Linda Haworth breaks down in tears when she describes how she took her cat to her veterinarian because he wasn’t feeling well. He had stopped eating. Whilst at the clinic the veterinarian decided that she needed to take some blood tests and took Timmy into a different room.
Before she did so, Linda mentioned that Timmy was agitated and that he is a sensitive cat. Nonetheless the veterinarian took him to a room where she could take blood samples. She came back not long afterwards looking upset. She told Linda that Timmy had escaped. Linda thought that she meant Timmy had escaped into the clinic somewhere. However, the veterinarian explained that Timmy had escaped to the outside.

Timmy had escaped the room and then had run up a flight of stairs and jumped out of an open window which overlooked a garage roof. He then ran away. Linda is absolutely distraught as any concerned cat guardian would be. Linda says:
“We’re both absolutely devastated and disgusted. He’s such a nervous cat. I warned them he would struggle. They left me in the main treatment room and when they came back they were all flustered and said ‘we’re really sorry to tell you his escaped’. I can’t believe it. When you take an animal to the vets you expect a safe and secure environment. You certainly don’t expect windows to be left wide open. We’ve been bringing our cats here for 25 years and never had a problem but this just shouldn’t have happened.”
Both Linda and her husband Mike spent many hours looking for Timmy and putting up posters and appealing on social media. So far they have been unable to find him. Naturally, Linda fears for his safety.
Linda says that he’s probably curled up somewhere terrified and of course he is ill and not eating which makes his predicament doubly worrying. Not knowing what’s going on is very upsetting for her. She prays that she can find him before his illness gets the better of him.
The clinic is part of the Regan Veterinary Group and their clinical director said:
“We are devastated that this is happened and have apologised to Mr Mrs Haworth wholeheartedly. We take the safety of animals in our care very seriously but in this case something went wrong and we will be investigating and reviewing our procedures carefully. Our immediate priority however is to find Timmy and we have already printed out posters, carried out a local search and posted hid details on our social media platforms.”

The story is interesting because it is the first time that I have heard of a cat visiting a veterinary clinic escaping from the clinic. I’m going guess what happened. In the hot weather, and it has been very hot, the clinic decided to open a window. And the door to the room where the blood tests were being carried out must have been open as well (perhaps to facilitate a flow of air) and that left access to the outside. Timmy seized the opportunity.
There is a moral here no doubt which is that cats are nearly always agitated at veterinary clinics which means they could struggle and escape the control of the veterinarian or staff and from that point on anything can happen. Precautions need to be taken at all times as disaster can strike in the blink of an eye.
The clinic is the Park Veterinary Clinic, Prestwick, UK.
Albert, Would you be willing to share some of your experiences with us, about your reasons for changing vets? I’ve recently taken my cat to 4 different vets for 2nd opinions, and each one did something that was a red flag for me. One vet even rejected me as a client, when I asked what medications would be given for dental work. I’d already paid for a visit, but when I didn’t get the names of the medications, I emailed her to ask, and that’s when I got her response that I should find another vet.
I’ve come to the realization that most vets want “compliance” without too many questions. After all, they are in a position of authority. And I regret to say that there were too many years in the past that I didn’t think to question them, and falsely assumed that they knew best.
We have to remember that even though people can have the same education, they will always have their own opinions, which greatly affect their recommendations. And if profits are involved, even opinions can be swayed.
We need to “Be AWARE and Informed” in order to protect our pets. A smart phone can be used at the vet’s office, to look up any medication they recommend. Look at the potential side effects before you consent. I’ve never been told about the side effects until after the fact, so it’s really up to us to take the time that may save your pet’s life.
I think this kind of thing happens more than we realize. A friend of mine had taken her cat to the vet, and when she picked him up the carrier, as she was going out the door, he bolted out into the street because the carrier door wasn’t closed properly. She never found him, in spite of many attempts in different ways. The vet did nothing, except apologize.
Be aware that many things can go wrong at the vet’s, and pet guardians are way too trusting. Many of us learn the hard way that we need to be informed and aware of the various hazards at the hands of vets, like over-medicating, over-vaccinating, giving dangerous drugs that have caused illness and death, not reading a pet’s chart that may indicate not to give a certain drug because of toxic reactions, and there are many sites cropping up with horror stories of vet experiences. I can’t post them here, but have sent a couple to Michael, and hopefully he’ll share those with us.
Beautifully said Albert. I have felt the same concern for my cats when at a vets. Although I confess I have never considered the possibility that he might escape the building. I will now though.
I’ve been a cat guardian for 20 straight years; 18 cats and counting. I’ve switched veterinarians at least 12 times for various reasons but when a staff member has taken one of mine from an exam room to the back I am always worried about this happening. It can happen, and they can become complacent as they plod through their routine. Do not let them. Even if it’s just for the sake of helping your pet get through whatever they’re putting them through, remind them that you know your pet and how he or she likes to be treated. Remind them that it’s an individual, that it knows it’s name, that it’s a cat not a dog, to slow the heck down and lower their voices, to see that place through your pet’s eyes and ears, to keep the dogs quiet and calm, that it’s not just a place of business it’s your cat’s worst nightmare. I’ve seen it all too often, even with experienced personnel, and it would take just one event like this couple’s to guilt you the rest of your life for trusting your pet to them. And the woman did speak up beforehand in this case and it still happened. I really, really feel for that poor cat and I hope it was found and properly cared for.
The clinic needs to invest in window screens.
I hope they have used all their common sense and knowledge to find him. He won’t be far away.