Cat Hospital of Austin

Overall not happy with the customer service. My bill was over $ 2200 and my cat walked away with a rash from the antibiotics. I don’t think we will be returning.

This vet seems to be only after money by instilling guilt and preying on the fears of pet owners.
The staff is rude, won’t return calls, and lacks even the most basic of level of care or dignity towards cats and owners all while ignoring requests for details and refusing to explain what they are actually doing to your pet.
Our cat was brought in because we thought he seemed sick but he could eat, walk, and maintain control of himself and his functions. After multiple blood tests, prescriptions, unknown procedures, and more tests mandating a second stressful visit, our cat is today in worse shape than he was 10 days earlier and may now have to be put to sleep. He can’t walk, won’t eat and is slowly wasting away.
Upon returning home, we saw a large mass of fluid hanging like a bag under the cat’s shoulder. Only after two calls were we informed that it was a forced IV given to the cat without any notice or mention prior to it being done, or at the time of pick up. We still can’t know for sure what was done to him during the 12 hours he was in their care after drop off.
Unfortunately it seems we made a mistake by going to this vet and hoping for treatment. While it seems it is too late for us, do right by yourself and your cat by avoiding this «hospital» if you want to give your pet the care and dignity it deserves.

I will never take my cat back here again. I didn’t see Dr. P but the other vet on staff. I chose this place because of the focus on cats and we’ve always found that this gave our cats better attention. I brought my cat in for what looked like pink eye. First they wanted to do a wellness exam. She picked up his fur and claimed he was extremely dehydrated and also told me he looked like he lost weight. He didn’t drink a lot of water that day because of said vet appointment. He’s a small cat because when we adopted him he was abandoned and weighed 1.75 pounds but they didn’t care to ask that. After looking at his teeth, they told me I needed to pay $ 200 to see if he had diabetes and another $ 700 to clean his teeth. She said his teeth were so bad that he probably wasn’t eating. I said he eats more than our other cat who weighs twice as much. Her follow up question, «so he eats too much?» No listen to me instead of trying to find what you can charge me for! Even though I said I wanted to be present for the entire appointment, they took him to the back to weigh him and do a stain on his eye. I asked how much he weighed and it was three pounds more than he did last time I weighed him, which I pointed out to no response. They gave me eye drops and strongly recommended I come back and pay for all the other services. I will not be coming back because I didn’t feel like they cared about my cat or tried to get to know him and it feels like they just want to nickel and dime to make some money.

Cat hospital of austin is absolutely wonderful! I took my kitty here to get him neutered and vaccines. The staff there is so friendly and helpful! I really appreciated that they took the time and called me after his surgery to let me know that he was awake and everything went well it wasn’t just a «drop-​off and pick him up at this time» kind of thing. I’ve had 3 of my other cats neutered and this is by far the smoothest experience i’ve had as well as my cat recuperating so quickly. They also gave him a complimentary nail trim which is awesome! I also read some of the other reveiws of the hospital and would just like to state that i was contacted about every procedure and treatment they wanted to do on him before doing it to make sure i wanted it done/​could afford it (he had fleas they wanted to treat). I also loved that it’s cat only so I didn’t have to worry about my kitty getting all stressed out in the waiting room with a bunch of barking dogs. Overall i had a wonderful experience Dr. Percival was fantastic the staff was great and i will definitely be returning to CHOA!

