Cooing gentle language into a two-year-old feline’s ear, Dr. Michelle Oakley and her vet technician spread the cat out on either end of the table to X-ray his injured left paw. After three tries, they finally get a clear image by carefully taping the right paw out of the way so it doesn’t obstruct the X-ray. The verdict: no broken bones.

Oakley, who runs a satellite veterinary practice out of the American Bald Eagle Foundation