If you don't know anyone who can give you a personal recommendation, then it is just a question of weeding through all the local ones and seeing which one you like the look of best. Most should be happy to help answer any questions you have either via the phone or email, or if you go in person. Most vets have websites now which should also tell you everything you need.

You obviously want to consider your ability to get there. Can you walk? is it accessible by public transportation? or if you drive is there free, accessible parking? how are their emergency hours covered - is it in-house or elsewhere? if it is elsewhere, again, how far away is it and can you get there easily and quickly?

What are their facilities like? do they have in-house laboratory facilities?

Fee's may be another factor. If you use an all guns blazing, modern emergency hospital, then it's highly likely that the fee's are going to be higher than your smaller, local practices.

Familiarity is also something to consider. Would you prefer seeing the same vet or are you not bothered? it is quite nice when the vet 'knows' you and your animals. You have more of a chance of being able to see the same vet on the day you want in smaller practices.

 

Hi and welcome to the forum
Have a look at this sticky from the "health/nutrition section there are a some excellent pointers there.
I would phone/drop in to a few surgeries and ask if it is possible to have look around/chat with some of the staff to see what you think of the facilities etc explaining that you have 2 new kittens and are looking to register them with a vet.Good luck hope you find a suitable one.
Once you have found your feet on the forum we would love to see some pics of your new furbies and hear a bit about them.

http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/172458-how-choose-good-veterinary-practice.html

 

Thank you both, very helpful points!

I did look at the stickie posts, but this wasn't immediately obvious.

This is Leeloo and Dallas on their first day at their new home.

 

Wow Leeloo and Dallas are gorgeous :001_wub: there are quite a few Siamese slaves on the forum ,they even have their own "blog"

http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-chat/240643-we-siamese-if-you-please.html
Please drop in and say hello

 

Stunning :001_tt1::001_tt1:

What area are you in? Maybe someone could give some recommendations

I recently changed vets after becoming dissatisfied with the one I was registered with and spent a bit of time researching, phoning round, asking questions and even visiting a few, Labradrk has already highlighted the main points to consider... I think a bit of time spent now is well worth it! Good luck

 

As someone else said dropping in and asking questions is a good way to get a feel for the place. When we first got loki we took him to a local vets that had been recomended to get his shots, however i didnt really like the way he handled him so we changed after and i now really like our new vets, so id say look for the things labradrk mentioned, and make sure you feel comfortable/happy with the vet/vets

Beautiful kitties by the way :001_tt1:

 

Thank you all for the kitty love!

I hadn't thought of actually dropping by and taking a real look - that's a brilliant idea... I should have thought of that :blink:

Michael

ps, Leeloo and Dallas have a twitter feed and blog too lol.

 

Stunning kitties

A couple of other things I thought of:

You might want to see if there are any cat-only clinics in your area. Granted there are not too many of these about but they are out there. The whole idea of cat-only clinics is designed to minimize stress to the cat, plus the staff are usually devoted cat experts, given that they only treat cats!

Failing that, in your research, you might want to look for a vet that specializes in or at least has their main interest in feline medicine. Not all vets are 'good' with cats, but if their main area of interest is all things feline, the odds are stacked much higher in your favour. A vet that is excellent with cats makes all the difference between a stressful time at the vets and a tolerable one.

 

I chose mine via the FAB website. They are a chain of vets who has a few surgeries in the area plus a main clinic which treats emergencies. Very useful if you have an emergency or want to get a quick appointment and don't mind which vet you see.

Firstly I would pick a number of vets in a radius you are willing to travel. Find out their prices and how they treat emergencies and pick the one that suits you the most. Perhaps try Google for reviews.

 

I took mine in for his jabs to get a feel for the place before he needed any proper treatment. I was really impressed with how they dealt with him - he was very nervy at that point and they spent ages putting him at ease and answering my questions. the reception staff were also lovely and you could tell they all really care about their patients. gut feeling is always fairly reliable in these things I find!

 

Welcome welcome welcome!!

I'm one of those 'bloggers'

Your chocs are so cute!!

 

How darling are those kitties!!! Absolutely stunning!!

I can't really add anything to what others have already said!

Just emphasise that i feel it's important to get a feel of the vets beforehand. I was originally going to stay with the vets i took my dog to. But after getting unsatisfactory treatment from them i decided to shop around. I looked at two places which were identical for what they could offer but chose the place where the staff seemed to really enjoy being there, they were super inquisitive about kitty and very helpful, didn't hurt that the vet was rather scrummy too.lol!!

 

Thank you both, very helpful points!

I did look at the stickie posts, but this wasn't immediately obvious.

This is Leeloo and Dallas on their first day at their new home.

Ooooh new Meezers :thumbup::thumbup: 5th Element kitties? What other choice of names for Supreme Beings could there be
Welcome to you all :thumbup:
Lots of good advice on finding a vet - ringing around and visiting is really a good way of checking. Lots of vets have their own websites too that you can check to find out about them and the services they offer.

 

Lovely cats - and they have the same cat tree as my lot!

My own vets do their own emergency cover and that's very important to me. Many practices contract out for their emergency cover and it's incredibly expensive. Mine are great, there's someone on the premises 24 hours - they're a veterinary hospital.

 

What GORGEOUS babies and LOVING the 5th Element naming!!

Fab film - I just hope your two don't get up to the same antics as their namesakes!


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