I am at my wits' end. I had my cat spayed on the 27th. When I picked her up, I was told that the stitches would fall out within 14 days. A week ago, they'd still shown no sign of falling out. I called the vet's office. The vet is NEVER available for questions over the phone. So, as usual, I end up talking to a secretary who sounds like she's just been dumped out of a sound sleep onto a concrete floor to answer the phone.
Me: Hello...I got my cat fixed on the 27th of June, and I was told that her stitches would fall out within 14 days, but they're showing no sign of doing so. When will they fall out?
Secretary (confused): Um...I don't know....(trails into a mumble) they usually come out within 14 days...
Me: But it's been well over 14 days now, and they've not even begun falling out.
Secretary (still mumbling): They should fall out.
<click> I stare at the phone in disbelief. I slowly hang up.
Today, they've still not begun to fall out, and I am getting a bit worried because my cat's appetite is going the way of the dinosaur. I call again. This time, I get grumpy, who sounds like I was the only thing between her, a delicious dinner, and some hot lovemaking:
Me: Hello. I had my cat fixed on June 27th and her stitches haven't fallen out ye-
Secretary: Was she fixed here?
Me: Yes
Secretary: What's your name?!
Me: Blahy McBlaherton
Secretary (typing): What's your cat's name?!
Me (wondering what me or my cat's name has to do with the stitches not falling out. Does she think i'd be stipid enough to LIE in an effort to get stitches taken out early?!): Meowy McMeowerton
Secretary (still typing): The stitches usually fall out within 2-3 months.
Me(bewildered, as I'd been given a totally different answer TWICE, at the same vet's, by not one, but TWO different people): Uh...the last person I asked said 2 weeks, and they told me 2 weeks when I picked her up.
Secretary: They probably thought she was a dog.
Me: Um...the first person told me this WHILE handing her to me. I severely doubt that she could've mistaken a longhaired grey cat for a dog.
Secretary: We've got a new girl. She probably didn't realize.
Me (becoming a bit queasy at the thought that I actually left my animals at this place overnight for any reason. i let it drop, as i now want to make this call as short an to the point as possible.) Anyway, the same cat has, over the last 4 days, lost her appetite.
Secretary: They eat less in the summer.
Me (summer is almost over now, btw..only one month left, i believe): But...er...this has only been for 4 days.
Secretary: Do you want to come in and buy some vitamins?
Me: Er what would those do?
Secretary: I dunno...maybe they might give her an appetite?
Me (sure that it's a bit more than simple summer appetite-loss): I'm also worried about something else. I've been keeping the male(neutered) seperate from everyone for a while now because he's been very bitey with the other cats. One of them would be using the litterbox or sleeping and he'd just walk up and bite them until they scream. One of the kittens will be sleeping, and he'd just walk up, bit it in the throat until it squeaked,and walk away.
Secretary: How old was he when he was neutered?
Me: 8 months or so.
Secretary: He's still a kiten. He's ok.
Me: Um...he was NEUTERED at around 8 months. Hes a bit over a year now.
Secretary: He's still a kitten. it's normal. cats are territorial. male cats mark their territory.
Me: I know they do. I just always figured that the other cat had to be awake and encroaching on said territory for an attack to be brought on.
Secretary: He's still a kitten. There's nothing you can do, if you've neutered him.
Me: Anyway, i've been able to see his third eyelid very clearly, and he's been peeing a little more than usual...he ends up tracking it about on his back paws.
Secretary: Sounds normal. nothing to worry about.
Me(eyebrows about to soar off my face in disbelief): Thank you. <click>
The only reason i called them is because the other vet's office closed early today. After these two incidences, they've completely lost my patronage. This is not the first time that i've gotten varying informations from their employees. I've already booked the kittens to be fixed elsewhere because of their asinine policy of only fixing males at 8 months or older. You can actually speak to the other vet on the phone (yes, the actual vet!!! the one who went to SCHOOL for this!!! not someone who's main hiring point was the ability to type quicker than the other candidates!!!) I am still shaking my head in disbelief.
