Staff wear masks
Yes
VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia
Categories
Location on the map
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, US
Health and safety
Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
No
Amenities
Toilets
Yes
Planning
Appointments recommended
Yes
Phone: +1 215-567-6446
Site: https://vcahospitals.com/cat-hos...
Site: https://vcahospitals.com/cat-hos...
Opening hours
- Monday:7:30AM–7PM
- Tuesday:7:30AM–7PM
- Wednesday:7:30AM–7PM
- Thursday:7:30AM–7PM
- Friday:7:30AM–5PM
- Saturday:8AM–4PM
- Sunday:Closed
Comments (60)
EDITED 4/9/2021:Thank you to VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia for promptly responding to my review and concerns. As suggested, I will be contacting hospital manager soon.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Unfortunately, my experience with VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia on 20th street is very similar to what Brad Park (another reviewer) recently described. I very rarely give negative reviews, but in this case Id give zero stars if I could. Because the practices at this clinic are just wrong. There are no other words for it. On two occasions when I contacted the clinic to request care for my cat, I got a strong impression that it is simply a REFERRAL SERVICE masquerading as a cat clinic. Both times, I was quickly told that my cat had an emergency, because they could not see her right away. First time, I did take the cat to the emergency clinic on the other side of the city, even though there was nothing emergent in her condition. True to the case, she was kept in a cat carrier for more than 5 hours at the emergency clinic, because, yes: there was NO EMERGENCY to address and many other animals were being seen (while my cat waited), because they truly needed to be there. At the end of the 6th hour waiting I begged the emergency clinic to just please release my cat, because she was not being seen & confined to the carrier. The ER doctor did finally see her, discussed her issue with me, and the cat was released. Well, back to VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia. Several months later, I tried this location one more time, and predictably, was sent to the emergency right away (over the phone). Again, it was not an emergency, but they did not care to listen. I did not go. The minor issue I was calling about resolved and my cat is fine. I will not be coming back.
Will not board cats in medical need. No animal should be denied access to boarding based on need or behavior. A vet hospital should be able to meet those needs no matter what.very sad!
The nicest and most professional vet weve used in Rittenhouse. Several followup calls, sincere interest in the wellbeing of our pets, not just when the bill is being paid like some other places. Highly, highly recommended.
Ive been going here for about three years, and Ive had a postive experience with just about everyone there. Everyone there likes cats! And its really nice to be in a waiting room thats comfy and has no dogs to stress your kitty out (the floor is carpeted cause they dont have to worry about dogs peeing on it!). Yes, they are expensive, but I feel like its worth it if you can afford it. They run mostly on time, you can usually get a quick appt if your cats not feeling well. They helped my kitty through her scare with an acute kidney infection, and coordinated her care with Penn Vet when she needed to be hospitalized. Shout out to Carol the receptionist who is so nice.
Ive been going here for 6 years now, and I love Dr. Simpson and the staff at VCA! Everyone is so helpful and pleasant. Dr. Simpson has an excellent bed-side manner for all three of my cats and will gladly answer any questions I have. The vet techs are really great too, even with one of my cats who tends to get annoyed with vet visits.
The doctors and technicians here really take their time with your pet. They use a stress free handling technique and are so compassionate. Their prices are a little on the high side, but its worth it for excellent vet care!
They are completely wonderful. Everyone who works there clearly loves animals and cares for your cat like it was their own. I had two kittens with FIP and everyone was so thoughtful and kind in the face of such sad news. Both veterinarians I saw sent me condolence cards. They truly care about making it as good of an experience as possible.
I am extremely disappointed at how my senior cats chronic condition pancreatitis was handled😥.VCA- vets and front staff were super combative every time I needed pain medication and prescriptions refilled and even after multiple visits, paying absorbent amounts every time they still were super reluctant to prescribe. It was brutal watching my animal in pain for weeks and months and never making strides to get the vets to understand palliative treatment was urgent. It truly was a nightmare. Ive now moved on to new veterinarian in the city, my cat is back on track with a 17th bday on the way in Oct too😺😺.
