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Vancouver Feline Hospital
Category: Pets Veterinarians Veterinarians [Edit]
2299 Burrard StVancouver, BC V6J 3H9
Neighbourhood: Kitsilano
(604) 738-5100
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 10 am - 6 pm
Sat 11 am - 5 pm
Barbara D. said: "My husband and I drive to Burnaby from the Sunshine Coast including the price of the car on the ferry, Dr. Dhaliwal costs about half as much as our local vet. He is compassionate, gentle, intelligent and explains everything carefully.…" read more »
12 reviews for Vancouver Feline Hospital
12 reviews in English
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Review from Marisa M.
5/26/2012
I could not let this opportunity pass by without telling of my experience with Vancouver Feline Hospital. Even though I left Vancouver at end of 2010 for sunnier climes in the country of Australia, and put my beautiful cats through quarantine, I could not have done it without the help and expertise of Dr. Nicky. SHe guided me through the long and drawn out procedure.
I first met Dr. Nicky and Thomas at end of 2004 when the shelter from which I had adopted my beautiful Honey Bear recommended that I take him to VFH to have him checked out. I was impressed with the hospital right from the get go. It was spotlessly clean, no urine smell or any other smells that would upset my cat. Then came Dr. Nicky..... her gently and quiet manner really impressed me, and from that day forth I had the good fortune of being one of her client.
She helped me through some sad times and some worrying times all with her gentle and convincing diagnosis, and I always felt that she was very thorough.
I owe you many thanks Dr. Nicky and Thomas, and I do miss not having you over here. -
Review from Mary Ann S.
Richmond, BC
2/4/2012
What an amazing veterinary practice. We are so fortunate that we discovered Dr Nicki and Thomas. When we took our 16 year old Siamese to see her, it was to see if there was anything we could do to improve the quality of his life. It was a desperate last attempt to see what we could do for him as he is a very sick cat who isn't expected to live much longer. His benign liver tumours had been discovered 2 years prior and there was nothing more that could be done for him. In desperation, I searched through every review of vets I could find and read through every veterinarian's website to see if there was a vet that might be able to help Cuddles have some quality of life in his final months. Although we live in Richmond, I wanted to see what Dr Nicky had to say as her website mentions that her special areas of expertise are older cats and sick cat care.
I still can't believe our good fortune in finding Dr Nicky. She gently examined Cuddles on a blanket on the floor and in her soft-spoken style explained what she observed about Cuddles' condition and what she recommended. Afterwards, she and Thomas showed us how to give Cuddles subcutaneous fluids and Cuddles was prescribed a painkiller that we could squirt on his gums, a steroid cream we could apply inside his ear, and anti-nausea meds and Vit B that could be administered through the subQ fluids. Dr Nicky spent quite a bit of time with us and Cuddles was given a subQ treatment including anti-nausea meds & Vit B as Thomas and Dr Nicky trained us how to set up and give the subQ fluids and add the meds to the IV line so we could do this at home. We were surprised and very grateful to learn that there were things we could do to help Cuddles feel more comfortable during his final days and amazed that these two very special people took the time to train us and make sure we left knowing what to do. We expected the bill to easily be between $300 and $500, yet it was only about $180.
That was 3 months ago. About 2 weeks ago Cuddles had a seizure on a day that Dr Nicky's practice is closed. We ended up paying $350 for the emergency vet visit and blood tests and another $1000 to another vet clinic for more blood tests, an ultrasound and hospitalization for 2 days. In the end, the emergency clinic and the other clinic with all their expensive testing weren't able to tell us any more than what Dr Nicky had already told us with her gentle hands-on exam 2.5 months earlier. Dr Nicky is an incredibly knowledgeable expert in the field of feline veterinary medicine who was able to assess Cuddles' current condition and prognosis without invasive, expensive tests. -
Review from Duvessa N.
