Cats are mysterious creatures: purring and affectionate one moment, cold and distant the next. It's no wonder the Egyptians worshiped them, as they are as beautiful as ancient deities and completely inscrutable.
So imagine the difficulty of trying to figure out what ails your adorable, complicated little furball.
In Cat Hospital, RTÉ's new show, we glimpse behind the scenes of Ireland's first purpose built veterinary clinic that caters exclusively for cats. Run by veterinary specialist Clare Meade, the clinic in Glanmire, Cork is staffed by a small but passionate team, all working hard to keep their clients feline fine (sorry).
Each week, this six-part observational series delivers a slice of life in the clinic, where cases can range from grooming and neutering to house calls and life and death medical emergencies, capturing all the drama and love that comes with sharing your life with a pet.
In tonight's episode...
We meet biker Wolfgang, who has just welcomed another addition to his feline family of 25, but is worried about little Paulina. The fluffball is having extreme difficulty breathing, with Clare likely to have to operate on a suspicious growth in her throat.
Meanwhile, retired ballerina Lavinia from Blackrock is adjusting to life out of the spotlight - not when it comes to her illustrious career, mind, but that of her thoroughbred Siamese cat Del Boy. Once the king of the cat show scene, he is struggling with the "normal life", sharing his home with Lavinia and another Siamese.
Though Lavinia calls her cats "shocking snobs", Del Boy must humble himself enough to be treated by Clare - but how likely is that?
Del Boy isn't the only star of this show, as we meet Whitney and Bobby, a pair of cats that get along much better than their namesakes. So well, in fact, that while lying stretched out in the back garden they failed to notice they were being infested by tiny red harvest mites also known as chiggers. Chiggers can be life threatening for cats. Can Clare help?
Cat got your tongue? Well, Curly the cat got his own, as he turns up to his owners after a night on the town with a split tongue. Maite and Darragh rush him to Claire for emergency surgery.
Cat Hospital airs on RTÉ One on 15 November at 8.30pm.