I absolutely love Cat Hospital of Austin. Dr. Percival and her staff are always warm and caring and I’ve never felt rushed. The office has a really homey feel, with cat memorabilia and actual furniture in all the rooms I’ve seen. Also, the fees are very reasonable.
As best as I understand the «drop off»: They do make appointments for some things and/​or if they have an opening. Otherwise, if they say they’ll fit you in, you do drop your cat off early in the morning and they call you when they’re ready. We’ve been seen the same day this way, so honestly I consider it well worth the slight inconvenience to me or my cat. They usually finish within a few hours, and without us doting owners underfoot, they can provide the same excellent care to more patients in a day.
My skittish senior cat has been here a handful of times for procedures our regular vet couldn’t do. She’s never shown any distress about going back, which tells me everything I need to know. Not only that, the doctor (usually Dr. P) has personally called me after each visit to let me know how my girl was doing – and once during, to get permission to proceed with some labwork.
Then my other cat suddenly got cancer & was given a few weeks at most. Four heartbreaking days later I could tell it was time, so I called when they opened and they let me bring him in that morning. Dr. Percival was incredibly comforting, explaining what would happen and reassuring me that this was the most loving thing I could do for him… it really was a huge comfort to hear it said aloud. She and her tech petted him with me the entire time until he was gone. Afterward Dr. P made sure I was okay and even walked out with me. Bedside manner is always important, but so much more so at times like these. Dr. Percival really, truly cares and I am grateful she’s in practice.

I brought my new kittens to CHOA and since they were rescues Dr. Percival worked with me for all their needs. The staff at CHOA is amazing, everyone I have dealt with has been so friendly and helpful. Never making me feel rushed or that they don’t have the time. A special shout out to Shane, he is great! He took time to talk with me about foods for the kittens, gave me samples and even gave me suggestions for dog foods to look into. Shane is a good salesman, in the best way possible. This is a great place for all your cats needs. They are a small practice and that makes a difference in how much they care. I would recommend CHOA to anyone who has cats and wants them to get «special» cat only care.

My cat hates the vet and is very aggressive when outside his comfort zone. He is also a long-​haired cat who needs to be shaved down in order to be comfortable during Austin summers. A vet tech friend recommended the Cat Hospital of Austin as a great cat vet with an in-​house groomer; we’ve been going here for 2 years now. I appreciate the care they give him and the groomer does a great job (even mohawks!).
However, every single appointment they add on charges, give vaccinations way before they are due, and do not communicate any of this prior to the procedures. I understand that sometimes a quick decision is needed and you can’t call the client, but every time? Even when I’ve requested to be informed? I’m going elsewhere from here on out.
This place feels like they are trying to upsell and grab as much money as possible. I prefer a vet who is open, straightforward, and does what they say they’ll do.

Pros:
–Amazing Staff: The vet techs are pretty dang awesome and nice
–Prices seems fair: Nothing I paid for seemed to be unfair
–Discount for kitties who were adopted. Woo!
Cons:
The reason I am rating this place so poorly is because out of the three times I have visited, I have seen the vet (Dr. Percival) one time. My cat has, what they said was «chronic need for continued management of his upper respiratory virus». Basically, my kitty has a lifelong condition. So, he isn’t just the run-​of-​the mill case. Every single time I would make an appointment it was, «We have drop offs available at this time». AKA, drop you cat off, we charge for services, pick your cat up.” To me, getting charged $ 48 for an exam by a veterinarian, and to never even know that it happened, or get feedback or a follow-​up, is downright unacceptable. It also feels like a, «How many cats can we get in and out today to make money» scheme.
I really appreciated how great the staff was, and I loved the facility and location, but I wish that they would have the vet talk to clients – or at least for clients with kitties who have more tricky conditions.

My cat fractured her jaw in several places, and she had internal wires and external bandages put on at a vet clinic out of state (where the accident occurred). After several weeks, my cat finally wiggled her way out of her external bandages. My primary Austin vet was backed up, so I decided to seek out a specialist to have her jaw re-​evaluated to make sure everything was healing smoothly. I phoned this so-​called «cat hospital» and was told they would not see her and to go to an emergency clinic. (At this stage it was far from an emergency, and my regular backup vet was not only able to get my baby in right away, but was very intrigued, compassionate, and helpful about my cat’s situation — maybe the vets at this hospital should take note.) This clinic may be decent for very basic cat care, but I will not be calling again nor recommending them to friends.

