Cat Clinic Inc

It's been many years since I have seen Dr. Digman as I moved out of the area. I raised Burmese cats at the time and found myself in the office very frequently. He still remains in my mind as the most skilled and intuitive diagnostician I have met to date!. It was true the bill was frequently steep but for those of us who know particular vulnerabilities of cats in general, those "extras" that we might question may be the very supports that have afforded our cats good health!

I've been to the Cat Clinic a few times now and have decided that this is not the kind of place I want to take my cat.

I have a 13 year old cat with a sweet disposition who also hates going to the vets. She hisses and growls up a storm when there but has never lashed out at any of the vets I've taken her to in the past. Most have asked me to hold her when they're giving her her shots as she's a little calmer when I hold her down.

The Cat Clinic now has a note on her chart to say that she's a safety risk and must be sedated before she'll be seen for anything (even if I can be in the room with her) and is also handled with huge gloves used for violent animals.

This means that when I took her in last time for a lump under her arm to be checked (no tests, no needles) she had to be sedated. The doctor then went on to say that she needed to have the lump surgically removed without explaining what it was, etc., then left the room promptly with the cat. I could hear her screaming from the back room (god only knows what they were doing to her), was ushered out to the front desk, charged $245 and left with my drugged up cat.

This is definitely the last time I take my cat to this clinic. I think it's deplorable that my cat should have to be sedated to the point that she can't even lift her head (and so heavily so that she doesn't fully come out of it till 5-6 hours later!) for a simple visit to the vet. If these people were the true pet lovers as they claim to be they would have taken the time, as other vets have, to make the cat feel at ease rather than just drug her up.

I urge everyone to at least check out some other vets in the area before even thinking about going to the Cat Clinic.

I highly recommend Dr Diegmann at the Cat Clinic in Pasadena. The Cat Clinic specializes in treating cats and that is what I was looking for. I have taken my cat there for 12 years, since she was a kitten. I have found him to be superior to all the vets I have taken my animals to over the years. He takes the time to talk to you, answer your questions and explains in a professional yet on a personal level. I have always been pleased with the outstanding service I received there from routine check-ups to illness. The staff, care of the animals, cleanliness and caring of all at this facility is outstanding. I can without any reservations recommend Dr Diegmann and the Cat Clinic with my highest rating for their outstanding world class service and attention to my cat. Thank you Dr Diegmann and I appreciate your caring and concern for my cat and myself.

One of my cats had chronic urinary tract infections, she was a very nervous cat and would often bring them on herself. One time it go quite bad and we had to take her to an emergency clinic, they recommended The Cat Clinic. We took her there after the emergency was over. The doctors and staff seemed very friendly. We let our Harley Quinn there with them because they wanted to run tests. We told them already what the problem was, we just wanted to make sure that there was nothing else going on. Well, they had actually kept her there almost 3 days and NO PHONE CALLS. Finally, after calling them every day my husband had to threaten with a lawsuit before they gave us information. You know what, it was a urinary tract infection, just like we said. The bill turned out to be over $900.00. Thank god we had pet insurance, I could never have covered that much bill. The tests they wanted to run were totally unneccesary. The vet we took her to later said that her treatment should have been outpatient with a mild medication and plenty of fluids to flush out her system. Maybe a day that was all it should have taken. They were friendly, but good lord do they stick it to you in unneccasary tests, medication and fees.

Dr. "D" and the cat clinic was the first all cat clinic in the United States and has given faithful loving care to cats for over 40 years. Dr. "D" is known for his work as the vet who cared for the famous cat "Jake" Disney's cat from outer space. He saved the Lives of all 3 of my cats.

PROS: Love, Caring, Qualified professionals.
CONS: It's the only place of it's kind. Cannot be duplicated.

I have an indoor cat and I am very much not a believer in vaccines. I kick myself for letting the lady behind the counter talk me into a whole cocktail of vaccines for my cat not because of the steep cost but because of the questionable benefits and the seldom mentioned risk of vaccine induced sarcoma (cancer). I was made to feel like a neglectful parent if I declined the vaccines. When I told the lady why I didn't feel comfortable with vaccinating, she actually said "Well you certainly are a Luddite aren't you?" When she asked if we'd brought a stool sample, I said that we lived only a few blocks away and that I could get one while my wife was doing paperwork but the lady said no don't bother, we'll get one since the cat is spending the night here. She didn't mention that they were going to charge us for it. Later, while reviewing our largest vet bill to date, I noticed a $20 charge for "Stool sample collection" (putting poop in a container). What sneaky grubbing bandits! In an attempt to tap our funds a little further, they took it upon themselves to call us to schedule follow-up vaccinations a few weeks later. I told them where to stick their vaccinations.
Incidentally, the doctor didn't strike me as being exceptionally caring or professional at all. As I said in the title, they ACT like they are cat lovers but sit back in the waiting room and observe the transactions of other pet owners and you will notice obvious psychological tactics being used to extract $ from the wallets of worried pet owners.

PROS: Catchy name and cool looking sign. They didn't kill my cat.
CONS: Damn expensive! Ethics seem to take a back seat to maximizing profit.

I took my cat in, and over $1500 later (including a referral to a cardiologist and to a cat periodontist near San Diego), I came away feeling that although Dr. Loo may know her stuff, I just didn't feel a lot of confidence in her. The cardiologist basically said my cat's heart wasn't a big concern (which made me happy, but not my checkbook!), but Dr. Loo preferred that the cardiologist continue to treat my cat instead of treating him herself

PROS: The assistant there is very good
CONS: Very expensive; some shots they push may not be necessary

If you're looking for a vet who specializes in felines and have a large budget for your cat's medical needs, the Cat Clinic is the place for you. I took my cat here once and walked out with a whopper of a bill. The Cat Clinic is soooo expensive, but I must say Dr Diegmann and his staff are crazy for cats and will go to any lengths to keep them going. I can say this with certainty because I have a relative who spent thousands at the Cat Clinic keeping her 20+ year old arthritic cat with heart & kidney problems alive, but if you ask her, she'd say she has no regrets and takes her new cat to him.

PROS:
CONS: Expensive!!!

The best place in Los Angeles for knowledgeable, friendly care for your sick or injured cat.