Left to right is lead vet Dr Shivana Seemungal-Dass, owner Mel Weatherall, practice manager Joe Weatherall and head nurse Phebie Porter outside the Marston practice.

Oxford Veterinary Practice Unleashes Its Full Potential With Major Expansion To Celebrate 20th Anniversary

2 days ago
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Posted
17th April, 2026 15h09

An independent Oxford veterinary practice that has cared exclusively for cats for 20 years, is marking its milestone anniversary by expanding and welcoming dogs and other small animals at its Marston branch.

Oxford Cat Clinic opened its first practice in Botley in 2006 before expanding with a second site in Marston in 2017. Although Botley will remain exclusively for cats, Marston is now providing a full range of veterinary services for all pets and has been renamed Oxford Vet Clinic.

The site has recruited three new vets into its ranks, with plans to recruit further next year. Experienced vets, Dr Shivana Seemungal-Dass, Dr Anna Ducos and Dr Matilde Costa Fernandes have all now joined the practice. Dr Shivana will lead the Marston team as an experienced surgeon with a post-graduate certificate in small animal surgery and is currently pursuing an advanced post-graduate certificate in small animal orthopaedic surgery. She qualified in 2015 and has worked at Oxford Cat Clinic as a locum vet since 2022.

Dr Anna has a keen interest in neurology and exotics, as well as ophthalmology, which she is currently pursuing a post-graduate qualification in. Dr Matilde brings extensive experience in wildlife medicine to her new role and has a special interest in dermatology.

The Marston clinic has undergone a full refurbishment and been remodelled to ensure that it can still offer a wide range of cat only facilities including a dedicated waiting room, consulting rooms, hospital ward and operating theatre while now being able to welcome dogs and other small animals in equally comfortable accommodation. The practice is also preparing to become a gold certified Cat Friendly Clinic, which is the highest accreditation that The International Society for Feline Medicine (ISFM) offers, and is already held by Botley.

Melanie Weatherall joined Oxford Cat Clinic in 2013 as Practice Manager and acquired the business with her husband Chris in 2023. Today the two practices employ a team of 19 made up of vets, registered veterinary nurses and support staff, with plans to recruit another registered veterinary nurse, a receptionist and a patient care assistant in the next few months.

Melanie said: “We’ve been caring for cats from across Oxford and beyond for 20 years and have established a superb reputation for our expertise in feline veterinary care. During this time, we’ve regularly been asked if we can treat dogs and other types of pets by clients who wanted to use an independently owned practice in and around Oxford, but found there were very few options available.

“This development has taken a lot of planning and investment, but we had surplus space at Marston which has enabled us to expand without disrupting the services that our cat clients enjoy.

“Crucially, cat owners travel from far and wide to use our services, so Botley will remain cat only and Marston now has a clever layout that enables us to still provide the cat-focused care we’re known for.

“We’ve worked hard to recruit an experienced and well-respected veterinary team in Shivana, Anna and Matilde, who all complement our cat expertise but also bring additional veterinary skills with them, so there’s no doubt they are all great additions to our team who will further enhance the level of service our clients enjoy.

“We’re all delighted to have been caring for Oxford’s cats for 20 years and we can’t think of any better way to celebrate this milestone than by welcoming even more local pets to benefit from our independent veterinary services.”

Celebrations of the practice’s 20th anniversary will also include offers for both new and existing clients. New clients will benefit from booster vaccinations for just £20, while there’s a vaccination amnesty in place for existing clients, offering a re-start vaccination course for lapsed vaccinations for the price of a booster.

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