When Dr. Marcia Toumayan, a native Chattanoogan, moved back to her hometown in 1997, she had a dream: Working in a cats-only veterinary clinic.

But no such clinic existed here.

Now her dream is coming true. She’s opening one of her own.

Why cats-only?

“Limiting our practice to cats allows us to better provide for the unique needs of the feline,” the brochure for her new clinic explains. “Every procedure and piece of equipment used in the Cat Clinic of Chattanooga has been chosen with the special needs of cats in mind.”

Since cats are often high-strung and afraid of loud noises, the brochure notes, “We strive to provide a quiet, calm and supportive environment in which the healthy cat can flourish and the ill cat recover.”

Located next door to Quality Tire on Cherokee Boulevard, the clinic houses more than 4,000 square of space. Completely renovated, it now boasts four examining rooms – including one with a large picture window – and a host of other spaces designed specifically with a veterinary clinic in mind.

“Our official open house is set for March 30.” Dr. Toumayan said. “But I’ll begin seeing patients sooner than that.”

The exact date, she said, depends on when contractors complete the final details of the building’s transformation.

Back when she was a UTC undergraduate, she said, her major was English literature.

It was her husband David who first pointed out to her that her interest in science, coupled with her lifelong love of animals, made her a natural for veterinary school.

By then the couple had left Chattanooga and moved to Georgia, so she enrolled at the University of Georgia in Athens. She completed the four-year program and received her veterinary degree in 1995

Soon afterward, she went to work for a cats-only clinic in Charlotte, N.C. and loved it.

But she longed to return to Chattanooga, where her family still lived.

The move was feasible, she said. Her husband’s work as an Information Technology professional who consults for large companies throughout the nation means “any town with an airport can be his home base.”

She’s spent the years since her 1997 return caring for her elderly parents and her assorted cats, many of whom she rescued during her years in Athens and Charlotte.

Yasmine, for example, was a stray calico who showed up in the UGA veterinary clinic with a litter of kittens.

Before long, Yasmine was part of the Touayan family. She still is.

“She’s everybody’s mommy,” Dr. Toumayan said. “She has the strongest maternal instinct I’ve ever seen. Every time a kitten comes into the house, she adopts it.”

Dr. Toumayan’s desire to open her own clinic started to become reality a year ago, when her husband spotted a for-sale sign in front of the Cherokee Boulevard property.

As soon as she and her husband toured the property, she said, she knew it was perfect for the clinic she wanted to open.

Former Chattanooga Mayor Gene Roberts, who now works as a realtor, was handling the sale and proved to be of invaluable assistance.

The Toumayans closed on the building in May 2007, and the months since then have been devoted to long hours spent working with architect Steve Billingslew and a lengthy list of contractors, transforming the property into a clinic.

Her membership in the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce was a major boon, she said, noting that Carolyn Mitchell and other employees there have provided her with tons of valuable advice and assistance.

Since she had no background in running a business, she said, the process has not been easy.

“I haven’t worked this hard since I was in vet school,” she confessed.

But she’s learned a lot, she said, and met a lot of interesting new people along the way.

“It’s been fun,” she said. “I am so excited.”

To contact Dr. Toumayan or obtain more information about the new clinic, email catclinic@chattcatvet.com.