I loved this vet clinic. I just moved to Philly and took a gamble on where to find a vet. I made an appointment here and absolutely loved it. The staff was incredibly helpful and kind, and the vet told me things about one of my cats that my previous vet had never mentioned that could impact its health. They were even running a special first exam free with coupon special when I booked my appointment, but even though I forgot the coupon, they still gave it to me for free. Wonderful experience.
Friendly front desk staff and vets. Lots of great information for caring for your cat available. Vets respond very quickly and front desk has short wait times. Supremely accommodating.
Ive been taking my cats to VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia for all of their care since I moved to Philadelphia in 2004. Id never take them anywhere else! Ive always had 100% confidence in the quality of treatment my cats receive. The doctors, techs and staff are so great with my cats and with me; they go out of their way to answer all questions I have and explain all possible options with regard to diagnosis and treatment when needed.My eldest cat was diagnosed with severe chronic renal failure in January 2015, and I could not be happier with the level of care everyone at VCA has provided to us during this care-intensive period in her life. Dr. van Saun even emails me Dagnys periodic lab values so that I can easily track any changes over time.I highly recommend VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia to any cat parent!
Good consistent care, I feel great that I know how my cat is doing every time I have been here. I trust them more than my own doctor. Very professional, and easy to understand.
I had just talked to the hospital manager Britney hiles and a man named Carson teeny. While on the phone Carson told me Tuesday nov 10th was available for a appointment but he then said he needed to just pick up a call and put me on hold by the time he picked the phone back up I was toldBy the manager the next available day is no longer the 10th and now the 18th. I think it is very unprofessional that they gave my appointment that I had already confirmed and made to someone else bc Carson wanted to put me on hold for another call. And instead of wanting to be understanding all the manager kept saying is well you can go somewhere else. Absolutely terrible customer service and my expectations were very high considering the other reviews. I would expect they treat all customers with respect but that was not my experience at all they kept trying to tell me to just go somewhere else when I explained why I wanted this specific hospital they didn’t even want my service and made me very away of that.
I love the VCA!!! The staff is knowledgeable, patient and kind. I took my cats to the VCA after they had been in an apartment fire. My regular vet had no availability for days and, the VCA saw them right away (literally hours after i called). They were extremely thorough in the examination. They assessed immediate concerns as well as things to keep an eye on and care for in the future ( example: teeth issues- which are costly when untreated and ignored for long periods of time)I saw Dr. Painter and Dr. Simpson. Both Dr.s explained all the details of each cats condition in accurate and simple terms,treating each cat as if it were its own. There was no pressure to follow the most expensive and extensive treatment option and, they were precise as far as what could and could not wait.Dr. Painter (who i saw primarily with both cats and, operated on one of the cats) had excellent bedside manor dealing with pets and, a pet owner under trama from an apartment fire. She kept open and clear communication and, made me feel i could call her anytime with the slightest concern or question involving my cats behavior.Our pets bring us great joy and comfort. And, it can be overwhelming and frustrating when they dont feel good. The VCA staff understands this. And from the moment i called i felt like my cat was a priority. DJ and Carol who are the primary receptionists are both fantastic. They are both extremely kind, patient and accommodating. This is the way you want to be dealt with when visiting the vet.I know people who have beening going to the VCA for years and now i understand why! If you are on the fence with your immediate vet, i strongly suggest giving the VCA a try. They are well worth it!!!
