Dear Mittens is a concierge health and wellness service for pets, conceptualized by Sonali Nigam ’13PH. The idea came about because Sonali and her husband are busy New Yorkers and also parents to a 15-year-old kitty called Naomi. As Naomi ages, they wanted her to have a high quality of life and the best care possible while also juggling their work schedules, social lives, and travel.
As pets like Naomi are live longer they often suffer from chronic illnesses such as renal failure or diabetes, and this can entail significant medical care both in and out of the vet’s office. Unfortunately, the pet healthcare system is extremely fragmented and expensive but concierge services have not been developed to address gaps such as co-ordination of home based care and holistic treatments such as acupuncture. After Naomi was diagnosed with end stage renal disease, Sonali and her husband experienced many challenges in ensuring compassionate care for her and their frustrations led to the formation of Dear Mittens. The vision of the Dear Mittens team is to create a concierge service to address the health and wellness needs of pets whose pet parents are looking for a comprehensive yet simple way to take care of their chronically ill pets.
If you are pet lover, parent, sibling or just enjoy them from afar we would love to hear about your experiences caring for their health and wellness needs!