- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Cats Only Veterinary Clinic
Category: Pets Veterinarians Veterinarians [Edit]
1599 W 4th AveVancouver, BC V6J 1L6
Neighbourhood: Fairview Slopes
(604) 734-2287
- Hours:
Mon, Wed, Fri 9 am - 6 pm
Tue, Thu 9 am - 8 pm
Sat-Sun 9 am - 5 pm
7 reviews for Cats Only Veterinary Clinic
7 reviews in English
-
Review from Miranda L.
Vancouver, BC
7/28/2010
I didn't even know that taking your cat to the Vet could *be* a pleasant experience before finding this place.
Our older cat Darwin is not a fan of the carrier, cars, and especially vets. I expected our first visit to be the same as every vet before - sad cat, sweaty paw cat, crying cat, cat who would rather hide in his carrier and refuse to come out.
Only - the setup of this place is fantastic. Instead of those awful metal tables you are put in your own room with things to scratch on and more importantly freedom for your cat to explore his surroundings.
I was still skeptical that he would even come out of his carrier - but he did! The vet came in and sat on the floor with him, letting him come to her. It was honestly a pleasant experience.
We've now been through shots and some teeth cleaning and minor surgery on subsequent appointments, and the staff have been phenomenal, the vets knowledgeable and truly caring (even making sure to call the minute Darwin was done surgery so we didn't worry for the afternoon), the space great, and our cat as stress-free as possible.
I wouldn't go anywhere else! -
Review from Mike G.
Toronto, ON
4/27/2011
We were really happy to find a cats-only veterinary clinic, thinking that they would be real pros and understand what cats need and how to help them. It seems more like an endless sales pitch, instead.
The first thing you notice when you enter the building is that it's all very very clean and very pricey looking. A large part of the waiting room is taken up by huge displays for Royal Canin, a very expensive line of dog and cat food. Yes, they have private rooms for your cat to wander around in before the appointment, but so do other cat vets.
Our cat had a cough and wasn't meowing anymore. The vet we saw examined our cat perfunctorily and then announced that he needed x-rays, lab work, and tons of other things. After getting the x-rays done they proceeded to tell my girlfriend that he might have cancer, he might have very bad food allergies, and he might have a lot of other things wrong too. But there's no way of knowing, so we'll just have to do more tests... the eventual bill was something like $800, and he came home with gel for his chin because he scratches his chin sometimes, some samples of some very expensive (like $40-50 a bag!) prescription cat food that they sell, and nothing else - nothing for his cough. They called eventually to tell us the lab work was fine.
I took him back a week later to try and get some straight answers about his cough, which was worrying us, and the first thing they wanted to do was do yet another $350 chest x-ray. When I pressed them for justification I was told "well, it doesn't cost me anything, so I just like to be sure..." Mostly I felt like I was getting sold more of their very expensive food.
I'm pretty sure the vet that saw our cat was new, or at least had very little experience with cats.
After making an appointment at the Vancouver Feline Hospital, I found out after 10 minutes that our cat has a dental abscess which is causing his laryngitis and cough. Case closed. And he doesn't have a food allergy - we went back to his old food weeks ago and he's happy and loves it just like always.
Long story short: Don't go to Cats Only. Save hundreds of dollars and get the right diagnosis: go to VFH instead. -
Review from Pennylane S.
Vancouver, BC
4/10/2010
About a year ago I reluctantly switched from my vet of 10 years to Cat's Only. It wasn't so much of a choice but a necessity as my cat, The Snug, seriously needed a geriatric blood panel done but the general appearance/conduct of my previous clinic grew increasingly worse. Not to mention the veterinarian himself was a belligerent jerk on a power trip. I seriously think he hates animals and would punch The Snug in the face were I not in the room. Why I stayed there for so long is regretably only on account of my own stupidity and the convenience of its location.
Moving to Cat's Only was totally worth the extra distance and the registration fee for these three main reasons, in addition to many others:
1. private waiting rooms for you and your cat friend. If your cat is anything like The Snug, he may become CATatonic around other animals, ESPECIALLY giant dogs. Not the case at Cat's Only (hence the name). The rooms are also comfy, bright and stocked with cat health lit for your reading pleasure. My previous vet's (Kerrisdale Veterinary Clinic) waiting room felt like waiting in a damp, lifeless, dungeon before your sending your pet down the green mile.