I’ve seen reviews lauding this place, and while I recognize that experiences at a vet can vary greatly, a loving cat owner should be VERY wary of VCA’s approach.My cat needed treatment for an ear infection and I noticed a lump near his thyroid. The ear infection was easy enough to treat, VCA cleaned the ear and provided medication for me to apply twice daily. The problem? They only recognized the infection in one ear (despite running numerous tests) and prescribed a treatment plan accordingly.The main issue, though, was the complete dismissal of the lump near my cat’s Thyroid. Instead, they focused on his teeth; stressing, repeatedly, that he needed a $2,200 tooth removal surgery ASAP. At the time, I wasn’t sure, one way or another, how serious the tooth issue was, but most disconcertingly, I was put off by the fact that they appeared to be brushing off the lump near his thyroid as some sort of natural occurrence not worth investigating immediately. Dr. Simpson simply stated, ad nauseam, that the teeth were the issue, despite my repeated questioning about the mass.I left with a strong suspicion that I was being taken advantage of. I immediately scheduled an appointment for a second opinion from another vet, and, lo and behold, the lump near my cat’s thyroid was LYMPHOMA! To be clear: VCA was stressing the need for a $2K tooth removal surgery when my cat, as I’ve since found out, was DYING!!!I’m typing this less in anger, and more with a deep sadness. That there are animal doctors who would not only ignore a lump on an animal’s throat, but harangue me into a non-essential, wasteful surgery is heartbreaking. My cat is a sweet, caring animal but was, evidently, viewed solely through the prism of dollars and cents.Like I said, I’m sure some have had positive experiences here, but the oversight and negligence, to say nothing of their attempt to have me pay for unnecessary surgery, was beyond troubling.On the bright side, DJ at the front desk was kind and compassionate. I wish I could say the same for Dr. Simpson.
Everyone was kind, patient and loving. Highly recommend for any cat owner! My Rory is very shy and anxious and they worked well with him.
Edit: To respond to the owners questions. It absolutely was this hospital. The cats name is Ivy and the front desk worker was Carol._________________________________________________I absolutely agree with what J Hamilton said below about the inaccuracies in the phone records.So, we called in yesterday saying that our cat was a bit low on energy and she needed to be put in front of her food in order to eat. Before we could give the entire background on the situation, the front desk woman cut us off and said we need to take her to the ER immediately.We wanted to make sure that the ER had all the medical records, so we requested all the records on our cat from VCA. Then we read what they wrote from our phone call, and they wrote O[wner] called to say kitten is not moving and not eating. That is not true. Our kitten was moving (just a bit sluggishly) and she was eating quite a bit. She just needed to be placed in front of her food. She would not go to her food on her own.In our 2nd call with her, we tried to explain to her all the details about how she recently had surgery (being spayed), that she was on medication for diarrhea, and that we had just adopted her 4 days ago from the shelter and that she was still being socialized. She didnt listen to any of that or record that but instead wrote, we started to backpedal from the cat being sick and needing to be seen. Like what??? How was that backpedaling??Anyways, we ended up going to the ER to be safe and the ER doctor was extremely helpful. She listened without interrupting to all our issues and concerns. Our kitten ended up being completely fine and healthy.For another completely unrelated matter this morning, again, they defaulted to sending her to the ER immediately. So this time, we called the ER doctor, sent her photos, and described the situation. She again, listened to us very intently to all of our concerns. She ended up saying it was completely normal and saved us another trip to the ER.Like, I understand VCA is trying to be as cautious as possible and are trying to avoid legal liability at all costs, but writing dishonest phone records is unethical. Not listening to the full extent of details and circumstances is also irresponsible. But Im glad they told us to go to the ER, because we actually found a doctor that wanted to listen to us and believed us when we talked through all the details.
Ive been coming here for 25 years, and although it became VERY expensive when VCA took over, it is convenient. However, today I was charged $90 for a routine visit and never even received a summary of the visit or written D/C instructions. When I called, the doc couldnt talk to me to tell me dosage. Also, always seems like they really try to upsell? I like the doc and the staff, but it seems quality has declined.
