Vet creates products to keep cats active
Written by Laura J. Moss
Dr. Lynn Bahr didn’t always want to be a veterinarian. In fact, she was pursuing a degree in physics with dreams of becoming an astronomer when her cat, Rudolph, suddenly became ill.
“While working with a veterinary friend to [help Rudolph], the desire to become a vet myself manifested,” she says. “I realized that I’d better serve this world by becoming an advocate on behalf of cats. At that time in the 1980s, being a feline-only veterinarian was a novel idea, but I was determined to create a practice that was solely devoted to cats and the people who love them. Rudolph taught me everything I needed to know about what cats want and need, and vet school gave me the tools to make it happen.”
Bahr graduated from The University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991 and began practicing in Atlanta, where she realized that as feline friends transitioned from outdoor pets to indoor ones, they were developing a new set of medical and behavioral issues. That’s when she began dedicating more time to educating cat owners about environmental enrichment, but finding that products to help cats cope with the stress of living indoors were in short supply, she launched her own line of cat products.
“I created Dezi & Roo,” Bahr says. “Our products are designed to keep cats active, engaged and entertained so they can live happy and healthy lives. Cats have little say in most aspects of their lives, which is not only frustrating for them, but also leads to depression and a host of health problems. If owners were able to see life from a cat’s point of view, they would realize they may not be meeting all of their cat’s needs.”
Now, Dezi & Roo, named after Bahr’s own felines, is a full-time venture, and Bahr designs toys that engage all cats, including declawed kitties that often have difficulties playing due to pain and balance issues.
“As a pro-claw veterinarian, I’m proud to say I’ve never declawed a cat,” she says. “I became a veterinarian to help cats, not harm them. Speaking out against this cruel procedure is something I feel is necessary. It’s my mission to advocate for the well being of all cats and the reason I not only became a veterinarian, but also founded Dezi & Roo.”
For more information about Dezi & Roo visit deziroo.com.
