Ohio Practice Doubles as Cat Foster Space

Editor's note: This story was originally published Nov. 7, 2025. The cats seen here may no longer be available for adoption.

November 7, 2025

Anita Griggs poses with a cat. All photos courtesy of Anita Griggs.

At Nova Vision Care in Beavercreek, Ohio, patients might get more than expert eye care—they could meet a cat available for adoption. Office manager and longtime animal lover Anita Griggs has turned the practice into a safe, welcoming space for foster cats, giving them a chance to find forever homes while helping to calm patients and brighten the workday.

Griggs has been with the practice for more than seven years and has always had pets. She began fostering through Purrfect Additions, a nonprofit cat rescue founded five years ago by office technician Deanna Knoth. “I had adopted a cat from the rescue and been involved with the foster program before Deanna even joined the office,” Griggs says. Many of the staff members are pet owners themselves, making the team enthusiastic about bringing cats into the office.

CAT’S OUT OF THE BAG

Dr. Montecalvo dresses up as a tuxedo cat.

The program started on a playful note. Griggs shared a Facebook meme that read something like, “the best stress reliever has four legs.” Practice owner Rachael White, OD, commented, “Can we please!” Dr. White and partner/co-owner Brenda Montecalvo, OD, agreed to give it a real-world try. Soon after, Griggs suggested two senior, outgoing cats from the rescue—siblings Sylvester and Princess—may be good options for the patient-facing lifestyle. By the end of the week, the cats had joined the team.

Sylvester, a large black tuxedo cat, and Princess, a smaller silver tuxedo feline, quickly settled behind a baby gate in the back office. During the day, the cats stay in their safe space, giving patients and staff the opportunity to peek in, pet them and enjoy their presence without disrupting office flow. Griggs and other staff members rotate caring for the cats, bringing them home on weekends or after hours, and new cats rotate in throughout the year. Today, seven cats cycle through the office, including kittens and a senior hospice cat “living out his days basking in sunshine and patient attention,” Griggs says.

The cats are fully vetted, fixed and up-to-date on vaccinations. They even help with patient care. A recent patient—a nonverbal autistic child—struggled with a vision therapy exam until Griggs brought Sylvester in.

A playful kitten peeks over a computer screen.

“The patient’s tears went away, and they were all smiles for the rest of the exam,” Griggs recalls. Knoth says another patient had a panic attack during pre-testing, so a kitten was brought into the room. The patient was able to calm down and complete the exam while holding the kitten. Patients also get a chance to interact with the cats after exams, which has become a playful incentive for kids to promote better cooperation.

The foster program at Purrfect Additions is 100% home-based, with each cat living in an approved foster home and receiving extensive vet care. Knoth says the most rewarding part is watching the cats thrive. “Running a foster program can be challenging, especially with special needs cats, whether medical or behavioral, but seeing a feral kitten become a purring cuddler or giving a senior cat a comfortable, happy home is incredibly fulfilling. Every cat that finds a forever home allows another one to be rescued, so the impact keeps growing.”

Purrfect Additions works closely with multiple county shelters and local trap-neuter-return group, Batta Cats, to rescue friendly adult cats and kittens that need socialization, or are not safe to return to the community due to health issues. Fosters provide care and transportation to vet visits or adoption events, while Purrfect Additions supplies food, litter and vetting costs.

Nova Vision Care also supports the nonprofit through drives for cat food, litter and toys. Patients can learn about the program or even adopt cats that cycle through the office, like Princess, who found her forever home after 21 months in foster care.

Griggs’s love for animals extends beyond the office. She and her husband, who are empty nesters, enjoy caring for their six cats and two dogs, all of whom have were adopted from local rescues, and some of whom have unique medical or behavioral needs, along with a number of foster cats.

Since its inception, Purrfect Additions has helped more than 400 cats find homes, with nearly 70 currently in foster care.

Long-term cats available for adoption (as of Nov. 6, 2025) include:

Taz & Tweety (bonded pair)