The Cat Hospital

We’ve been coming to the cat hospital for years. Dr. Shanker treats our girls like family. We love the caring service that we receive when we’re there. Dr. Shanker and the girls we usually deal with are 5 stars!
This morning however we met a staff member named Lisa that left an incredibly bad taste in our mouths. She is rude, sarcastic, and uses a tone of voice that is incredibly condescending. Lisa gives 1 star service. Highly disappointing for such a fantastic establishment.

Thank you so much to the staff here & Dr. Shanker!
I called on Saturday at 11:15am (they close at 1pm) I told the receptionist of my situation. My cat was squinting & her left eye was watering really bad also she was sneezing a lot. I was scared she could be developing a infection. The receptionist could tell I was concerned, she let me know they were booked but if I wanted to come in & wait the doctor could check kitty’s eye when he got some free time.
I arrived later than I’d hoped because getting her in the carrier is a challenge lol. They called me in a little after 1pm & Dr. Shanker was so kind. He sat down, answered all my questions. Didn’t rush me at all just because they were closed, was helpful & kind. I thought the price was fair $ 60 for the exam & fair price for medication. I made a few calls & some places wanted up to $ 250 just to be checked on a Saturday!
Thanks again Cat Hospital, we will be back :)

I had to bring my senior cat in today for an emergency. She couldn’t breath well & has been puking a lot. They were very kind & gentle to her & to me. I was expecting the visit to cost a fortune & was pleasantly surprised that it. was only about $ 250.
I will continue bringing my kitties to them & recommend them to my friends.

I LOVE this place! It is a hidden treasure (I say that because it’s an easy-​to-​miss turn, nestled back in a tiny beautiful redwood forest right on Hamilton Ave.)! Every time I take my kitty in, the receptionists are friendly and efficient, and the environment is extremely clean and comfortable, unlike many pet hospitals I’ve been to before. I love the cozy little waiting room! Comfortable seats, lots of magazines, and the Hallmark Channel playing on the TV. Can’t go wrong! :) Over the past three years, my cat has been seen by three different vets, who have all been very knowledgable and helpful in treating any kitty ailments that come up. (I don’t mind the rotating vets because it’s perfect for getting a quick appointment, if needed.) Also, I appreciate that they all (vets, techs, and receptionists) genuinely seem to care for my cat’s well-​being. Most recently, Dr. Hermansen has seen my kitty. She was awesome! I could tell she was treating my cat with the same love she’d treat her own. I feel very comfortable leaving my beloved cat in the hands of anyone at The Cat Hospital. And huge bonus, I never feel like they’re trying to rip me off or suggest anything outrageous. I am always extremely satisfied with my experiences at this great place!

Let me say that we have been going to The Cat Hopsital for many years. All of our kitties and foster kitties have been cared for there. We have kitties/​kittens of all types in our household from regular needs to special needs. (3 legged, neurologic, feral, Senior and Cerebellar Hypoplsia kitties)
Recently when Flower started having problems with her mouth impeding her ability to eat she had to have many teeth removed, which I was very resistant to. But after many months, a 3 pound weight loss, and the pain she was having, we knew that she needed the surgery. Flower had a few issues on and off during her 1^st 30 days. Dr Hanney assured me that it was too soon to make a judgement. Now she is at 50+ days since surgery and our Flower is back up in weight, no longer has sores in her mouth, her breath smells great, she is playing and no longer afraid to eat. I cannot tell you how great it is to have Dr Shanker, Dr Hanney, and Dr Mattern to rely on for our kitties needs. They have been there for hip surgery for Sox, amputation of a stump that Stimpy came to us with as a kitten, mass removal for Cassies Dream, Flowers needs, as well as regular care in good times and sad for our kitties over the years. The Drs and Staff are awesome and caring. They love our kitties the way we do. You won’t find a more complete hospital for kitties.