My partners cat was recently having an issue of vomiting all his food. We got worried when he vomited all night and into the next morning. Because of this we needed to see a vet a quickly as possible and close by-so we went to VCA primarily because we saw they had a coupon for a free first time exam. My partner took the cat and initially experienced a pleasant visit--the vet told us he was healthy and gave us recommendations-change his food, schedule routines for feeding ect as a first remedy. They then suggested 2 vaccine shots to get up to date -which I thought was understandable because it had been a few years since he received any vaccination-ok no problem, I couldnt do it right away because I got paid the next day so I scheduled to come in the next morning. They told us that was no porblem. We came in the next morning (not even 24 hours later) and the vet proceeded to do an exam AGAIN! Without telling me. Said that it was routine despite the fact that I had been there before. Why our cat needed ANOTHER exam after already being seen was beyond me-all the vet concluded from the exam was that he could lose a pound to be a healthy weight....AND thats when they tried showed me the total estimate of the day with vaccines and then they also tried to charge me $70 for the examine!! $70 for the vet to tell me my cat had gained a half an ounce.. I was appalled...why would they charge me for ANOTHER exam that I did not ask for, did not know was taking place, when they had seen him not even 24 hours prior?! Because of this I was not able to get both of the shots I needed which were $36, & $37 a piece. This meant that my visit cost me MORE than what I would have paid had they just given me the 2 vaccines I needed. I wasted money on an unnecessary exam and only one vaccine. When I explained this to the manager they said they would reimburse me but only after getting smart with me with an attitude telling me that if I had gone elsewhere they will always charge for an exam. Duh, lady I know this, but not if I had gotten an exam not even 24hr hours prior! I will not be bringing my cat again. They trick you with their fake kindness only to go after your pockets later.
I would like to thank the doctor & staff there for their kindness and compassion they showed me during the time my cat Smokey was dying. Wish I visited this office sooner but would highly recommend them to other and they would my first visit if I get another cat. Thank you all so much .
Theyre really expensive but they do really care about the kitties. By far the cleanest and nicest vet office Ive ever been to. Definitely would recommend.
I love the staff, and they live snowball and I as well!!!
Nino was a little sassy but loved the staff
They are the best. They treat my cat like royalty. Even when you are home the doctor text or call to follow up.
Great for boarding! They took amazing care of my cat and sent pictures regularly to update me.
Everyone is so sweet, professional, and caring. The customer service exceeds that of most human healthcare clinics. I totally trust that they love what they do.
It was a traumatic experience for me personally because of the nature of my visit my cat was really sick,they were so gentle n soft spoken and gave me several options along with the truth, very clean and professionally polite, this will be my next cats doctor office, thanks VCA for everything
They treat your cat like it was one of their own, hands down the best place to bring your cat if you are a paranoid owner like me!
Outrageous pricing on just to see your pet. You can definitely find a vet with lower pricing and if not same quality
They only take care of cats. They love cats. Theyre friendly and helpful to their customers. Very professional and excellent care of my pets.
It was a good experience with the vet they loved my cat SMORES
They are clearly cat lovers here. The staff is all very warm and friendly as well as knowledgeable.
Everyone was so patient. They explained everything to me and reassured me that what my cat had was easily treated.
Always a pleasure and given care
Love Dr Simpson
My cats get the best care. The people there are the best.
Great place!! Dr. Aimee Simpson is the best! 1st time & I love the vibe
Very professional,caring.
The staff and techs are nice and friendly. The doctors are caring.
Good service attitudes. Satisfied with vets expertise.
They were so good to my cat. Be back soon
Expensive for young people. Excellent care
Wonderful veterinary care.
Good caring people and excellent care.
I love this place very friendly staff
Great place to take cats.
