Reddit Users Urge A Cat Owner To Write A Complaint About The Rude Vet Technician Who Snapped At Her During Her Cat's Appointment

Complaining does not make you a "Karen"

Chelsi

• Published in Animal Stories
• August 21, 2022

Our pets can't verbalize when they are in pain. They have ways to communicate their discomfort but it is up to us, their owners, to advocate for their wellbeing.

OP is doing a very good job of monitoring her cat's health needs. She pays a $35 monthly fee for her cat's health insurance plan.

It includes a bi-annual checkup for her cat and one of which was scheduled recently. The appointment was at noon and it was just OP, another pet owner, and the clinic's front desk attendant.

A vet tech came out to talk to the assistant while OP was waiting for her cat to be checked in. The vet tech told the assistant that everyone went on a lunch break.

This was a problem for OP because when she made the appointment for her cat, she was reassured that they will be in and out quickly. OP chimed in while the staff were talking and asked if it would be better to drop off her cat when everyone was back from their break.

The vet tech looked at OP and said the conversation did not concern her. OP was flummoxed by the abrasive response to her benign question.

OP replied that she was concerned and didn't want to leave her cat if she was just going to wait in a room. The vet tech replied again that their conversation was different from what OP was asking and said her cat will be taken care of right away.

OP is non-confrontational, so she just said okay

The vet tech gave OP one of those head-to-toe looks before she went into the back room. Before the doors even closed, OP can hear the tech talking about her to the other techs.

She laughed as she said, "You guys, there’s this crazy lady at the front with her cat.." Upon hearing this, all bets were off for OP.

She told the front desk attendant that she would not allow her cat to be checked in if that particular vet tech was in the room. OP asked if she could accompany her cat through the checkup.

OP said she can't trust the vet tech to take care of her cat with that attitude. She also asked for their manager's business card to lodge a formal complaint.

OP promptly called the number but it was the clinic's phone that rang. The attendant put it on hold and sheepishly admitted it was the clinic's number, not the manager.

OP's cat was already howling in her carrier, so OP asked again if she could accompany her. The attendant said that no one will check OP's cat since they were all on break.

The jig was up and OP finally realized she was lied to when they said OP will just be "in and out" for their appointment. OP asked to be rescheduled at a time when she can be in the room with her cat.

After the waste of time, OP called her mom who told her she shouldn't go back for the appointment. She also told OP she was a "Karen" for threatening to file a complaint to the clinic's manager.

OP decided to eventually cancel her cat's health insurance and take her elsewhere. OP didn't think she was being a Karen but she's started to doubt that after the conversation with her mom.

Did OP act like a "crazy cat lady" like the vet tech said? You can read her original post below:

Cat tax!

Mandatory lazy cat picture before we dive through the comments:

Booking an appointment after they've already had their lunch sounds like a great idea

A time-consuming lesson learned

Right? If they knew they wouldn't be available at that time, why would they book it for OP?

They could have at least informed OP about the wait time instead of lying to her

Since they booked it for her, they really should have told her about the waiting time

It could have been a difficult day for the staff but OP did nothing wrong for her to be treated that way

OP could be better off finding a different vet for her cat

As for OP's adorable kitty, she is fine despite the sudden change in her schedule

It might be a good idea for OP to write a formal complaint

Someone commented that OP behaved like a crazy cat lady for taking her cat to bi-annual checkups she doesn't need

OP realized she was overpaying for unnecessary service after reading through the comments under her post

But she isn't "crazy" for taking her cat to bi-annual checkups because pets do actually need that

OP should definitely write a well-composed review to detail her experience to inform other pet owners

The staff that OP dealt with behaved unprofessionally

OP didn't do or say anything unreasonable to feel guilty about

The vet tech didn't progress past her mean girl, high school persona based on the way she talked to and about OP. The concerned cat owner was simply asking when was the better time to bring her cat for her appointment and their answer was needlessly rude.

Losing a single customer won't make them bankrupt but it didn't have to happen had they only treated OP with some semblance of respect. OP can certainly find a better vet who will make her cat more comfortable without the unearned hostility.

Chelsi