Toronto, ON
4/5/2012
If you want the best care possible for your cat(s), this is the clinic to go to. Dr. Nicky is in an entirely different category than any other vet I've been to (I've had pets my whole life, the cats I have now are 15 & 17 yrs old) . The order in which she goes about running tests, & diagnosing illness, is far superior to that of any other vet I've taken my cats to...meaning it's more logical, steps are not skipped & ultimately, your cat will be helped sooner (& you will save money because of it). She has a fully equipped practice (including ultra sound) & depending what tests are being run, she is able to read some blood/urine samples herself right there while you wait.
You can bring your cats to this clinic with absolute confidence they are getting top notch care. Because I know this is also a factor, I would like to mention that the fees at this clinic are not excessive or more than I've paid at other clinics. -
Review from Mike G.
Toronto, ON
4/27/2011
What a great place. I feel like I'm just parrotting the other reviews, but they're all right: Dr Nicki Joosting and Thomas are both awesome and were really great with our cat and diagnosed his problem in a snap. It was easy and fast and nothing unnecessary was done. Both the cat and I were very happy.
Other things:
- private rooms where your cat gets to explore around and get comfortable before seeing Dr Joosting
- really open to being called up about anything, Thomas (he's the one who isn't Dr Nicki) really knows what's up and is just a phone call away. or e-mail!
- very very reasonably priced
- great environment
Really, there is no reason to take your cat anywhere else. Originally we took our cat to Cats Only - they never diagnosed his problem, and we were charged a pile of money. Don't do that. Go to VFH! -
Review from Kay C.
Vancouver, BC
11/8/2010
Dr. Nicky is amazing. We came to the Vancouver Feline Hospital when our two girls were elderly (then 15 years old) and the care we've received in the subsequent five years has been somewhere beyond exceptional, especially as Mara developed chronic health problems including diabetes.
Everything about the Vancouver Feline Hospital is geared toward the cat, from private waiting rooms to the fact that Dr. Nicky sits on the floor with the kitty rather than putting them on an exam table.
The thing we like best about Dr. Nicky is that she really is all about the cats. She doesn't tell you what you want to hear; she tells you what your little companion really needs. She will never recommend an unnecessary procedure, and always considers the cat's overall wellbeing before making any recommendation. She's amazingly knowledgeable, but her compassion and care for the individual cat make her stand out even more.
Dr. Nicky's care gave us two very happy, wonderful years with Mara that we didn't think we would have. When we finally lost her two months ago, Dr. Nicky and Thomas offered the most compassionate, caring end of life care possible. They closed the entire practice to allow us privacy and time to grieve with our little girl.
We would never want any cat in our family to see any other vet. -
Review from Jessica O.
Vancouver, BC
8/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
Hands down, Dr Nicky is the best vet I have ever taken my cats to. It's her calm demeanor, her encyclopedic knowledge and practical tips that make a visit to the vet's office an actual pleasure rather than a dreaded chore.
Dr Nicky sits on the floor with my cats, rather than standing them (unwillingly) on an examination table, and she allows them the space and time to skulk around and check her out before handling them. For my skittish beasts, this is a welcome respite from vets who seem hellbent on terrifying them. Even though my cat Kevin is a mean mean cat who scratches her, she still seems to genuinely like him! Hell, I barely do! ;)
She has never tried to "upsell" me, and in fact, she balks at overly recommending particular brands of food lest she seem like she is trying to make a quick buck. This is such a welcome change!
My guys have been visiting Dr Nicky for 6 years, and my little cat Trixie even had surgery here, all with great results. Her receptionist/assistant Thomas is also amazing.
I cannot recommend Dr Nicky Joosting more strongly. You won't be disappointed with her level of care, kindness and professionalism.Listed in: My Very Favourites
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Review from Danielle M.
Vancouver, BC
3/2/2010
The team here are superb. I wish I could get this level of care from my GP.
Dr. Joosting is exceptionally knowledgeable (and passionate) about feline treatment and health, this is why I think she has specialized. She is especially keen on preventative care which to me is always a great sign.
