Cat Clinic At Canyon Park

I adopted my cats from this clinic and they are now 10 and 11. The 10 yr old was constantly having problems. Sinus infections, runny nose, bad breath. Dr Gawley recommended the tiny teeth top and bottom in the front be removed. Success! He has not had any issues since.
My twin tuxedo cats have had problems over the years and Dr Gawley has been helping us get them healthy again. She even called me to check up on them as she was leaving on a 2 week vacation.
The clinic is very clean, no smell (as someone posted). There are numerous cats on site which makes it even more fun while waiting. What’s a cat clinic without lots of cats?
Barbara at the front desk is lovely and remembers my cats each time I need to visit.

I took my kitten to Dr. Gawley on the recommendation of the shelter I’d adopted him from a couple of months before. A recommendation from a shelter means a lot, because they deal with a lot of vets, and often have some very difficult injuries and conditions to treat. The shelter told me that Dr. Gawley had saved several cats that other vets couldn’t diagnose or had given up on.
I love the cat-​friendly atmosphere and the clinic cats are clearly very well cared for, happy and loved.
Unfortunately, my kitten was very sick — he had the dry form of FIP. Dr. Gawley is so knowledgeable, she could tell this right away, but examined him to make sure. She and her staff took great care of him for a few days while we were out of town, started him on an experimental treatment (at NO cost), and gave us updates.
Dr. Gawley could not have been more wonderful through the whole thing. She explained everything thoroughly. Her staff answered questions and made sure we knew how to administer the treatment when we got back.
We continued on the experimental treatment with high hopes, but after two weeks we realized he wasn’t responding to the treatment and his condition was declining. We made the difficult decision to have our 8 month old kitten put to sleep. It is tough enough to have those conversations about a pet who has had a good lifetime and absolutely heartbreaking to have a quality of life discussion about a kitten who hasn’t even been around a year.
Dr. Gawley was very compassionate and most of all very concerned about our kitten. Honestly, that’s what I want — someone who cares as much about my pet as I do and who will partner with me even when there are tough decisions to make. (If I need a counselor or bedside manner, I will go see a counselor for humans.)
Once he was put to sleep, Dr. Gawley very lovingly picked our kitten up and put him in a box for burial. NO other vet has ever done that. She was clearly as sad about the situation as we were.
Now, to address what some other reviewers have said:
— Have we had to wait for appointments? Yes, like any other medical office, sometimes emergencies come up, or other people’s pets take longer to treat than expected. When that’s MY pet who needs more time, I appreciate it. When it isn’t my pet, I remember when it has been mine and have some patience.
— Bedside manner — reference my comment above. If I want /​need a counselor, I will go to one. I don’t expect my vet to be my counselor. I want them to take good care of my pet, first and foremost, and I want them to have the expertise in the best way to take care of them, which I believe Dr. Gawley absolutely does.

Just an update for anyone that is interested. I took my cat to Urban Animal for a second opinion on my cats tooth and the vet told me that my cat did NOT need a tooth extraction OR root canal. Be careful if you take your cat to Cat Clinic, I was told by the vet there that I would have to pay for an exorbitant amount of money for my cat’s tooth extraction after only looking at my cats mouth for 10 seconds. Shady.

Dr. Gawley is very knowledgeable, I trust her judgment, I can be a difficult customer but she cited sources to back up her diagnosis and treatment plan. I have not had any difficulty getting questions answered by Dr. Gawley or the other staff members. They have been helpful both in person and on the phone. Also, the prices were reasonable, much less than a prior clinic I went to when I lived in Seattle.
On the negative side this clinic seems a bit disorganized. I was here once when another person was going to have to put his cat down and the conversation was started out in the lobby instead of a private room.
Overall, I intend to keep taking my cats here for annual check ups and anything else that comes up.