Today we went to The Cat Hospital and saw Dr. Hanney. This visit was very helpful, and we feel we were given very sound advice concerning our senior cat. Dr. Hanney is intelligent, perceptive, patient, open, friendly, knowledgeable, and rather than to suggest an expensive tooth-​removing procedure (that 2 other vets recommended), she told us that due to the age of our cat we should let him be and feed him well, all things considered. Thank you Unilocal and Thank You Reviewers for mentioning Dr. Hanney!

Had one good experience taking our cat there before (thus the 3 stars). Stopped in today to make an appointment for a health checkup of our 2 cats, because I have a couple weeks off work and need to bring their shots current and so forth, and they turned away the business –they said it has to be an emergency to get an appointment in under a month.
Good for them that the cat care business is booming — but you might want to look elsewhere for care unless you can prove your cat is in an immediate emergency.

We have been using the cat Hospital for years and years and I can’t see taking my cats any other place !! The front desk staff is always super nice and helpful and go beyond the places I have taken my cats when I lived out of area for a few years. One of our oldest cats that past away was in for a cold one time not doing very well due to age and one of the staff was holding her like baby when we came in to calm her down, something you don’t see very often. We have anyways seen Dr Shanker and he has always been great with all of our cats and giving us the best advise for care. Thank You Cat Hospital !!!

First of all I want to thank Dr. Hanney and staff again for taking really good care of my cat Kirei.
I had my kitty boarded at the Cat Hospital for a week until halfway during her stay she fell terribly ill and was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Dr. Hanney immediately called me with the news and unfortunately I missed her call. When I called her back she explained what was going on and that she would like to start treatment right away with my consent along with an estimated cost of the treatment. The lovely ladies in the reception area always contacted me with the estimated cost of anything else that has been added which is really nice because I can be prepared with the payment and not be surprised.
Dr. Hanney is very caring, devoted and passionate at what she does. She called me almost everyday with an update on Kirei’s health and even went into work on her day off to check up on Kirei. That really put a smile on my face to know that Dr. Hanney did that.
My kitty Kirei made a remarkable recovery and when I went to pick her up the ladies in the reception area were calling her the «miracle cat». All in all I’m happy with the services at the Cat Hospital. Oh and one more thing they emailed me a picture of Kirei on her second day of boarding there which was really cool.
Thank you Dr. Hanney and staff you all are wonderful.

I stopped using The Cat Hospital a year ago because of concerns with both care and communication. I understood that my senior cat needed to be seen twice a year, but she also needed to be sedated each time. The blood tests kept showing a low white blood cell count, so that would mean antibiotics, another visit back for a blood test, and more sedation. It just seemed like too much sedation! They also have terrible communication at the front desk, and it is impossible to get a hold of anyone via e-​mail (it’s like they don’t know we’re in Silicon Valley). I am very happy with my new vet (Pinnacle) who decided that, given the age of my cat, once a year blood tests are fine unless she is showing symptoms. They do e-​mail and also have evening appointment hours.
Message to front desk at The Cat Hospital: You are still sending me reminder post cards, but I haven’t been there in a year. I did let you know that I was changing vets, by the way.

I guess I thought that I had reviewed this place already. It deserves it after so long!
First off, I used to live down the street and so that’s why I started going there in the first place. It was just fortuitous placement I guess. I live across town almost in Milpitas now and I figured I’d find someone closer to home as the drive is a long one some days for the cats if they have an appointment. Tried one place down the street — horrible and overpriced. Tried another place on Labor Day weekend close to me because they were open and Cat Hospital was not — regretted that after discovering I was paying almost $ 800 for an hour’s office visit. Yeah, no.
I went back to The Cat Hospital with my cat (he has struvite crystals) inquiring as to the surgery that the other place had highly recommended. Dr. Shanker called me personally that night and explained the details of it and how he was recommending strongly against it, and we could just save money by being more aggressive in a dietary change for the remainder of my cat’s life. You can hear the sincerity in his voice and his love of both veterinary science and cats. At random office visits, I’ve cycled between him and other staff and they all show the same level of caring and commitment that makes me sorry I opted for a slight locational convenience on my side of town. I’ll never go to another place for my cats again except The Cat Hospital. Exceptionally fair prices too that they are VERY upfront about before they even do anything.
All in all, they’re fantastic for cats and I’ll never go anywhere else.

