and Thursday, while Hyperion works on Tuesday and Polaris on Wednesday. Hyperion and Polaris work together on Fridays. If the cats are getting tired of being petted, they are free to take a break for the day and have their own baskets where they can take a nap.

Dr. Powers says that the presence of the cats is not the only reason why his clinic stands out from others in the area. He says it also differs because they welcome people from all walks of life, including those who do not feel that they can be honest with their doctor. His patients include many people from the LGBTQ community, along with sex workers, porn stars, polyamorous people, and those who have been diagnosed with HIV.

While in the waiting room of this family practice clinic, patients have more options for how they would like to spend their time than the general magazines offered in most clinic reception areas. At this clinic, you can pet the cats, play on the retro arcade games, watch television, or create artwork on the chalkboards while you wait for your appointment.

Things have gone far better than Dr. Powers could have hoped. Initially, he thought it could take between five and seven years for his practice to take off, but everything has gone surprisingly well. Within six months of his clinic opening, they are already full as they have more than a thousand patients. There is even a waiting list for people who would like to have their care transferred to the practice. This has led Dr. Powers to consider the possible expansion option and the potential for hiring some help.

While things had once seemed bleak for Dr. Powers and his wife, they have managed to turn their tragedy into something positive that benefits both them and the wider community. The fact that they have chosen to feature cats at their family practice clinic seems a fitting tribute to the three cats they tragically lost in the fire. Now, things are looking up and Dr. Powers has many positives in his life, including a successful business.