Cat only waiting rooms!!!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Waiting room was divided into two this year for cats at one end and dogs nearest the door which makes it quicker for the owners to get them out if they are causing trouble.

To get to the cats section one has to stand infront of the dogs at reception but they cant do it any other way and its better than cats and dogs all mixed up together.

My old vet also divided the room into dogs and cats so maybe this is the current trend when they can

[MrsR]

Small seating section for us too and I think I get more stressed than my cats do.

[caledonia]

Interesting everyone has similar experiences. My cats weren't too fussed I don't think, I think I was getting more wound up. It is a pretty intimidating and daunting time though and Nina was certainly watching the dog like a hawk.

My vet only has about 7 chairs.... So sadly no chance for division lol

[weesilvie]

My vets are a group of practices and I use two of them regularly.  One is very near where I live but is tiny, only half a dozen seats - I always trya nd sit away from enthusiastic dogs and beside folk who have carriers with cats or smaller animals in.  The other practice is the big hospital one and has a large waiting area with two seating sections with the reception and front door in between them - they have recently labelled one seating area for dogs and the other for cats and smaller animals.  I'm usually there with my guinea pigs to see the exotics vets - they're just as averse to the dogs (and vets...!) as cats are!  I think the separation is a good idea - just wish folk would take notice of it!

[Tiggy's Mum]

My vets waiting room is split down the middle with a waist high barrier so effectively sectioned off into two parts, there's a big sign that says 'CATS WAITING AREA' and 'DOGS WAITING AREA'yet virtually every time I go there is a lone dog (and it's owner) sat in the cat section. I then sit in the dog section and sods law another dog owner walks in, looks at me like I'm a numpty and and sits next to me! One of these days I'm going to shout out 'it was him/her that can't read!' 

Luckily my two aren't that fussed by dogs, it's the vets/basket/car that they hate 

[sheilarose]

When I took Sly to the Animal Health Trust last month there was a polite sign prominently displayed on the counter asking owners to remove noisy dogs to the outside seating area, where they would be called. 

I thought it most appropriate but when said noisy dog did arrive, no-one seemed to want to point to said notice so I sat cowering with poor Sly on my knee while this thing yelped my eardrums numb! 

Now I'm thinking about it I wish I'd said to the recep that I'd wait outside with Sly and maybe that would have got the point across. 

[tab]

My vet just has one waiting room but generally dog people stay at one end and cat or other animal at the other. If the dog in question makes a fuss the receptionist has been know to ask them to wait outside. That said my parents when they had a dog always waited outside one with the dog and the other inside to call them. That could be because the previous dog tended to wee on anything in view in the vets though 

[caledonia]

Yeah it's a very small vets and was just my cats and the dogs. Cats crying in distress, dog straining on lead and a woman who I think was struggling. Seems the dog is a poor rescue dog found near starved by SSPCA inspectors. Lovely she has rehomed him but quite a slight woman with a big dog lol!

It was just a health check and boosters visit - all well - as suspected Rio is a 6.6kg bruiser :-)

But yes a separate waiting room would have been lovely

[Jiji]

Another one who would love dogs to be kept apart from the other animals. I used to hate it at my old vets who had a large waiting room and were very busy and there always seemed to be lots of dogs that were not well behaved an owners that seemed more interested in chatting to each other than having their dogs under control. The vets I go to now have a very small waiting room but is not so busy and there is seating behind the entrance door which is usually free so I sit there if there are any dogs in or it looks like I will have to wait a while - bet I have jinxed it now and it will be full of unruly dogs next time I go 

[fluffybunny]

Oh it's one of my pet (if you'll pardon the pun!) hates. I find it worse with the rabbits, people let their dogs sniff and slobber all over the carrier and they're like "oh he won't hurt them". Um, maybe so, but they don't know that do they. It just makes an already stressful experience even more so. I try and get into the corner so no other animals can get too near but it's easier said than done in a small waiting room!  Thank goodness many vets at least have a separate dog ward these days.

[maryas]

It's difficult for any owner in that situation cos the dog might be so calm any other time but when it sees cats - yummy    Hard on your cats unfortunately - hope they are ok now and wasn't anything serious at the vet appointment 

I'm lucky at my vet as there is a small room for anyone to wait who wants to be somewhere quiet.

Mary

[caledonia]

At the vets for a double appointment and sitting with the fur babies in the waiting room.

Huge dog, not a staffer but some kind of huge fierce looking dog is going crazy - barking and straining on lead to get over to my cats. Woman has tried to move him so he can't see them. There is now also a rabbit he is going crazy over.

Now I wonder whether it's not actually cat only waiting rooms needed but big dogs!!

My vet is lovely and I travel far to get here but the distress in the waiting room is a first!