2. Super knowledgeable, nice women veterinarians who understand your pet-loving behaviour/nerosis. Vets are often likened (by me) to car mechanics. If you're not careful, you'll end up spending a tonne of money on stuff you don't need because you are concerned about your car and don't understand the inner workings of its health. Not the case at Cat's Only. In addition to providing me with cost-free solutions for The Snug's issues, they also trimmed off some of his matted fur pro-bono.
3. Skilled, fearless cat handlers. Every year I put The Snug under during his vaccines because my previous vet refused to deal with difficult cats if they weren't put under. On one occasion, I went in hoping to just get the shot but was told to come back the next morning for the anesthetic. This 5 minute conversation (where the vet was incredibly rude) still cost me the $80 appointment fee. Last time they put The Snug under it took him 2 weeks to fully recover. At Cat's Only, they did everything they needed to do (draw blood, cut hair, urine sample, teeth check) with just one very skilled handler holding him, saving me the cost of the anesthesia and the grief.
So - clearly I feel strongly about my cat(s) and their doctors. I'm very pleased to see that Cat's Only is relocating right next to my apartment (prompting me to write this review). Two Paws Up! -
Review from jen d.
8/11/2008
This was the best veterinarian we have been to, comparing this place to the others we have been to in the past 10 years living in a multitude of cities. Absolutely stellar service - they went above and beyond with one of our cats who came in with a weird ailment and had the best people look at x-rays for us. They were very trustworthy when we took our cats there, a relief after the tragic service we received at Granville vet.
-
Review from Tara T.
BC
12/4/2008
This is where I take my two kitties. So far I have been nothing but pleased with the service I've received here. I don't have a lot to compare them to, but the vet (a woman - I forget her name) has a great bedside manner and has always had time for me when I've asked her a thousand questions. I also like how they have nice cosy wooden-floored rooms that you can close the door to and let your cat run free. And price-wise I've always been pleased. The other day my visit only cost me $30 for both cats! So far I have no complaints so I'll stick with them for now.
-
Review from noname n.
Vancouver, BC
12/21/2010
Please consider first where to go with your pet. Cat's Only was not a good choice for us. They are rude and will charge you an arm and a leg for their services. They will find excuses for why you needed something while it was just to make money. Your opinion doesn't count, they are very bossy and pushy and will not listen to what you have to say or suggest. If you call around make sure to ask for their service prices, the examination might be less than other places, but medication, and other services are much higher. We were suggested tests and treatments that are absolutely not necessary and very contra productive for our specific cat. Go to Vancouver Feline Hospital, they are amazing and all the services are reasonable. But you will have to experience it for yourself. I also had to go through many different vets until I found the perfect one. But as a person who has taken care of over 7 cats, I think I have gotten to know a lot. Going to the vet can be fun and a good experience for you and your cat, if you want a true and honest opinion go to Vancouver Feline Hospital!
-
Review from J G.
Vancouver, BC
11/17/2008 1 photo
When I moved to Vancouver from Montreal, I knew that it would be hard to replace the excellent veterinarian care that my kitty received there. But the name "Cats Only" made me hopeful. However, I have to say that I wasn't wild about my cat's first check-up there. One of the things that bothered me is that the examining rooms have no examination table. You, and your cat, and the vet sit on the floor or on some small stools during the check-up. This wasn't so bad until it came time for the vet to take my cat's temperature - you know - from behind. And, my usually very sweet and docile kitty hissed and scratched. Yep, she wasn't impressed by having to be held on my lap and impaled from behind. After the check-up, the vet, who I should say was quite friendly and seemed to genuinely like his work, recommended that my cat's teeth be cleaned, and they should be done now because of the special they were having on cleaning and blood work, and this all bothered me because I felt like the vet was really going in for the hard sell. Since every other vet has always said that my cat's teeth were just fine, I'm not so sure that this was anything more than an opportunistic attempt to make a sale. So, would I recommend this place? With caution. Everyone was nice and friendly enough, but I just felt like they were trying hard to sell me more than I wanted and possibly more than I needed. (P.S. so far my cat's teeth remain uncleaned and just fine, thank you.)