I recently took down a bad review of this place, because I realized I was writing it from a «crazy cat person» who-is-worried-and-frustrated-about-my-cat’s-medical-situation perspective. So I think it’s only fair for a more accurate depiction of this clinic which is not for everyone, but if you want your cat to be operated on by someone with a strong level of expertise and confidence, Dr. Gawley is your lady.
I started taking my cat to the Cat Clinic in late 2011 by recommendation of a friend, who is also a vet and closely acquainted with Dr. Gawley. The circumstances at the time were pretty dire as I didn’t have the credit or immediate cash to have my kitty’s abscessed anal gland operated on. Dr. Gawley and the people at the Cat Clinic took us in without any questions, and in the end my little Lucy was operated on and recovered rather nicely. In addition to that, the clinic set me up on a monthly payment plan to help me soften the hard hit of the huge medical bill. I was very pleased with the level of service I received with a few minor exceptions.
Months after her initial procedure, I boarded Lucy here during my vacations. I was satisfied with the overall cost and level of attention she received during her stay. Though later, I decided to hire someone to care for Lucy at home because we no longer lived in the area and commute to the clinic was difficult.
Subsequently, it was discovered during her anal gland operation and boarding, that Lucy had developed stones in her bladder. Dr. Gawley put her on a diet to help potentially eradicate the stones (or keep them from becoming larger), but about a year later when Lucy had started to urinate outside of the box, it was ]again, direly clear, that Lucy would require operation to remove the stones. Despite living nearly 25 miles away, my preference was for Dr. Gawley perform the operation. While Lucy’s recovery was extensive, requiring multiple overnight stays for about a week, she made it through. Unfortunately, the procedure was radically more expensive than I could ever imagine. Setting up a payment plan was really difficult, despite having never missed a scheduled payment with the past procedure (which was paid in full). I found myself having a very tough and embarrassing financial conversation at the front desk with a looming medical bill over $ 900 and with many other customers standing around. It was really stressful and my cat all the while was in her carrier anxious and crying, only amplifying the stress of the situation. Considering the number of times I called to check on Lucy (and during my visits to see her) as well as before her operation, it would have been nice if someone could have discussed with me the financials of her operation in private. In the end I paid a large portion of the bill and set up successive payments, to which I’m thankful for.
Ultimately I recognize that this clinic is high volume. The staff and Dr. Gawley are often slammed and not for a lack of staff, but simply due to being inundated with people like me with kitties who need affordable and emergent care.
I trust Dr. Gawley with Lucy’s anatomy and medical history in the sense of handling the major operations. This is something I have yet to find with another vet in Seattle. However, the minor drawbacks have become major over time. With every procedure Lucy’s had I’ve felt the communication isn’t there — frequently there is no follow-​up recommendations or anyone to really walk me through what to expect with Lucy’s care (before, during and after her operation). More often then not I’m relying on faith. This has made it hard to prevent emergencies, making it seem like the care is more reactive, which leaves me feeling less confident as Lucy’s companion.
As my cat has grown older and continues to require attention to her anal glands and potentially her urinary system, as well as her overall wellness, I’m hoping to leave the trust to Dr. Gawley for the more emergent operations Lucy requires while coordinating after and preventative care with a more local clinic.
It’s important to keep in mind the busy nature of this clinic. People bring their feline friends to Dr. Gawley for a reason. She’s real. She’s an expert at the really complex nitty-​gritty of cat care. She’s not there to make you feel better or to put on a fanciful show. If anything you are going to hear her snark about crappy pet companions or the stupidity of the human race — I find it to be somewhat funny. She’s a true cat person and when it comes to saving my kitty, I’d take my chances with and only with Dr. Gawley.

