Cat Hospital of Durham & Chapel Hill Durham, North Carolina

Love this practice—from Theresa at the front desk to the vet techs and vet. The loving care for our cats is so apparent here, and the whole team has always been so accommodating re: scheduling appointments and dealing with our anxious and older cats. Thank you.

Five stars does not even begin to describe how good The Cat Hospital is. We have taken our cats here since we moved here 11 years ago and they have been wonderful in every way in taking care of them. This included many regular checkups as well as a few out of the ordinary things, such as a broken hip and the rehab that followed, and much later a complicated tooth extraction. If you are looking for a vet for your cat, this is the place to go.

Rachel Davis marked on my result paper that I spoke limited English. Just because I know my baby more and refused her recommendation does not mean I have trouble speaking English. I am not white, so I hope that note was a mistake and not intentional.

I’ve had nothing but good experiences with this vet hospital. I would recommend.

We’ve been taking our kitties to the Cat Hospital for more than 12 years, and we love the folks there so much. In that time they have helped us through a lot, including end-of-life care for two elderly cats and emergency surgery to save another. Dr. S stayed until 10 pm to save our boy that day. She is a wonderful vet — incredibly skilled, knowledgeable, kind, and patient. Great at explaining in terms we can understand. The vet techs and office staff are always so helpful. I can’t recommend the Cat Hospital highly enough.

I can’t recommend this place enough. Dr. Edwards is amazing and kind. She truly loves animals. I had to make a difficult decision to put my cat to sleep and she was very supportive and even sent a very thoughtful and sincere card.

Excellent care, great sharing of information. Friendly positive staff. My cat likes them!

They have a very knowledgeable and caring staff! The Cat Hospital has provided primary care for all of my cats, which have ranged in age from kittens to super senior. I also use their boarding services when I go of town and feel comfortable knowing my babies are in great hands! Thank you!

They were absolutely amazing! Very reasonably priced visit and most importantly, compassionate. Our kitty is back to her spunky self. Thank you so much for all you do!!

Update after Owners reply: The appointment was made under my wife's name Alisa P. Made an appointment for the first visit about 3 weeks ago. Sent them all the documents and answered all questions needed. Confirmed appointment the day before. When arrived for my 830am appointment no one opened the door. Had to call the front desk and was told that I should've called before my appointment. No one said anything about this at the time when appointment was scheduled or confirmed. So at 830am front desk told me to wait another 30-45 min for technician to come out and take my kitten inside. TO FRONT DESK : You cannot rely on your clients mind reading skills or Cristal ball functionality. VERY POOR customer service!

I made an appointment for a first physical for my kitten a month ago. I have answered all questions and sent them all previous vet docs. I was not told that I would have to call them from a parking lot, answer all questions again and wait for 30-40 min till my kitten will be finally seen. If you schedule an appointment in particular time you are expecting to be seen around that time. Current pandemic is not an excuse for a poor customer service. The staff is unprofessional and the quality of customer service is extremely low there. I will never recommend them to anyone.

No problems with the vets: been going for years...however this review is low due to poor customer service on phone with receptionist today, (due to only a sentence or two) insensitive remarks. Update: good follow up customer service phone call from vet. Improved review!

We've been taking our cats here for several years, and can't say enough good things about The Cat Hospital. The staff and veterinarians are incredibly friendly and attentive, and we've always felt they truly care about the well being of our kitties. Dr. Szymkowski is just wonderful!

