Stefania Toscano
I took my cat to the vet for her spay surgery, and the entire experience was extremely disappointing. I was given no pre‑procedure advice at all; the only reason I knew she needed to fast was because I’ve owned cats before. When I collected her after the operation, she was visibly distressed. The vets came out with her and told me they “couldn’t manage” to put the protective suit on because she was too stressed, and suggested I do it at home since “cats are usually better with their owners.” This felt like a poor excuse — she was so stressed she wouldn’t have let anyone near her. I eventually agreed to have her sedated again so they could put the suit on. Even then, I was given no discharge sheet or aftercare instructions. When I got home, I realised the suit didn’t allow her enough space to urinate or use the litter tray properly. She ended up urinating inside the suit, which I had to remove immediately to avoid infection. I called the Medivet 24‑hour hospital for help, and they refused to see her. They told me to “just come and buy a cone” and put it on myself. When I asked if they could fit it for her, they said no — that I would have to wait until Monday and speak to my own vet because they “didn’t know the cat.” That night my cat was howling, and I became worried she was in heat despite having just been spayed. After looking online, I learned that it’s generally not recommended to spay cats while they’re in heat. The vet had never mentioned this or offered any reassurance at any point. On Monday, I finally spoke to the vet in charge, Sian. She listened to my concerns, and I asked for compensation for the stress caused and for the unusable suit — whether it was the wrong size or simply not suitable for toileting, I was never advised how to manage it. She offered a refund if I returned the suit, which I agreed to, although it felt like an odd request given everything that had happened. Today I returned for the post‑op check‑up. Sian examined my cat, but her manner was patronising. When I asked where I could leave feedback about my experience, she responded passive‑aggressively with, “I know we talked about it yesterday.” When I pointed out her tone, she replied, “Please don’t shout at me,” even though I wasn’t shouting — my voice was understandably strained from the stress of the situation. I will now be moving my cat to another practice. The only reason I’m giving two stars is because of the receptionist, Stacey, who was genuinely kind and even made me a drink when she saw how distressed I was.