My fiancé brought our new kitten into this clinic, without me because I had to work. He said the appointment went well but that our cat would need mouth surgery. I requested that the vet call me to discuss the surgery. The vet called me and didn’t really take the time to explain why my cat needed surgery, it seemed she was most interested in getting me into the vet for the surgery so she could make money. I told her that I wanted to get some more opinions and call the place I had adopted the cat from so that I could see if they would pay for it (I adopted her from Meow only a week before). The vet said that wasn’t a good idea because it was likely that my cat could have developed the gum disease within the one week I had her for (Very Unlikely, if not impossible). The vet was not compassionate at all and talked to me like I was stupid. A week or so later we received a bill in the mail for something she had given my fiancé for free!!! My fiancé called the vet and stated that he was given the flea solution for free, so why were they now sending him a bill. The receptionist assured him they would remove the charges. A week goes by and I received a hand written letter from the vet saying that we needed to pay for the item she had given my fiancé (flea spray and the bill was for $ 35.00). I was so upset that I was told the charges would be removed, typically you pay at the time of service at a vets office yet she didn’t charge him anything until we decided not to have the surgery. I called the office again and the receptionist apologized and assured me she would call me back once she spoke to the vet about these charges.
A week goes by and no call back, I called the vet AGAIN and said I never received a call about the charges, the receptionist stated she had given the message to the vet and it was in the vets hands to call me back. I have worked in the medical field and the least the receptionist could have done was call me back and let me know what was going on.
This place is ONLY interested in making money and that is apparent. I felt I was being pressured into getting a surgery for my cat without anything being explained to me, I also felt that they are billing me for items I was 1) Told I would not be billed for and 2) Told the charges would be removed.
This has turned out to be a giant waste of time and a disappointment to me and my family.

I took my cat to this clinic because she seemed to have a difficult time eating and when I brought her in, the receptionist seemed rather scatterbrained and even a little rude and didn’t mention having to leave the cat overnight (which led to some frustrstion and more charges). The vet called that night at around 9pm, said she had cracked teeth and needed several removed but wasn’t going to work because she had a higher than normal temperature.
Next day comes by come 4pm the vet still hasn’t checked on her again and wanted to hold her for another night for even more cash. I decided at this point I was already plenty annoyed by them and pulled my cat out of the office and got charged shy of $ 400 for whole process which DID NOTHING for helping my cat with any of her issues. Dr. G’s bedside manner was more lacking. I strongly got the sense her clients were no more than a check for her and thought she was trying to get more money from me.
I have no idea what happened while there but when I got my cat back she was obviously traumatized and acted very strange and scared for days.
I was HIGHLY dissatisfied with my experience there and I would highly suggest NOT going here.

I can’t say enough as to how grateful I am to Dr. Gawley. I have 6 cats and used to take them to another vet hospital close by and never got the issues taken care of. Dr. Gawley always got the diagnosis right, treatment right and my cats are so healthy now. She went over and beyond to help with my mother’s cat as my mom has dementia and wasn’t taking proper care of him. She kept him for several days, no charge and did some tests no charge to figure out why he wasn’t keeping food down. It was a bizarre condition that no one else figured out, but she did. Now the kitty is with us and is on daily meds, but he’s eating and happy.
I highly recommend this clinic and trust Dr. Gawley to get to the bottom of any issue.

