Resident cat in the Vet's office

we use a couple clinics for different things...one does and one doesn't. The one that doesn't likely doesn't because the head vet is an old school "dog man" that sees cat's because he has to. LOL.

the other has a large orange ex Tom that is allowed everywhere. BUT this cat does not like dogs so before you are taken back they look for him to make sure he won't go after your dog. IF said cat had a go at one of my dogs, let alone managed to injure one, I would expect A LOT of compensation and I would absolutely report the clinic. So they should hope that never occurs.

I agree with Gina and Karen.  It is too great a risk for both animals and certainly not fair to the cat who could be made mincemeat if a dog decided, esp. if more than one in the waiting area gang up on the cat.  Certainly many of us have been to the vet in instances where others have little control of their leashed dogs and I can see this turning bad very quickly.  It also stresses both animals and can't be good for the one with the appointment.

I would also hesitate to keep a healthy cat in the clinic and allow it to roam as it will be exposed to every diseased cat that comes in.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks a cat roaming loose in a clinic isn't a great idea.  I know quite a few dogs who would go ballistic at the sight of a cat.  Mayhem would soon follow.... 

 Sounds like it's more common than I thought when I started this thread.  I still think it's a questionable idea.

Another thing...my Vet has a cat room in the waiting area, and I never see anyone use it!  They sit in the main waiting room, and if you are lucky, the cat is crated.  Duh!!!

 I always thought it was cool that the clinic had resident cats.....and at the same time, risky.  The several clinics I have used over the years all had resident cats.  The clinic recently even had staff owned dogs wandering around.  My current clinic has non, as far as I can tell.  At least I have never seen one.....

oranges81

I will add that if the nurses know ahead of time that your animal has problems with cats, then they are more then willing to put Tank in the cage behind the reception desk. And unless you own a GD, the dog won't see or hear the cat

why should I have to do this? why should it even occur to me when I am taking my dog....to a VET, for care? Who would actually consider random roaming loose animals at a VETS office? a place that should be considered very controlled, sanitary, and safe for injured sick or visiting animals? There is no logic to putting the onus on a dog owner who is paying their fair share to a clinic to bring their animal in. THE CLINIC should consider that lack of logic and not just "assume" your dog is fine with a cat because you didn't mention it. That's my view...your mileage may vary.

rwbeagles

why should I have to do this? why should it even occur to me when I am taking my dog....to a VET, for care? Who would actually consider random roaming loose animals at a VETS office?

Exactly.  The owners who walk in carrying a cat in their arms are bad enough. 

there's a lot I don't get about "some" owners of cats sometimes...and we have 2 cats, but they are held to very similar standards as the dogs as to behavior, containment and control.

My problem is that Jamison LOVES, LOVES, LOVES going to the Vet's office.  However, he is afraid of cats.  If he were to run into a loose cat in the Vet's office, he might start associating the Vet with being afraid and become reluctant to go.  Does that make any sense??

Deb W.

makes a lot of sense Deb. IMO, this is not a home situation, but a business...and if a large part of your business is people with DOGS, I am unsure how having a cat loose on the property is really considering the clientele much. Maybe in your own personal part of the practice, or the "cat wing" if you have one..but just, anywhere? Kind of like an allergists office keeping a cat, sure not EVERY client is going to have  a reaction to your cat BUT...makes you scratch your head. LOL.

Similarly I worked at a Petco briefly that had a store cat and it was rushed on SEVERAL occasions by on lead dogs, with very suprised and dismayed owners, they certainly did not appreciate having to watch for loose cats while buying dog food. LOL.

 The clinic I work at had a resident cat for years. She was pretty well versed  around animals and never went past the counter (she usually, in fact, was asleep on a bed on the desk)..never wandered the waiting room floor, etc.  She also was a great judge of when it was and was not a good idea to enter the treatment area. (if aggressive dogs were hooked up, etc)  She passed away at around age 16 and, as far as I know, didn't have any mishaps in the 8 or so years she was a clinic cat.

 I also have seen cats at the clinic where I go. They haven't had one there in quite some time. Not sure if they have one over at their other office or not. They also had these cats because they were unadoptable and used them for blood donors. I thought it was great that these cats were given their life and not euthanized, which was the only other option in their case. The over population of cats is much worse than the dogs and that problem is certainly a big problem. A lot of clinics have waiting rooms that are for both cats and dogs so what do people do in that case. I totally agree that cats should be in crates but a lot of people just don't do that. I've never had any concerns, when I've taken various dogs to the vets, with either cats in the same waiting room or the resident cats. I always find that the receptionists do a good job making sure there are no dog to dog problems, or cat to dog problems, if that may be the case.