I’ve wanted to write this review for a long time. I have been taking my cats to The Cat Hospital for the last 20 years. I’ve always found the staff to be caring and professional. They get very busy in there at times, but they always seem to handle the crowd well. Yes, I have waited for an appointment, but never for an unreasonable amount of time.
I want to give a shout-​out to Dr. Phillip Shanker, who my cats Ash-​lee, Sheddy and Samson saw for years. They have all passed away now, but I always felt I was treated with compassion by Dr. Shanker and his staff. Dr. Shanker is a highly qualified feline specialist and it shows in his level of professionalism, time he takes to examine the cat, and the follow up afterwards. Dr. Shanker always followed through with all test results, issues and decisions to be made about my cats. Sometimes he would call after hours at 7:30pm or so. He works long hours, but still takes the time to have a lengthy phone conversation if need be. I think he truly cares about cats and people. He’s the best veterinarian out there in my opinion. I wish I still was able to go there as we have just adopted two kittens. We moved recently and the drive is just too far for us now.

My fiancée waited 45 minutes there just to buy diabetic cat food (prescription only).

I’ve been meaning to write this for awhile now. I took my kitten here (only because my vet wanted something like $ 500 to spay her… funny…didn’t think she was puma… but anyway) and I was pretty shocked at how impolite the staff was. I dropped her off in the morning (7am) and at 1pm I called to check in on her and the gal told me (with a frank tone) that she had not gone in yet. I was shocked. I was a it upset and the gal did nothing to calm me — just said, we will call you when she is out. Hope no one ever says that to her when she’s waiting on a loved one (my animals are my kids). They called back around 3pm and said I could pick her up around 5pm. When I did, the vet assistant told me they broke off one of her baby teeth — but no big deal — not a permanent one. Did a gorilla work on my kitten? How do you break a tooth? Rushing? Anyway, I only knew of the Cat Hospital because years ago I took my cats there. They have long since gone home, but I would never take my cat back. I didn’t even take her back to get her stitches out — I took her to my vet. Thumbs down for you.

I’ve been a client here for over a decade with several cats.
First the good: Christine Hanney. She is wonderful, everything you could want in your vet: highly competent, clear communication, compassionate and caring. If she was the only vet my cats ever saw here I would give this place five stars. Over the years I’ve had to have two cats euthanized, and I am so thankful that Dr. Hanney was the one to guide us through this difficult process. If she ever left I’d follow her to her new practice.
I’ve less experience with Dr. Mattern and Dr. Hermansen. Mattern seems to be cut from similar cloth as Hanney. When she had to tell me that my cat’s condition might be terminal, she was clear so as not to set unrealistic expectations, but also gentle and compassionate. Hermansen seems to be a little more clinical, but nothing upsetting.
Now the bad: Unfortunately, it’s the practice founder. He talks to you like you’re a veterinary student, and your pet is a lab animal. At this point I think his skills would be better suited to a research position, as his bedside manner leaves much to be desired. I do believe he is a highly competent vet, but I am so thankful Dr. Hanney was available when our furry babies were sick.

I have been happy with the care of my cat! The front office ladies are kind and friendly. However lately I feel that they always are going to sedate my cat every time for grooming. This is an extra $ 40.00. I have taken my cat to other groomers and they never had to sedate him and usually comment on how chill he is during this process. I have decided to go elsewhere for grooming. I do not like that they medicate him and feel that it’s not needed but an opportunity for an extra charge. Mind you this cat has seen and had his teeth cleaned in front of me with no sedation and had not been aggressive.

As good as it gets!
This place has been around for a very long time with staff that has been there for 10+ years. They are friendly, caring and know how to take care of those small family members of yours!
The hours are great so getting there early before work makes it all the more convenient.
Boarding is great as well, as some of us do travel. If you want a tour to see where your little one will be, just ask!
The Doctors are caring, professional and understand that when you come in, its not always happy times and they will do their very best to provide aid and comfort!

Yesterday, we brought in a feral rescue kitten for an exam, shots, and bath. Although the appointments schedule was full, The Cat Hospital still let us drop her off and pick her up later in the day.
When we arrived, the nurse immediately pulled our kitten out of her carrier, and gave her a kiss. I knew right then and there that our kitten was in the RIGHT hands, and would be treated with love. You can’t put value on that kind of service, but I feel you can put trust in it. The doctor took time out of her busy schedule to call us with an update, even though everything was fine.
Not only would I recommend The Cat Hospital to other «parents,» I will be using them exclusively for our cats as long as I live in the South Bay.
THANK YOU FOR THE EXCELLENT SERVICE! =^.^=

They always take good care of my kitty, who is 17 years old. She’s boarded there numerous times and always comes out happy and content. The ladies there love her and tell me how sweet she is.
They aren’t cheap, but I feel it’s worth the price. The service is a little slow, but pleasant once it comes.
It would be nice if they acknowledge a person’s arrival but they just ignore them until they’re ready to provide service. They also are on the phone quite a lot while multiple people are waiting. It is a huge customer service issue to me for a business to give priority to phone calls over individuals there actually giving you business.

Dr. Kirsten K. Mattern saw our 15 year-​old American Shorthair this morning for a physical and a geriatric feline blood draw (to check for any problems/​deficiencies). I called & left a message after-​hours and was contacted immediately.
She obviously loves cats (I know this should be obvious, but it’s pretty clear that she cares about each cat patient that comes in as an individual, and treats them as such), and she loved our JJ. Our cat is a loving and has a sweet disposition –she has to, with a 7 year-​old kid and her friends running around. Speaking of kids, my daughter was with me and JJ, and was obviously concerned about her kitty. Dr. Mattern assured her that she was going to get great care, and made good on that promise.
When reading some of the prior reviews about The Cat Hospital, I take some of them with a grain of salt, because I know cat owners can be a «finicky» lot.
I wasn’t exactly feeling chipper today (I had a migraine –those are always fun), and I appreciate that the Dr. was just as cordial with this old wildcat as any other feral creature that she might encounter this week. She asked lots of questions about JJ and was gentle and professional, letting us know what she was doing during the exam, and why. She also informed me about what older kitties go through as they age.
The front office was excellent. Very professional and courteous. The entire waiting room, office and exam room (even the bathroom) was spotless and orderly. I appreciate that there’s a double-​glass door entrance, so if a cat «escapes», they’ll get out the first set of doors, but can’t get out into the «wild» (the parking lot and beyond), unless someone happens to be opening the other set of glass doors. Really smart design!
There were other cats in the waiting room (I found some of their voices amusing, because they’re all so different), and several of them were there for boarding and grooming. From what I could gather from my shameless eavesdropping (I drowned out CNN on the TV in the waiting room), these are return passengers, and have been there regularly, which is a really great sign.
Total for the exam, a vaccination (FVRCP only –she’s indoors-​only), and the G5/​T4 blood test/​hazardous waste fee came to $ 193.50. They also clipped JJs nails at no charge (offered as a courtesy and optional –I usually do this on my own, but heck it was free, so why not). The blood test was totally optional, but I wanted to do it. Not a problem & the cost seemed reasonable –money well spent, IMO.
Will continue to go out of the way to go to The Cat Doctor (6 ½ miles away from home), because it’s worth it to us to have best veterinary care that we can for our «fur baby».