(sorry it's so long, but i was on the verge of calling back and speaking my mind.)
Me: Hello...I got my cat fixed on the 27th of June, and I was told that her stitches would fall out within 14 days, but they're showing no sign of doing so. When will they fall out?
Secretary (confused): Um...I don't know....(trails into a mumble) they usually come out within 14 days...
Me: But it's been well over 14 days now, and they've not even begun falling out.
Secretary (still mumbling): They should fall out.
<click> I stare at the phone in disbelief. I slowly hang up.
Today, they've still not begun to fall out, and I am getting a bit worried because my cat's appetite is going the way of the dinosaur. I call again. This time, I get grumpy, who sounds like I was the only thing between her, a delicious dinner, and some hot lovemaking:
Me: Hello. I had my cat fixed on June 27th and her stitches haven't fallen out ye-
Secretary: Was she fixed here?
Me: Yes
Secretary: What's your name?!
Me: Blahy McBlaherton
Secretary (typing): What's your cat's name?!
Me (wondering what me or my cat's name has to do with the stitches not falling out. Does she think i'd be stipid enough to LIE in an effort to get stitches taken out early?!): Meowy McMeowerton
Secretary (still typing): The stitches usually fall out within 2-3 months.
Me(bewildered, as I'd been given a totally different answer TWICE, at the same vet's, by not one, but TWO different people): Uh...the last person I asked said 2 weeks, and they told me 2 weeks when I picked her up.
Secretary: They probably thought she was a dog.
Me: Um...the first person told me this WHILE handing her to me. I severely doubt that she could've mistaken a longhaired grey cat for a dog.
Secretary: We've got a new girl. She probably didn't realize.
Me (becoming a bit queasy at the thought that I actually left my animals at this place overnight for any reason. i let it drop, as i now want to make this call as short an to the point as possible.) Anyway, the same cat has, over the last 4 days, lost her appetite.
Secretary: They eat less in the summer.
Me (summer is almost over now, btw..only one month left, i believe): But...er...this has only been for 4 days.
Secretary: Do you want to come in and buy some vitamins?
Me: Er what would those do?
Secretary: I dunno...maybe they might give her an appetite?
Me (sure that it's a bit more than simple summer appetite-loss): I'm also worried about something else. I've been keeping the male(neutered) seperate from everyone for a while now because he's been very bitey with the other cats. One of them would be using the litterbox or sleeping and he'd just walk up and bite them until they scream. One of the kittens will be sleeping, and he'd just walk up, bit it in the throat until it squeaked,and walk away.
Secretary: How old was he when he was neutered?
Me: 8 months or so.
Secretary: He's still a kiten. He's ok.
Me: Um...he was NEUTERED at around 8 months. Hes a bit over a year now.
Secretary: He's still a kitten. it's normal. cats are territorial. male cats mark their territory.
Me: I know they do. I just always figured that the other cat had to be awake and encroaching on said territory for an attack to be brought on.
Secretary: He's still a kitten. There's nothing you can do, if you've neutered him.
Me: Anyway, i've been able to see his third eyelid very clearly, and he's been peeing a little more than usual...he ends up tracking it about on his back paws.
Secretary: Sounds normal. nothing to worry about.
Me(eyebrows about to soar off my face in disbelief): Thank you. <click>
The only reason i called them is because the other vet's office closed early today. After these two incidences, they've completely lost my patronage. This is not the first time that i've gotten varying informations from their employees. I've already booked the kittens to be fixed elsewhere because of their asinine policy of only fixing males at 8 months or older. You can actually speak to the other vet on the phone (yes, the actual vet!!! the one who went to SCHOOL for this!!! not someone who's main hiring point was the ability to type quicker than the other candidates!!!) I am still shaking my head in disbelief.
(sorry it's so long, but i was on the verge of calling back and speaking my mind.)