Lovely place and great people ❣
Great care and people
Strongly recommend 5 + stars
Best vets in town
Total reviews rating 4.3
60 Reviews for VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia 2023:
Review №1
2022-06-25The worst experience I’ve ever had in a vet clinic. I brought my cat for annual vaccination in the early June. After the physical exam, I understand my cat has some health conditions, but what they suggested was a $1,500 treatment plan. I totally understand they want to bring all they can offer to my baby. This time on 6/25 is supposed to be a booster shot appointment. It turns out I payed $165.7 for a single booster shot?! I argued at the concierge for at least 15min and told them I wasn’t got informed on any of the payment plans today. What they told me was: “Every time you came here you’re paying for the vet’s experience so the fee is mandatory EVERY SINGLE TIME. If you are looking for a cheeper option, you should look for a vaccination clinic.” I can definitely pay for the physical exam fee but I wasn’t get a chance to know there’s a re-check exam fee. Isn’t this your problem?
Review №2
2022-03-06Been taking my cat here for a little over a year, and absolutely love the treatment that she gets here. My cat has a lot of personality and they are able to take care of her exactly as she needs. While they are a little bit more on the expensive side, I would say the attention that she gets is absolutely worth it. Plus having all of her information and data on a single website is also very handy.
Review №3
2022-04-16I’ve been taking my cats here for years. At first they were wonderful and understanding. Now they have cut their hours and they are no longer taking cats in before their appointment for people that work during the day. I’m not sure how they expect people to bring their cats here when they close at 2 some days and people have jobs. Not to mention they didn’t tell me they cut their hours so I had to cancel my cats appointment and now they won’t approve of my cats special dietary food that they prescribed. I will be taking my cats elsewhere. I’m extremely disappointed at the decline in quality.
Review №4
2018-09-05My cat was MISTREATED, I was not informed of all the things that could be wrong with him, I was not informed of possible treatments or options, and I was not referred to a more knowledgeable vet or specialist or even given an inkling as to who I should have seen. Instead they looked at my cat, couldnt figure out what was wrong with him (he had a mass restricting his breathing and ability to eat) and so they said they can make him more comfortable by giving him some fluids, mirtazapine (an appetite stimulant), and something else (BUT NOT OXYGEN, WHICH HE COULD HAVE USED!!!). When you are worried about your cat, you dont think straight - WHY WOULD YOU GIVE A CAT AN APPETITE STIMULANT IF HE CANT PHYSICALLY EAT!!!??? I went ahead with the treatment without thinking, just hoping I could ease his pain - none of the treatment helped him at all. The mass had grown rapidly in just a matter of a day and he had become greatly lethargic.TAKE YOUR CAT TO VSEC! They are specialists, real vets, and they make your pets comfortable and give you ALL the information you need and let you think over the options with no pressure! On top of that, they are better equipped and way more knowledgeable. Ultimately I had my cat euthanized the next day because his condition worsened and I took him to VSEC and they told me 20x more stuff than the VCA did!Here is a comparison and summarization:VCA:- Vet appeared to be recent college grad.- Free first exam (heavy on the costs of everything else though)- Couldnt determine mass on my cats neck.- DID NOT OFFER MY CAT OXYGEN (yes his breathing was bad enough, it is why I took him in the first place!)- Felt for other lumps or hard spots found NONE even though I told the vet I felt around his stomach (I mean who knows their cat better, me or them? )- Couldnt determine the mass on my cats neck and said that a $250+ test that would take a few days is needed. Vet said they just dont know what it is... could be a swollen lymph node...- Offered treatments to help determine condition and treatments that wouldnt help the cat that I fell for. They gave him an appetite stimulant and he couldnt eat because of the mass blocking his airway and throat...- Didnt provide much time to make a decision for treatments and made me feel rushed and inferior.- Sent me urine collection reminder after cat had been euthanized and I told them before I was euthanizing him when I got the blood test results and they wanted more money for an additional test...- Called to follow up and didnt address any of the issues I presented here and would not offer refund of any sort.VSEC:- Vet appeared professional and to have lots of experience and even talked about it a little. Experience was clear when he explained everything in detail.- Free walk in exam and microscope exam of problem tissue.- Determined mass on my cats neck to be due to bacterial infection- Offered oxygen to my cat immediately!- Felt for other lumps or hard spots found MANY and said I was right what I felt!- Determined what the mass on my cats neck was with free microscope exam of tissue, didnt know exactly what mass was, but was pretty sure and vet explained a lot. Said it was bacterial and something else, most likely cancerous.- Thoroughly explained next steps, treatments, possible complications, pets quality of life, expenses of treatments, euthanasia, etc.- Gave us plenty of time to think over our options and made us feel comfortable.- Very affordable euthanasia, which we went with because ultimately treatments were risky and expensive.- Gave us as much time as we wanted to spend with our cat, made us feel comfortable, gave us free paw print, pins, and sent sympathy card.VCA claims that they treat your pet like they are theirs... they treated my cat like they didnt know what they were doing and they didnt... I wish I wasnt so emotional and out of it to have known better when I brought him. They should have just referred me to VSEC in the first place. My cat suffered bringing him to VCA Cat Hospital.