--- Responding to your response on 26JAN2020: Thank you for asking me to correct you if you are wrong... I'll take you up on that as you still have some details quite incorrect. Did I use some colorful language, yes I did. Why? Well, it was because for the last hour I had been given multiple stories, all of which were walked back, and no one was giving me a straight answer. I was first told that the application was given because my animal had fleas. This was completely "made up" by whomever said that. When I questioned that then the story changed. Then it changed again, then again. My top concern was the safety of my animal that I left in your care. When I realized that I was being lied to (that's the same as making up stories and excuses that are baseless and untrue) I got a little irritated. Especially when the "vet" continues to bicycle around taking any responsibility for what happened. Second, your assertion that the second application was "harmless" was countered by a conversation that I had with another local vet. In fact, do you even know what I administered to my animal as flea prevention prior to bringing her in? Nope, and you didn't care to ask. (It wasn't Advantage Multi.) Without that knowledge you would have no idea what interactions could or couldn't occur. The other vet, based on actual facts and knowledge, said that there very well could be an adverse reaction and the I should monitor for 24 hours. Third, I kept asking to speak to someone actually involved in the care of our animal. Obviously, way too much of an ask. Rather, a bunch of folks that had no idea what went on were piecing together stories to try to placate me. So yes... I used colorful language because I was concerned about: - the safety of my animal (which you kept minimizing) - being lied to multiple times (yeah, that gets me mad) - and you taking zero responsibility or accountability for what happened (but thank you for doing so today in your response.) I will take this opportunity to apologize for my language. In hindsight it was not respectful. I was quite frustrated by the entire ordeal that could have been completely prevented by and honest conversation by you/your employees at the beginning... rather that falsehoods and misleading excuses. I do appreciate your response taking responsibility for the mix-up. My wife was in fact just bringing in medicines that were too small a dose (under 5 pounds) for our animals as we wanted to donate it rather than throw it away. (We actually brought in a dose of Revolution and a dose of Advantage Multi.) At that time, she indicated that our animal just had preventative treatment a few days before. I understand the misunderstanding. I just wish that could have been communicated from the beginning yesterday rather than the long path it took to get there. (Yet again, that's why I wanted to speak with someone actually involved in the care that would know... rather than play the guessing game.) Anyway, even though you didn't care to ask in your response, our animal seems to be doing OK today and healing well from her procedure. Original Post: Unfortunately, you can not trust the reviews on this site. We had specific questions and concerns regarding how and why our animal was treated and cared for under their care. When we asked, the staff who were not involved in the treatment of our animal actually made up reasons and details. When confronted with this, the story changed.... again, and again. Never once did we get a straight answer let alone the truth. They were quick to note that "what happened doesn't matter as it will have no adverse effect" however, when another vet at another clinic was consulted this also turned out not to be true. The only thing this vet seems good at is collecting fees. Their customer service is literally non-existent. And the vet, at least the one fielding my questions today, was inept at best. If you care about your animal... spend a little extra and go to a quality vet. Again, beware of the positive reviews.

I know that my sweet kitty will be well taken care of every time we go for a visit, whether it's a routine check-up or something more serious. The doctors and staff are patient, professional and extraordinarily kind. I recommend The Cat Hospital of Durham and Chapel Hill to every cat owner I know!

I agree with the below review 1000 percent that my wife left, but I want to add this. I think this provider severely lacks basic customer skills and tact. I was accused of leaving without paying per the note on the invoice signed by the owner. This shows they did not take any time to investigate our dispute, because I wasn’t even there on that day ( my wife was). We also have the receipt that shows we paid for this medication. We were billed TWICE in error for this medication. A simple look back at their records could have solved this. The fact that they let a trivial bill of less than $20.00 escalate to this point speaks volumes. Basic communication goes a long way, so does organization. If they can overlook this level of detail, what other details are they overlooking? Our cats are beloved members of our family. I don’t want my cats in the care of a practice that misses details. Would you? It should be a stress free experience, and this did not feel as such. Furthermore, it was a hassle trying to leave this practice. I felt they were being vindictive towards us, which was unwarranted since their unprofessionalism was why we left in the first place. Their “below response” to my wife’s review shows how out of touch and disorganized they are since they are still FASLEY accusing of us of owing a balance. Also, my wife asked for the owners contact information to straighten this out and offered to show the receipt of where this was paid for. We received NO response other than the insulting note from the owner. Now, the owner suddenly wants to go over this with us. Can they even get their story straight? Personally, I am so over this practice. Even though I felt that it was a headache leaving this practice, I am glad to be done within them. In my opinion, I would not recommend this practice. I don’t usually write reviews, but I am making a BIG exception here.