Short version: I felt like they cared about cats, aren’t trying to run this whole thing on $ 42.50, and knew what they were doing. That’s pretty much what I’m looking for so everything else is details.
Pros:
* I like Dr. P. I was told she was good and she was.
* They only work with cats. I didn’t feel this way before or after walking into the office, but dog people are awful. And dogs are awful. Also ferrets.
* Everyone was nice, they gave me a free toy, which for some reason was very meaningful.
* There’s a random cat wandering around. I don’t know what he’s doing there but it was one of those «canary in a coal mine» thing. If there’s a random cat walking around, it’s probably safe for your cat.
Cons:
* Just because you check a box on a form that says «tell me everything you can» and «I’d like to be present for all procedures» doesn’t mean they’re actually going to do that. You evidently still have to ask for that.
* There’s lots of anxiety-​inducing junk dressed around the area like «_​_​_​will kill your cat» and various different (obviously paid) medical offer junk. I realize that vets don’t make a ton of money but I really would prefer just seeing helpful/​educational stuff rather than flashy /​horrifying.
* It’s real small in the waiting area (this is a converted house)
* A bit slow moving generally.
Recommendations:
* Avoid doing stuff here around the holidays.
* Whatever you do, don’t watch the video thing they have set up for the cat tranquilizer they sell. That @#$% is sadder than Schindler’s List and and grandpa dying. («You mean they didn’t love the kitty and he had to go back to the shelter??» Engage tears.)

I have an extremely aggressive cat and was told by an animal behavioral specialist that he may have some type of medical issue that is making him behave that way. I called Cat Hospital and they got me in right away which was great. I told them about my cats behavior over the phone and they seemed willing to help, but when I got there in person I was very disappointed. The vet assistant is very kind but the vet herself was terrible. No bedside manner and very smug. She basically refused to work on my cat and told me I need to get someone to do a home visit and just walked away. The assistant said I could come back when another vet was working but at that point I was so upset by the whole ordeal that I don’t plan on going back. Granted my cat is an a-​hole but this is supposed to be a place that specializes in cats and a vet should either have the guts and knowledge to deal with a difficult animal or be in a different profession.

While I was excited to find a vet that specialized in cats, I am very skeptical about the service my cats and I received at CHA. They were constantly pushing products and services that I wasn’t sure we needed, and in one instance sold me a «calming treat» that they didn’t even bother explaining to me. The staff just handed it to me and said that I could call back if I wanted more information about it.
I also believe they gave my cat antibiotics that he may not have needed. After consulting with another vet about my kitty’s issues, the new vet said the problem was very unlikely to have been bacterial in nature. Who knows at this point, but the whole situation left a bad taste in my mouth. I’ve moved out of the area, and am glad to have a new vet that doesn’t try to sell me product after product.

I’m so glad I read the community paper because this was how I happened to find that there was a vet in town that specialized in cats. I’ve had my cat for 17 years and as she has gotten older, I felt like she needed a bit more special care than her vet at the time.
I have been to Dr. Percival’s several times now and I can safely say my cat is receiving the special care that she needs. Dr. Percival is very knowledgable, attentive and compassionate to my cat’s issues.
The staff is super sweet and friendly. They’re easy to work with and follow up with my questions. On my visit there today, I heard they are bringing back kitty report cards when you board with them. I have a trip soon so I look forward to this personal touch that again, makes me feel my cat is in good hands.

I boarded my cat here last year since I was going out of town for the holidays. Because he had to be a patient I requested that he get an FIV retest done while boarded. When my boyfriend went to pick him up we notices a bunch more charges than we requested. They did a complete check up (he had one a few months before) and gave him a FeLV vaccine which we didn’t request (he doesn’t contact any other animals.) We were outraged that they didn’t call us to see if we actually wanted an exam or vaccines. They also said our cat needed a teeth cleaning and gave us an estimate of about $ 500. I recently took the same cat to a different vet and she said his teeth looked good and didn’t need a cleaning.
On the other hand my cat got his own box near a window and they gave him treats to calm him (which I was charged for without being asked) but I’m glad they cared enough to try and quell his anxiety.
When I saw that they charged us for things we didn’t ask for they did refund us for the FeLV shot and apologized so I am grateful for that, but I won’t be returning my cat here.

