Frequently Asked Questions

While our clinic name can be deceptive, we see a wide array of appointments from wellness and preventative care to sick visits and medical procedures, including dentals and certain surgeries.

As a primary care provider, we will not perform any anesthetized procedures on any patient without them first being seen here by one of our own doctors for an exam, regardless of how recently they may have been seen elsewhere. Surgical, dental, or other procedure visits will not be scheduled until the successful completion of an examination visit.

Elective (planned/scheduled) procedures being done for stable patients will require vaccines be current, even if a cat is indoor only. Rabies vaccination is a legal requirement for all cats in Indiana regardless of their living arrangements. RCP vaccine is considered a core vaccine for all cats. If you aren’t certain whether the vaccines your cat has received are considered current, bring your most recent records to your consultation appointment and our doctor can assist in updating vaccines if any are needed. If no records are available, the core vaccines at a minimum will be boostered.

Yes! We are glad you found us and would love to meet you and your feline family member(s). Giving us a phone call is the most efficient way to get established on our schedule for the first time. 

If your kitty has been seen by another veterinarian, it can be helpful for continuity of care to have any previous medical records forwarded to our clinic ahead of their appointment with us.

To ensure that each patient receives the focused attention they deserve, our clinic operates by appointment only. 

Same day availability is limited. In some instances, we are able to accommodate drop-off appointments for patients if we feel a cat may need to be seen more urgently but our regular schedule is booked. Priority for these types of appointments goes to our established patients seen regularly (at least annually) by our doctors and fill fast.

Our team will try their hardest to secure your cat a spot on our appointment list, but if we cannot see your pet in as timely manner as we think they should be seen or it sounds like a patient needs immediate critical care then we may advise you to have your pet seen by an emergency facility.

Please notify our office as soon as possible! We understand that life happens; however, no-shows or last-minute cancellations unfairly take appointments from other cats needing to be seen. If we receive advanced notice, we can utilize that opening, keep our schedule flowing, and ensure that more cats can be seen when they need us with less delay!

An appointment no-show will result in a non-refundable reservation deposit (equal to the cost of an exam) being required to secure a new spot. This deposit will be applied towards the amount owed at the time of the scheduled appointment when completed. If the appointment is missed, the deposit is forfeited, and a new deposit would be required to schedule again. 

We are happy to assist with rescheduling with no explanation required, but we do ask that you inform us as far in advance as possible and at least 1-2 business days prior to the scheduled appointment. Repeated last-minute rescheduling will result in non-refundable reservation deposits being initiated.

In an effort to minimize potential disruption to the schedule, we reserve the right to limit the number of cats scheduled by one owner per day in the case of previous no-shows or last-minute rescheduling.

Total appointment costs vary depending on what is needed by the patient. Our team can assist in giving general cost estimates over the phone for certain things; however, it is important to remember that an estimate is an ESTIMATE. It cannot always be predicted what a patient will need or what all will be recommended on the day of the appointment until the patient is examined by a doctor. Additionally, as our clinic’s own costs rise, our prices are subject to change so that we can continue to operate as a proudly independent veterinary practice and serve the cats who need us. Our prices are reflective not only of the cost to us but also the value of our services provided and expertise as feline focused veterinarians and team members.

We realize that each of our clients may be coming in with unique budgets and goals when it comes to their pet’s care, so we do our best to provide a variety of options and plans and will work with owners to determine which route they feel best for their given circumstances.

Full payment is due at the time of services rendered or product pick-up.

We understand that unexpected expenses can show up at inopportune times, so our clinic is enrolled in Scratchpay, an external payment plan provider, as a means of assisting our customers in securing funds they need. You can text PLAN to 97364 to apply or visit scratchpay.com 

Waggle.org is a crowdfunding pet platform that may be an option to help raise funds for your cat’s medical care needs. https://www.waggle.org/about-us/how-we-work/

We will work with any insurance company an owner chooses for their pet, but if you are new to pet insurance it is important to understand how it works. Pet insurance plans operate on a reimbursement basis. This means that the complete balance is still paid out by an owner to the clinic at the time of services rendered. Owners are responsible for submitting their own claims to their insurance provider, who then determines how much will be reimbursed back. Our role is to provide medical records directly to the insurance company upon their request.

We have seen about every type of cat carrying receptacle out there– Dr.C even started a BINGO list of them. Hard carriers are our preferred type as they are more sturdy, secure, and easier to sanitize than soft sided carriers. A dual entry (top and side opening) hard carrier in particular is an excellent choice as it allows us multiple avenues by which we can get your kitty in and out of the carrier here in our clinic. A carrier in which the top can be unlatched from the base can be a nice option for some of our nervous or timid patients as our doctors may be able to complete portions of the exam while they remain in their own comfort space. 

The highest priority is making sure that your cat comes in some type of secure carrier. This keeps them safe for transit to and from our office and also offers a “home base” for them in an otherwise unfamiliar environment while in our clinic. It is important to double check all latches, screws, zippers, etc before exiting the car or building to make sure that your cat is secured.

If you are unable to acquire a suitable carrier in time for your appointment, PLEASE let us know. We have spare carriers that we are happy to loan you to help get your cat safely in and out of our building. This is prefered to coaxing loose scared cats out from under cars and fearing they may run out into the street.

We routinely see cats of all temperaments here. We love all our patients, even the spicy ones 🌶 

If your kitty is absolutely not having it on the day of the appointment, in-office sedation can be provided. If you have significant doubts about your cat’s willingness to cooperate without sedation, the safest option is to fast them prior to their appointment (we are happy to assist with recommendation on timing of the fast when you schedule your appointment- just let us know!). 

Legally we cannot dispense or prescribe any medications to give ahead of the visit to cats that we have not seen within the year. If they have been seen by another veterinarian within the past year, check with them as they may be willing or able to prescribe a medication to possibly assist in making them more amendable to being handled in a strange place with strange people. Once our doctors have seen the cat, we can explore pre-visit sedative options through our office for future visits.

Grooming and boarding are services that we offer to clients who consider us their regular veterinarian. This requires at least an annual exam by one of our doctors. For patients new to our practice, a separate appointment is required to get established prior to scheduling a groom appointment or boarding drop-off. Same day groom or board is not available to patients we have never seen. 

As with elective procedures, current exam and vaccines are required prior to grooming or boarding. Patients with chronic illnesses being managed must be current on their required blood work monitoring. 

If you are looking for a cat groomer, you have likely discovered how challenging combing, shaving, or bathing a cat can be. Therefore, grooms that we offer here are done under sedation to minimize our patients’ stress levels and reduce risk of development of negative associations. 

Our priority is ensuring that the medical needs of our patients are met first and foremost. If the doctor has concerns about your cat’s health aside from aesthetics, they may recommend postponing the groom in favor of a medical work-up. For mature, senior, or geriatric cats, screening blood work is generally recommended. Changes in grooming habits, coat changes, or matting may be signs of an underlying health problem in cats.