Nob Hill Cat Clinic & Hospital

03/04/2008 Posted by callmedestiny

On recommendation of a friend, I took my new kitten to Nob Hill Cat Hospital. When I arrived, the waiting area was not clean and the staff was inattentive. The exam rooms are large but not cleaned or sanitized after or before your visit and any exam is not done in the room. Your cat is taken to the back to be evaluated by the staff. This is disconcerting to me as to their methods. If the rooms are large enough why HIDE the standard treatment they give your cat? My kitten got a flea from another cat in the office which jumped onto it's fur and the vet assumed that he had fleas. Fleas burrow INTO the fur, they don't sit on top of the fur. On another visit, because my cat was coughing occasionally, the vet said he could have pneumonia or bronchitis which are both very dangerous for a young cat but prescribed hairball medicine which I found out later was for adult cats only. They told me to give my kitten what turned out to be 10 TIMES the amount recommended for an ADULT cat and an oral syringe. A syringe is useless for this molasses-like substance. I have found a new vet, a more knowledgeable vet who knew immediately what the coughing problem was, simply the stomach valves not functioning properly which is very common in kittens almost a year old. The staff marked on the oral syringe the correct amount and explained in detail what the medicine was and how to give it to my kitten. They also gave my kitten treats and a lot of attention and petting him. The coughing problem has now gone away, thanks to a competent veterinarian whose office doesn't hide the exams they give your animals. Take your cat elsewhere if you care about him or her.

Pros: Location, Cats only

Cons: Incompetent staff, mis-diagnosis, dirty

09/10/2007 Posted by coeroslisa

I went here not knowing what was wrong with my cat; new to the area I was nervous. After some oxygen and xrays, I found out why my cat was having trouble breathing- who knew?- cats get asthma just like people do! My vet was knowledgeable, very caring and gentle with my cat, the technicians were so kind to him- they met his every need also, it made all the difference to me and him. When I called to make an appointment the receptionist knew enough not to let us wait, she told us to come down right away for help and we did. When I paid my bill at check out time, I felt it was money well spent. My cat could have died, but thanks to them he didnt! I hope I never have to move anywhere else, I'd hate to loose Nob Hill Cat Clinic as my vet.

Pros: Cats only, caring Doctors and staff

Cons: No parking

01/25/2007 Posted by littleblackcat

An inside souce tells me that Nob Hill Cat knowingly overbooks cats for boarding over the Holidays. These overbooked cats do not get their own kennels, but get to spend their entire holiday in their very own carriers. On top of this, the owners get charged the regular boarding fees. This source also tells me that most nurses have little to no medical experience. Your cats become animals to train on. Better to go to a vet with liscensed technicians.

08/27/2006 Posted by susieplum

I took my cat in to have his teeth cleaned. When I dropped my cat off, I was asked to give consent to pull teeth if necessary. I clearly stated that if there was any risk involved, a doctor had to call me first and get my approval. Well, I got a call later that day telling me that they had gone ahead and pulled several teeth, and that they had broken his jaw in the process. And to top it off, they charged me for this -- close to $800. To make matters worse, they wired his jaw incorrectly. (The wire on my cat's jaw was loose and came out the sides of his mouth and wrapped around the outside of his jaw, rather than coming out in a little nub at the bottom of his chin, as was shown in all the pictures I could find of other cats with a wired jaw. I took my cat to another, reputable vet for follow up care, and even the vet's assistants gasped when I opened the carrier and they saw this.) I called Nob Hill Cat Clinic several times and asked to speak to the manager, but she never answered or returned my calls. I would recommend everyone to stay away from this clinic. I've had cats my whole life and have a fair amount of experience with veterinary clinics, but have never experienced anything like this.

08/21/2005 Posted by catfriend

I have recently moved into SF and found this to be a great hospital for my cat. My cat can be a bit hard to handle, but the doctors and technicians didnt seem to be at all phased by my kitty, she actually calmed down and was happy there. The only concern I have had was that the doctors cant always get to the phone when I call. They do call back the same day though. I overall love it there!

Pros: Great doctors, Friendly staff, Very cat friendly

Cons: Messaging system slow, parking can be tough

04/04/2005 Posted by tsaid

Dr. Doe is the best vet I've ever had. She's compassionate and knowledgeable. The fact that only cats are treated at the clinic makes for a more comfortable atmosphere for the cats. I've been going there for 18 years and would never go anywhere else.

Pros: friendly staff

Cons: parking can be diffic

01/11/2005 Posted by roscoelittledog

I have always had excellent experiences with this hospital and staff. I highly recommend them to anyone! My cats always seem to be so happy when they come home. The staff is so kind, and the doctors are very knowledgable. I find their prices to be about what my other vet in the city charges, and even if they were more, I'd still go there because of the medical care they offer.

Pros: Good Vets, Great medicine, Good staff

Cons: , Sometimes crowded , lobby

10/14/2004 Posted by suzeqzee

Nob Hill Cat Clinic is a bit like taking your car into the auto shop. Also, the office staff is agonizingly slow in completing any task. The one bright spot in this soviet style clinic is Dr. Rau. She truly loves cats, and will give you the real lowdown on your kitty and what you need to do. I assume she is directed by Dr. Doe (the owner) to suggest treatments that aren't entirely necessary - but she doesn't push. I love Dr. Rau so much that I have accepted some of her suggestions and buy some of their (overpriced) products so she doesn't get in trouble for not selling enough. Here's a suggestion - get some competent office staff and they won't take forever to complete one task - you might save some money there. Dr. Rau is the one reason that I keep taking my cat back there.

Pros: Dr. Rau, Convenient to Dntown

Cons: , Slow Office Staff, Expensive

09/08/2004 Posted by priya_rajkumar

When it came to the results of my cat's check-up, the vet was vague, but recommended many expensive procedures for "blood in urine." When I had questions, she acted like I was wasting her time, after spending $200. She tried to sell a $407 teeth cleaning, after she said the buildup on the teeth was MILD, and she tried to sell it to me immediately after telling me my cat was sick. I went to another vet for a second opinion (AFTER my cat had antibiotics for 10 days), who said that these procedures were unecessary and my cat was a picture of health. Do NOT let this SHAM of a clinic treat your cat like a car!