They take great care of our feline overlords.

I am rating this business a 1 star because that is the lowest I can rate them. In my opinion, this business is disorganized, unprofessional, and petty. For the first year, things went well, but things went left quickly when I asked for a written prescription for an expensive medication instead of buying from the practice. Based on the conversation I overheard between the doctor and the receptionist, it was obvious they were not happy with the request. The conversation I overheard felt VERY uncomfortable, and in my opinion inappropriate. At that point, I began actively looking for another vet. Fast forward a few months, I found a new vet and asked them for the medical records. I was told they were pending doctor approval. After 2 weeks of not getting an answer, I became frustrated. The receptionist told me they could take weeks and that this was a common complaint. My new vet was also frustrated and given a hard time as well. After some push back, I finally got the records and was given a lame excuse of the doctor being on vacation but she "made" time to give me the records. First off this is inexcusable that this would take this long, and Cat Hospital don't act like you are doing me a favor by giving me records that I am legally entitled to. After all of this, the tipping point was when they accused us of owing them $15.06 for a medication that I had already paid for. I promptly emailed them to let them know that I had documentation showing this was paid and that I would go over this with the owner. Several weeks went by before I received a letter in the mail stating that my spouse left before paying for said medication( I was in the office that day, not my spouse), and it was signed by the owner. I called and let them know the error of their ways, and they said they were going to adjust it off, again, like they were doing me a favor. The receptionist had all kinds of excuses, but I checked her by calling them out on their foolishness. Had they bothered to do any type of research, it was obvious that I was double billed. Yet, I get this accusatory note of my "spouse" walking out without paying. Again, clearly the owner failed to do her research, because everything in her accusatory note was WRONG!!! In my opinion, I would strongly advise against using this practice, way too much drama. LOOK: AT THE BELOW RESPONSE FROM THE PROVIDER: Notice they have taken ZERO accountability for their error. Again, lack of research and oversite on their part. I was double billed AND I do NOT have an outstanding balance. Notice, how they glossed over the accusatory note of my spouse walking out without paying. Nor did I receive ANY mailing other than the insulting and accusatory letter from this provider. My advice to this provider is to cease and desist these fallacies, because I have documentation that will 100% dispute what they are saying. They also may want to review the laws in our state of posting items on the web that are not true. Note: If any portion of this review is disputed. I have receipts to back it up!!! I have zero patience for any more of their tom foolery.

Great place, very caring staff as well and I love the fact that they have a room for cats that are up for adoption

I'm so thankful to have found a place that truly cares for the animals they take care of. They treat my kitties with care and love every time we go in for a checkup. Edit: Just updating this review to say The Cat Hospital is still the best. Over the years, I've relied on them for my two cats and they've always been so kind and caring. One time stands out in particular: My older cat, Harry, had an emergency over a weekend and had to be taken to a different emergency vet. We thought we were going to lose him, and I was very distraught. On the following Monday, I called the Cat Hospital to inform what had happened and to get a post-emergency game plan with Harry's normal doctor. When I called, Dr. Edwards-Seal had already reviewed the entire case (forwarded by the emergency clinic) and was ready to talk about it and how we were going to get Harry through everything. I was so thankful to have her there, it instantly made me feel like someone cared and was going to do everything possible to keep Harry with us. That was six months ago, and Harry is still here, as normal as ever. I absolutely adore these people, and I've never felt anything but warmth and care from them when it came to dealing with my cats. I am getting ready to move across the country, and I am almost certain I will not find their equal where I end up.

I would not take my kitties anywhere else. Dr Edwards knows her stuff and won't give up on finding a solution to whatever ails your sweet babies. The staff here is extremely sensitive to how we feel about our pets and I appreciate that. They are up front about options and won't put you through unnecessary testing when it is obvious there is no hope, as was the case with one of my own.