Dr. Paschal was who we took our cats to at this clinic, and we refused to see Dr. Gawley. When I last called to make an appointment for a check up, I learned that Dr. Paschal had left the clinic. I was forced to make an appointment with Dr. Gawley, which I figured would be okay just because it was a check up.
I arrived with my cat, and the receptionist (Barbara, I think) seems to be very scatter brained, doesn’t explain anything and isn’t helpful.
Our appointment was at 11, but we weren’t called into the office until 11:45. 45 minutes is a long time to wait when you have an anxious and stressed cat meowing.
So we finally get into the check up room, Dr. Gawley starts off «Sorry that took so long, those people before you would not shut up!» That’s nice to say of your paying customers who were probably just concerned about their cat! At this point she has not made eye contact nor greeted us in any other way.
I open the cat carrier door and my kitty doesn’t want to come out, understandably. Dr. Gawley simply picks up the carrier and dumps my cat out. At this point I was thinking, its okay if I were to do that to my cat, but definitely not okay for you to do that!
With her eyes looking onto the table, she asks why we came in, and I said check up/​vaccinations/​nail clipping. No response, and she proceeds to go through the regular check up. At this point, we can hear the receptionist in the front who is on the phone with a seemingly irate customer, as she is saying something about how the Dr. did indeed call the client back and left a voicemail etc. I thought nothing of it until Dr. Gawley started muttering under her breath about that customer, asking «who the eff doesn’t check their voicemails, do I have to give everyone a tutorial on how to check them?!» Uhhh.
I tried to talk to her about my concerns that I had for my baby, teeth cleaning, loneliness, eating habits. etc. but her only response to the multiple concerns was «it’s typical of aging cats to only want to eat wet food». No explanation, no addressing other issues, that’s IT.
After she weighs my kitty, she walks out with no word, and after a few seconds I can hear her clearly yelling and swearing about the customer and how it’s not her fault that the customer didn’t check his voicemails. Then she comes back with a syringe. She doesn’t explain to me what the vaccination is or if my kitty will be sore or anything after it.
I try to ask again about loneliness, and she hands me a pamphlet for this product and says I should look into it, as she is walking out the door. I stand there for a few minutes before I realize that the appointment is over, and she isn’t coming back in. I put my kitty back into her carrier and walk out to the front to pay a god awful amount of money for the worst, most unprofessional service I have ever received. Looking back on it, I should have refused to pay.
Needless to say, Dr. Paschal left for a reason, and we will never be going back to this clinic again, and I will recommend to anyone who has cats to avoid this place like the plague.

I kind of have to agree with all of these other reviewers. I will NEVER, ever set foot in this awful place again.
Dr. Gawley has the worst bedside manner that I have ever seen. My cats became poisoned after my roommate put over the counter flea medication on their skin (without my permission, but I digress). Dr. Gawley didn’t answer any questions I had, but did complain over and over about the migraine she was having. She is totally uncommunicative and just socially awkward.
Her remedy from stopping my cats from dying after getting the flea treatment? A simple bath. A simple bath that cost me $ 200 for one cat. I could have done that myself. Where do you get off charging $ 200 for a bath and no meds? I shouldn’t have paid it.
Anyway, I am now taking my cats to Cats Exclusive, where the vets are amazing and do their jobs efficiently.
I did adopt my awesome kitty from this place though, so I guess it was good for something. He deserves better than these people, and I would never, ever recommend this place.

The owners have several of their own cats free roaming inside the clinic. My cat isn’t used to this so she was unnecessarily frustrated/​agitated from the strong cat smell in addition being sick :(I also questioned the cleanliness of a clinic with free roaming pets.
I also agree that customer service is sub-​par. I wasn’t greeted very kindly when I returned to pickup medication. It was also strange that I was told to call back the clinic to hear the results of my cat’s blood and urine tests without knowing when they’d be ready! I would expect someone at the clinic would take the time to call me :(
The doctor was very knowledgeable and kind to my cat but had poor bedside manner — I feel she was more comfortable talking to cats than people. She’d avoid eye contact as much as possible and sometimes just leave the consultation room while talking without saying where she was going or when she’d be back. I nearly thought our consultation was complete the first time she hastened out. Very strange socially.
I’d rather find a cleaner clinic with better customer service. Sorry Cat Clinic! I really did want you to be nice since you’re so close to where I live! :(