I took my cat here for grooming since the only other groomer we had found that would do cats went out of business. He gets mats in his very long fur, so we keep him in a lion cut. This vet office is clean and welcoming, and the staff are all friendly. They gave me all the info I needed leading up to his appointment (such as fasting, since cats are sedated for grooming), and I got appointment reminders via text and e-​mail. My cat was ready at the time they had said, and he didn’t seem traumatized afterwards :)
The grooming is very expensive, I guess because of the sedation. Plus since this was his first time at this vet, they wanted to do blood work on him although we keep up with all of his vaccinations, blood work, and dental care at our normal vet. My total bill for the blood work and grooming was $ 285 (about $ 55 was the blood work)! I wish it were less expensive so I could bring him more often for grooming. Great vet, just very expensive.

I found out they offer free checkups for kittens you’ve adopted in the last 2 weeks! I brought my new kitten in and they talked with me about her diet and helped me register her microchip.
The same day I took my older cat in to get her teeth cleaned. I was able to opt in for tests to make sure she wouldn’t have a negative reaction to the anesthesia. All went well!

My cat died and I called around 11:50 am. The lady on the phone told me they closed at noon and wouldn’t stay open for me even though I lived literally right down the street. I was VERY suprised with how rude and inconsiderate they were. Cat hospital? It’s obvious they don’t care much about the cats though, just their wallets. There are much much better vets out there. Make sure you give your cat the best.

Came across this place with good reviews, talked to some of the people there about boarding my cats it seemed like a great place then I go to drop of my cats and get a call not long after telling me I need to pay a huge deposit that I was not initially told about because the people I had dealt with are apparently «new». The people there are RUDE beyond belief. They only give you half of the information you need then you get reprimanded when speaking to someone else because «we told you» blah blah blah. They apparently do not communicate with one another. This is a poorly run business with awful people running it. I went there with high expectations and have never been more disappointed with any service in my life. This place is awful!!!

I am «a bit» late to the party, but stoked nonetheless about the cats-​only vet facility. It is about the same distance away from my place (but North… kind of) as Southpark Animal Hospital, so it was a no-​brainer to at least check it out. And I am so glad I did! As soon as my one-​and-​only furry child got done hissing and growling himself silly at all the CHofA resident look-​alikes, that is.
It is nice to not worry about whether you are picking out chow or treats for the right animal family tree. Here, everything is catered strictly to felines.
Their giant «Tigger» greeter is adorable as well and makes me smile every time I come by.
The front desk staff and the tech I interacted with were all very up-​beat and helpful (despite some of them being under the weather with all the cedar pollen in the air).
I was so excited about this facility, I was ready to give them five starts from the get-​go. Alas, when they cleaned my furry boy’s ears, they didn’t do a very thorough job and I will not have an opportunity to bring him back for another several months, which sucks. But otherwise, it was an exceedingly pleasant experience.
Hooray for my new go-​to vet facility!
P. S. Almost forgot: they board cats. As one of the previous reviewers mentioned, your cat has to be a patient at CHofA in order to be boarded there, but it’s a useful thing to know for short-​term boarding needs.

Being feline only really put our sick kitty at ease, and Dr. Cassens (the relief vet) was great. She didn’t order tests that just rack up a ginormous bill, but was very judicious in every suggestion of treatment for our cat.
You hear all these stories about how a particular vet saved your beloved little fur-​ball, but rarely do you hear about loss. Unfortunately there was nothing they or any vet could do to save her. When we got the news they allowed us time to make our decisions and did not push us in any way. Ultimately we ended up making the hardest decision any pet-​parent/​guardian could ever make – to let your little one go.
They allowed us time with our little Lola. Two grown men, one a former Marine, sobbing over a tiny cat I would imagine is not part of a vet’s everyday workload. The entire staff was gentle not only with her, but incredibly respectful of us. We will most defiantly recommend Dr. Cassens and the staff here to anyone in need of a vet that not only practices good medicine, but has a real heart for your little-​one.