Super communicative, thoughtful cat care for both emergencies and the every day. I’ve been bringing my kitties to Dr. Szymkowski for 6 years. She helped me take care of my geriatric buddies and give them a good quality of life in their old age. I really appreciate how Dr. Szymkowski lays out all the treatment options, from watch and wait to cutting edge therapies from the vet school at ncstate. I always feel she gives me the information and space to make the decision that’s right for my cats’ temperament and responsive to my financial situation. Now I have 3 young guys (2 that I adopted and 1 that adopted me ????????‍♀️), and they’re in great health thanks to the good care and advice we get at the cat hospital.

While my cat received entirely competent care recently at the Cat Hospital, I was unhappy with a couple of remarks made by Dr. S. during the course of our conversation. In passing, I mentioned to her that we currently had three cats (having always had two, previously), largely because "getting our last two cats was a compromise with my daughter so as to avoid bringing home OTHER pets that she wanted". Dr. S. looked at me and responded, "You know, saying NO is an important parenting word to use." I was pretty startled by that comment. Excuse me?!? I don't recall asking for her opinion about my parenting, nor do I think it's an appropriate thing for a veterinarian to offer. In addition to that, Dr. S. also recommended euthanasia for my 15 year old cat who has peed inappropriately in the house for a while now, after I told her I was feeling really discouraged and was considering letting him go outside as one possible solution. She told me point blank that it would be highly irresponsible to allow him to go outside (because of his age and the possible dangers that might befall him) and that instead, ",...if you can't deal with it anymore, you should euthanize him." Wow.

Dr Edwards and the staff: Amber, Theresa, and a young man whose name I didn't learn were so wonderful in the worst circumstances. Our beloved friend, Mooch had a lg, inoperable tumor. & wasn't having good days anymore. My 18 y/o needed the counsel of Dr Edwars to guide her through a decision to euthanize our friend., and they gave all the time & wisdom to see us through this. Thank you all so so much ???? Whether it's life or death, or simply a dietary change, these folks reign head & shoulders above the rest. ????????????????

Absolutely fantastic experience with the staff and doctor. I read some of the negative reviews, and have to say I experienced none of the frustrations that were in those reviews. 1. Facility was clean. 2. Pricing was upfront with zero upsell (I walk when confronted with sales tactics regarding the health of my loved ones). 3. Impressive stitching of my cats paw (the Doctor is precise and highly skilled - suturing is an art that the Vet here has mastered). 4. Walk-ins welcome and they go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable. The focus here is cats. If you need medical care for your feline friend, this hospital is top notch. Thank you!

Literally saved my cats life. I had been taking my cats to another vet and watching them slowly deteriorate. One cat was beyond helping but the other has been put on a special diet and is growing and gaining weight again. They also are wonderful with the feral cat that I adopted. Tiger doesn't object to going to the vets. They've managed to figure out a great way of keeping the clients healthy and safe during the covid epidemic. I can't say enough about these wonderful caring people.

I've been taking my cat here for 16 years. The staff are very helpful, friendly, and focused on cats. This puts them so far ahead of any other pet clinic. Additionally they offer a boarding service, and being dedicated to cats only, this means fluffy won't get stressed out staying there!

I took my cat here for an operation. My cat needed a bladder stone removed. The staff were incredibly nice. A genuine nice too, which makes a pleasant change. They performed the operation and at a very good price. The previous vet I went too wanted +-$2000 for the same operation. The cat hospital was well below $1000. I am very happy. I definitely recommend them and will go back.

This place has pricing aimed at the very wealthy. If you are poor or even middle class, don't even bother calling, their prices are sky-high and they have zero compassion. We believed that one of our kittens ate rat poison, and the person who answered the phone wouldn't provide any help or advice, or even a little concern, without me calling a pet poison control line and paying $75 just to talk to someone. If you are not very wealthy, look somewhere else.

Excellent staff, never had a problem here. They clearly care.