Review №5
2017-12-15Wow... big things come in small spaces.. super clean and freindly hospital. I was there representing Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice and the woman upfront was very nice and sweet. I would take my cat here ! #lapofloveveterinaryhospice
Review №6
2021-04-10Ive used their boarding services 3 times now. What a great group of people! Carol is always very kind and patient over the phone and Carson is great too. They even send you pictures and updates of your kitty during boarding. My cat comes home happy and healthy! Couldnt ask for better service. Thank you!
Review №7
2021-12-18Dr. Titlebaum is a good veterinarian. Thorough and responsive.Unfortunately VCA is a corporation, so they consistently upsell clients on unnecessary medical procedures. I repeatedly asked not to be sold on radiographs or other lab tests.
Review №8
2021-12-28Dont bother, its all about corporate up-selling. It really felt like they didnt care about my cat at all. The vet didnt even clean the wound I brought her in for.
Review №9
2020-08-16Im giving this place a 3/5 because eventually the issues were resolved, but if you had asked me a few weeks ago it would have been a 1/5, if that. I had been going to VCA Old Marple but went here when my cat got sick because it was closer to home. The care my cat received was fine, although I did get the impression that at least one of the expensive tests being pushed was unnecessary based on the explanation I got when I asked how it would help rule diagnoses out. At first, I was happy with the experience because my cat got seen quickly, I was given effective steps to help her get better, and they were very responsive when I called in with a follow up question. However, things went downhill fast when I requested records to send to my pet insurance company. I noticed an inaccuracy and called in to see if there was anything they could do to fix it but was told no and not to worry about it because it wouldnt cause a problem. Not only was this totally wrong (it did cause a problem) but I was later told that whoever I spoke to did not even document that conversation. This was basically a simple mistake that came from poor communication due to COVID-19 restrictions and a literal game of telephone (my cat has always been picky turned into cat has not been eating well since adopted, etc.) All the insurance company needed was a letter from them explaining the miscommunication - should have been very simple. What followed were weeks of back and forth, an increasingly terse and irritated tone in their messages, and a call from the vet in which she initially seemed to accuse me of lying or at least point the finger at me entirely for the miscommunication, demanding why I hadnt caught it sooner. She even said she wanted to help me manage my expectations before backtracking when I calmly expressed anger at these sentiments since I was under the impression we were all on the same side of the issue. I ended up asking my old vet, whom Im definitely going back to in the future, to corroborate the true sequence of events because my cat was completely healthy when they saw her. I copied the cat hospital on the email and then, suddenly, they followed suit. VCA Old Marple did in 2 days what took the VCA Cat Hospital multiple weeks, emails, and phone calls to do and they managed to do it without being rude. After a terrible and stressful experience, I finally got the letter and the insurance company accepted my appeal pretty fast. It worked out in the end, but I am now under the impression that they are unwilling to do the right thing and whats in the best interest of the patient if it is at all inconvenient for them. They do not readily accept responsibility for their errors and will basically gaslight you unless you are extremely persistent. Im definitely done with this place!!
Review №10
2022-07-22Super kind and sweet staff and very competent!