I am beyond angry with the poor level of customer care this place gives. By the way, I am writing about a simple nail trim my cat needed done. It takes a lot for me to write a complaint, but before going in I asked the woman on the phone if it would be ok for me to bring in my cat who has not been in before, since she is only doing a nail trim. There’s a vet I have always taken her to in issaquah that I love, but the drive was a little far for a nail trim. Anyway, the woman was very nice to me on the phone and said to just call before coming in to make sure it’s not busy. So I call the day I take her and they said they are free to take her in. I bring her in minutes later, and the woman at the front desk (someone different) had immediate attitude about me not having an account set up. Ok, fine whatever. Ill fill out the paperwork. No big deal. But I saw two other customers were getting angry for waiting so long. They actually left. I became one of those angry customers. She grabs my cat in her kennel and tilts the thing sideways with no care! She tells me to wait in the waiting room. I usually go back with her. The vet who took her out was really nice. However, I go to the desk to pay and tell the receptionist I’m ready to pay, my cat is finished. She looks at me, then stares at the computer typing. She then answers the phone taking her sweet time talking. Ten minutes of me standing there… Nothing registers for her. I didn’t want to be rude. Nobody was waiting in he lobby, I was the ONLY one there. She the picks up the phone ignoring me still. I said, «excuse me, can I pay for this nail trim? I really don’t feel like having my cat sitting in her kennel all day.» She was like, «Oh, she’s finished?» Hello!?? I just said I was done a long time ago! Isn’t it obvious when I’m staring at you waiting to pay? She takes me debit card like she is pissed off at me for saying anything and drops it cause she seems irritated with me. It’s not my fault you aren’t paying attention. I feel like I’m a pretty patient person, but that was just ridiculous and very rude. My poor cat was needlessly waiting in her kennel for too long. I can’t believe how rude this woman was, and I noticed they don’t even have an email to complain. All this for a nail trim. I will just make the drive to the vet I take her to from now on. I am confused how this vet gets rated so high honestly.

Dr. Galway and Dr. Paschal are two of the kindest and most patient saints of veterinary medicine I have encountered. My fur babies have been patients of this clinic for five years. First Jane and Keeta, who I had brought with me from Texas and who later passed on, then my new adopted cat Luke.
Last October, I found an injured and abused 7 week old kitten in the street. He had internal injuries and his tail had been pulled so hard, it had separated the vertebrae and severed his spinal cord at the base of the tail. He needed a LOT of veterinary care over several months, which included treatment for dehydration and persistent non-​specific diarrhea, neutering, and complete tail amputation. He was in the clinic for a total of about three weeks. The staff (Katie!) and doctors always kept me informed of his condition, discussed treatment options with me (including a discussion on cost), allowed me to visit him as often as I was able, and they even allowed me to pay in installments. They really partnered with me to rescue and rehabilitate the world’s sweetest and cutest kitten who is now an indispensable part of my family and lil brother to Luke. We love bandit so much and I could not have taken on his case without their support and assistance. I am so glad we didn’t have to surrender him to a shelter and he can stay our forever fur baby. Our endless gratitude goes out to the entire staff. This is the place you need to go if your cat needs looking after. Thank you Thank you!

We’ve been taking our cat here for about 2 years now. I have no doubt whatsoever that these people care about the animals they treat. That being said, there seems to be a fair amount of chaos going on behind the scenes that can make your visit a little less enjoyable than it otherwise could be. The facility itself is getting dated and definitely due for a remodel. I suspect that they put most of their revenue towards caring for the animals so I try not to judge too harshly. There are always a few cats and kittens roaming the lobby hoping to be adopted so if you’re looking for a new friend, definitely a good place to start.
We’ve been seen by a couple of doctors here but I’m not sure of the names. The doctor in charge seems to be extremely caring and competent, as well as very knowledgable, however her bedside manner is better suited for her patients rather than the people that bring them in. She’ll take very good care of your pet but be prepared to feel a little like a 3^rd wheel.

I brought my 9 year old, stand-​offish, Siamese mix in for a pre-​insurance check up and shots. The Doctor was excellent with him. She obviously loves cats and works well with their temperament. I half expected my cat to hiss and or scratch and he was mellow and interested. He jumped up on the exam table after a few laps around the small room. He let her do her thing and all was well. The vet set the mood for him and he obliged. Also, I thought she was very personable. I have read the reviews on here and I just don’t agree with the negative ones. But I am sorry for your loss.