They are also very reasonable in price and they keep a clean, friendly facility. -
Review from Denn G.
Vancouver, BC
8/26/2009
We have been taking our cat Zaskar to Dr. Nicky Joosting since she opened the Hospital in 2003 after we had tried many others. We know our beloved cat Zaskar was a handful of a patient!!! Dr Nicky and Thomas always took the very best care in handling Zaskar. We recently had to put Zaskar to rest, the hardest time in our lives. Dr. Nicky did everything she could for Zaskar to have a long happy healthy life. I would highly recommend this VERY CLEAN feline Hospital to anyone who wants the very best for their Cat.
RIP Zaskar -
Review from J N.
Vancouver, BC
1/30/2011
I'm so happy I took my cat here. Words cannot describe the amazing and successful surgery they performed on my Cat. Both Dr. Nicky and Thomas are exceptional people. Highly talented and bring warmth and loving care all around. My cat is super scared when going to the vet but oddly enough she climbed into her kennel just to go to the vet!! i was in disbelief.. awww love her so much. Definitely recommend bringing your cat here.
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Review from Tara M.
Vancouver, BC
10/7/2010
The kindest, most caring vet clinic I have ever been to. Unbelievable, really. Dr. Nicky and Thomas are genuine cat people. They really care. They look after special needs kitties in the clinic and I am sure that DR. Nicky is the "cat whisperer" - really ;) I moved my senior manx cat, Buzz here as I was unhappy with my "other" vet clinic. Dr. Nicky and Thomas inherited me (a blubbering fool) and my terminally-ill (colon cancer) cat in the last months of his life and despite this being a terrible time for me, they helped me make decisions in the best interest of Buzz and supported me through the process in way that made me believe that things were going to be all right in the end. When Buzz had to be "sent to cat heaven," I wasn't the only one crying. I am very thankful for the support and kind care afforded to Buzz and I during this time. I echo others' comments here--I wish I could find a GP to look after me with the same level of care as Vancouver Feline Hospital afforded my beloved cat, Buzz. My cats and I will be customers for life. The best cat clinic in the entire city.
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Review from Sara O.
Vancouver, BC
1/11/2011
Horrible experience.
I think the other 5 ratings are all "Dr.Joostings" friends and family.
And let me say i went to dr. jooosting after reading all the AMAZING reviews.
I took my cat there for an emeregancy visit as she has an abces under her chin.
Dr. Joosting charged 75$ just to pet my cat. Told me its cancer, and I need to go see a dental espacialist bc she doesnt want to touch it.
The appt with the dental espcialist was the next day. I came home crying thinking that my 5 yr old cat has cancer. That same night i wake up to see that the absces has burst, and there is blood all over my cat. THANKS DR.JOOSTING for Petting my cat!!!!!!
I called Atlas animal hospital, Thank god for them. They took her in right away 10:30pm. Took xrays RIGHT away. and it turned out to be her tooth.
They did all that in half the time dr.joosting took to pet my cat.
I was very dissappointed.
I called them the day after and told them what happened, they had nothing to say and just ignored my comments. -
Review from noname n.
Vancouver, BC
12/17/2010
The BEST vet you can ever have, I have gone through soooo many vets until I found Dr Nicky, she is the best, knows exactly what my cats needed, I have saved soooo much money on all of her recommendations. She also never pushes anything on you, you do not feel like she is selling you anything your cat doesn't need. She has the cleanest cat friendliest place, and sitting on the floor with no table is awesome because the cats hate being on that exam table. She also has an ultrasound machine, where other vets will do hundreds of dollars of other tests before telling you to do ultrasound and than they only have one once a month. My cats even like going to the vet and so do I our stress level is so minimized because every time I go to Dr. Nicky I know my cats will be ok. She has amazing suggestions and she truly loves cats! Thomas is also amazing!! I can recommend this place and would give it 1000 stars if I could!! Also something very important she is the only vet and she remembers the cats and gets to know them very well, the service and knowledge is amazing!!
