In June 2024, Veterinarian Monique Fitzpatrick was introduced as the new columnist for the Drummer’s Animal Talk. Her first column was selected for first place in the informational category by the Connecticut Press Club.
Published in the July/August 2024 issue, Fitzpatrick wrote The Scoop on feline enrichment that detailed the key elements of cats’ environments that are critical to keeping them active and engaged, including social, behavioral and nutritional needs. As the pet parent of two cats herself, Fitzpatrick knows that each cat is different and figuring out what works best for each household often takes some time.
Fitzpatrick has been a vet at Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital for three years and during that time she has seen exotic animals as well as cats and dogs. Fitzpatrick writes, “As far as exotics, there aren’t many types I won’t see. Just this week, I’ve seen a leopard gecko, an African sidekick turtle, three rabbits, a guinea pig, a red-eared slider, a yellow-eared slider, a ferret, two rats and a bearded dragon!” The most common exotic animals that she treats are rabbits and bearded dragons and while she doesn’t generally see fish, she has seen those on some occasions too.
In addition to her two cats, Tinkerbell and Butters, Fitzpatrick has a rabbit and nine chickens. When she isn’t working with animals, she finds time to write for The Granby Drummer and, while she has some topics planned in advance, her articles are sometimes influenced by a recent case or a conversation with a pet parent. If you’d like to read her winning article, it can be found here.