I just moved to the area, so I never brought my cats here until one of them suddenly showing a variety of symptoms. I can’t say enough good things; they got me in right away, and we didn’t have to wait at all. My cat is friendly to begin with, but she was so comfortable with the vet that she was just lolling all over the examining table, even over the vet’s notes. I feel so bad, but I honestly can’t remember which vet we saw that day.
Either way, our vet diagnosed my cat, made a couple suggestions, and sent us on our way. My cat’s symptoms returned once the we finished the round of medication, but I called in again at the last minute and even though it was our vet’s day off, she got back to the receptionist right away and put through a refill of the medications including an additional prescription.
The facility is very clean, which is quite the feat given how many cats they have at any given time. All the cats are super friendly and I really do look forward to seeing them as part of our visits. Not only that, the location can’t be beat in terms of convenience.
As long as I live in this area I’ll definitely be taking my cats here.
ETA: I do wish they had their hours posted somewhere!

I really love the cat clinic.
I was a little concerned when Dr Good left but they have added Dr Laurie Kallenborn in her place and she’s fabulous. She’s great with both people and cats and she has been absolutely wonderful with helping me figure out what my cat needs for his diabetes. Very responsive and caring and between us, we are working to find his right dosage of insulin. I don’t know what I’d do without her guidance. My cat thanks her too!
The people who work here all love cats and even have a little stable of extras that needed more attention than their previous owners could give them. It’s obvious by the calm nature of these kitties that they are being lovingly cared for by all at the Cat Clinic.

Dr. Gawley is wonderful. Although she isn’t always the best «people person», I don’t care because I know she really cares about my cats and does whatever she can for them. You can always ask questions if you want details and she’s happy to answer them.
I also do cat rescue & have brought her some very special cases. One involved a feral kitten who’s leg was caught under a fence. Another vet told me to keep giving the kitten aspirin even after about a week & the leg wasn’t doing any better. Brought the kitten to Dr. Gawley, she looked at it, disappeared in the back room and came back later w/​an older book which described what she thought the issue was. She gave me some meds and within days, the kittens leg returned to normal! I was so happy! Another time she kept a kitten that I got from a hoarder. I was ready to put him down because we had tried everything & weren’t able to fix his issue. Dr. Gawley asked if she could keep the kitten to see if there was something else she could try. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to help him & had to put him down but she tried everything possible before making the final decision. Dr. Gawley works with a lot of rescuers so she gets lots of training from all of our special cases. :-)
And, you can tell she’s a cat lover because there are cats all over the place who live there because they are special needs.

I love this vet. The staff are always wonderful, the clinic is full of kitties who are getting love, my four cats all get excellent care and their fees are very reasonable.

If you have a cat and live in the area, you should be bringing them to the Cat Clinic at Canyon Park.
I had a young Siamese named Kreecher who was my best friend. He started acting tired all of the time and stopped eating. All he wanted to do was lay on my lap and sleep. In a bit of a panic, I looked on-​line and found the Cat Clinic.
The staff was wonderful and caring, real cat people who understood where I was coming from as a panicked cat-​dad. They got me an appointment right away and the friendliness and professionalism continued when I brought Kreecher in.
The vet who saw to him was compassionate and skilled, treating my cat like he was my kid, which is what he was to me, and not just a pet. They wanted to keep him overnight for observations and I felt completely comfortable leaving him in their care.
The test results showed nothing good. He was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and didn’t have long left. I was a complete wreck and all I wanted to do was sit with my kid till the moment came. Since he wasn’t in any shape to come home, the staff let me stay after hours and really went out of their way to accommodate me and Kreecher.
When he passed away, the vet called me in tears with the news. I had just left to go home to get some sleep before coming back in the next morning. She performed an autopsy on her own time, so I would know for sure that it was cancer and that there really, truly, was nothing we could have done besides make him comfortable. That extra step was one I needed, because, as I’m sure all pet owners wonder, I couldn’t help thinking «could I have done something different?»
They handled all of the cremation services for me and had Kreecher’s remains placed in a ceramic urn with his paw print set in clay to go with it.
It was a hard experience for me and, honestly, if I had gone to any other vet office it would have been a nightmare. I cannot thank them enough for their caring natures and professionalism. I will not do business anywhere else now.