CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. - The 88-year-old man wrote only one request in his suicide note: Take care of my cat.

That sounded like a simple plea, but Abby, a 12-year-old calico, soon convinced the man's niece it wasn't. Since her owner's death in mid-March, the cat had been running wild: scratching tables, tearing open beddings, and using the couch as her litter box.

Unable to control the cat, and scared of it, the niece called Dr. Solomon Perl, one of suburban Maryland's few door-to- door veterinarians. Perl caught Abby, gave her a set of shots and drove her to a stable in Clarksburg, Md., where she will live the rest of her days as a barn cat.

Just another day at the office, wherever it may be, for Perl.

The 41-year-old Chevy Chase resident has been a veterinarian since 1988, a travelling vet since 1992.

He mainly cares for dogs and cats, although he has seen a few rabbits. He once set a broken leg for a guinea pig.

Maryland has about 800 practicing veterinarians, said Joyce Mewshaw, spokeswoman for the state Veterinary Board of Examiners.

The board doesn't know how many vets work independently, travelling door-to-door in suburban Maryland, but "there aren't too many," she said. There are five mobile veterinary clinics.

Perl said he enjoys working on his own more than working in a clinic, which he did earlier in his career.

"I have better hours, lower stress and I get to know my clients," Perl said. "We can sit down, have coffee, talk about the grandchildren."

When Perl stopped at the Chevy Chase home of Catherine Wright, they did discuss her new granddaughter. Wright watched anxiously as the doctor cleaned the teeth of Fergus, a Scottish terrier.

"How do his teeth look?" she asked.

"If you didn't brush your teeth for 12 years, what do you think they'd look like?" Perl replied.

Perl performs teeth cleanings, vaccinations and any other out-patient services in the comfort of the pet's home. If an animal needs surgery, he'll pick up the pet, take it to one of the four hospitals he has an agreement with, and bring it home again after the operation.

The travelling vet can't do everything, however.

"If a dog is hit by a car, I can't put Humpty Dumpty together again on a house call," Perl said.

House calls do have other advantages. Perl relates how one client's cat kept getting sick. The owner would take it to the vet and leave it in the hospital until it felt better. After a few days at home, the cat would be sick again.

Perl went to the house to examine the cat and noticed the houseplants had been chewed. He told the owner to remove the plants and, "miraculously," he said, the cat recovered permanently.

Perl said he keeps his prices low because he has no staff to pay or office to rent. Even when he tacks on the average $30 house call fee, his prices are less than some other vets.

For instance, he said he charges $15 for any vaccination, $40 to clean a cat's teeth and $55 to clean a dog's teeth.

Pet owners can meet Perl at one of the veterinary hospitals he is affiliated with and avoid any house call charge. Otherwise, the additional fee is based on distance.

Most of Perl's clients are in Prince George's and Montgomery counties. He said he also sees pets in the District and Virginia.

Susan Stephens of Silver Spring lives right around the corner from Perl and takes advantage of his services.

Stephens met the vet through "mutual dog friends." That is, her dog, Jenny, met his dog, Ernie, in the park.

One Friday night, Jenny had a spur in her skin that was bothering her. Stephens knew there wasn't a veterinary hospital open so she called Perl. He came right over.

"All he charged me and my husband was two or three glasses of wine and some good conversation," she said.

Now, Perl goes to the Stephens' home to care for all the family pets: one dog, two cats, three rabbits and a gerbil.

"This is much more convenient for me," she said. "It's less stressful for the animals, too."

Wright called Perl's visit "the best vet experience I've ever had."

The pets "don't have time to throw up in the car," she said. -30-

Copyright © University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism