Especially Cats Veterinary Hospital, A Thrive Pet Healthcare Partner

The staff, from the Vets to the Vet-Tech to Front Desk crew, all are helpful, caring, friendly, knowledgeable. The staff genuinely cares about you and your cat. I have been going there monthly for the past 6 years as my many toed Torti requires a careful pedicure. Of course she has the staff completely fooled, they think she is just sweet and cute, little do they know that she has been a total skitzoid trying to get here to the vet today, leaving me totally done in. But that's ok, that's what we humans are here for, I'm firmly convinced of it. On a health note, hats off to the Vets for their progressive, modern medicine. They have kept my girl-kitty happy & healthy as she enters her middle age, I could not ask for anything more.

posted: 04/12/2017

Friendly staff is really what makes this place top notch. Also the the fact that they really care about every animal that comes in is a huge plus. If you're looking for a vet for your cat, this is one of the best options around the bay area. *Don't trust the review of Puja. That lady is obviously being a princess over one incident. I've cancelled last minute before and they rescheduled me for another day.

posted: 04/11/2017

My 19 year old cat was very sick so I tried to schedule an appointment, but they didn’t have any spots open. When I first tried to make an appointment, the only thing wrong for my cat was her back legs weren’t working fully. Two months later, her back leg was worse, she couldn’t walk without leaning on the wall, she didn’t eat much and slept all the time. She also became blind from blood in her eye from injury (caused by her not working back legs). We later learned she had thermoregulation problems. Despite being aware of this, especially cats didn’t move her up for an appointment or emergency care at all in the three weeks this happened. So I took her to the ocean avenue vet clinic and they found that she had a lot of problems, and we had to euthanize her. Even though my cat had been going to this vet clinic for almost a decade, they still didn’t care to save her life.

posted: 01/10/2023

I came to Especially Cats after one of my newly adopted kittens was having some ear trouble that a previous veterinarian could not decipher and didn't seem overly concerned about. I was really worried of course, because I knew he was not feeling well. They managed to get me in sooner than my current vet even could. I took the appointment on a day/during a time when I am really overwhelmed but really wanted my cat to feel better. Consequently I was really disheveled at the appointment. They bent over backwards to help my cat. Quiet, small, low stress exam room and waiting room. A very good environment. I was so impressed with Dr. Lawson. She did not leave one stone unturned and she developed an aggressive treatment plan to help him and had several possible explanations. She also identified some misaligned teeth to keep an eye on and some dental advice which is awesome. Nobody likes to hear bad news but catching things early and preventing is so helpful. She is no-nonsense and tells you how it is- which I love. She really puts the cats first and she gave me a lot of constructive but also positive feedback about myself as a cat guardian. She knows A LOT and is very smart. Right away I knew I could trust her advice. I think she is definitely the most thorough veterinarian I have seen. After growing up with dogs and converting to becoming a cat person, I really value the patient education aspect. One thing I've learned about cats is that there are a lot of misconceptions about them and that they have behaviors and needs that people don't really get or understand, so I think it is really important to have a veterinary hospital that does have thorough patient education. They really addressed the whole cat- lifestyle, play, food, litter box, cat/guardian relationship, etc. Of course the highlight of my experience was bringing him home finally feeling better after months of pain and cold ear drops everyday with no relief. They did an amazing job cleaning his ears, way better than my previous vet, and most importantly: he was WAY less stressed. The last vet visits would knock him out for two days because he was exhausted from the stress. I guess Casper gives them five stars too, because he finally slept peacefully (see picture) and has been purring and loving on me excessively today, almost like he's thanking me for finally getting him the care he needed. He also has been grooming and trilling and loving on his buddy (our other kitten Primo who is roughly the same age) who he had started bullying a lot (and acting out in general) over the last few weeks which I attributed to pain. It is amazing to see his behavior change with that tiny bit of relief. He also enjoyed some good neck scratches from Dr. Lawson during his visit. :) Prices seem to be on par with other veterinary hospitals in San Francisco- I didn't come here initially because I assumed it would be more expensive. Considering the cost of veterinary medicine in San Francisco, I feel happy with the price I paid for the quality of care I received- and of course them putting up with my scatter brain that day.

posted: 12/30/2021

Bringing my cat to the vet can be a task since he is a stray and doesn't like getting into carrier. He also freaks out around strangers and he doesn't come out from under the couch for days. I hate putting him through unnecessary stress, but understanding the importance of up keeping with his vaccines and wellness checks, my husband and I bring him to Especially Cats, where he is very well cared for by Dr. Ericka Carroll and the staff. I was quite impressed with the quick response and insightful follow up from Dr. Carroll. She is exactly what I would want my kitty vet to be, a cat lover who cares about my kitties and treats them well the way I do. When my cat comes back home from a visit to this vet, he doesn't seem stressed, he doesn't hide, and he eats right away, which just speaks about the great care he experiences when he is there. I am super super pleased with Especially Cats and I would definitely recommend them to any kitty owner who is looking to get the best care for their kitties! P.S The prices are very accessible and they don't over charge or request procedures unnecessarily :)

posted: 06/28/2021