At South Austin Cat Hospital, we are committed to upholding the highest possible standard of care in feline medicine. We believe in clear communication, and we would like for all of our clients to understand what they can expect from us as well as what we expect from our clients. We believe that the veterinary-client-patient relationship should be founded on trust, and caring for cats is a collaborative effort. This document outlines our agreement and expectations for working together.

Client Rights

As a client at SACH, you can expect: 

1. We will always approach your cat in a kind and gentle manner by utilizing cat-friendly interactions. We have a strict no-scruffing policy, and we commit to making your cat’s experience as low-stress as possible.
2. We will offer the highest standard of medical care for your cat. All of our recommendations will be made with the health, welfare, and best interest of your cat in mind, and we will never put forth an option we do not feel is reasonable.
3. We understand that you know your cat better than anyone else in the world, so we commit to truly listening to all of your concerns in order to make the best possible plan for your cat.
4. We will ensure that all of your questions get answered, and we will never rush an appointment or procedure. All of our team members have extensive feline knowledge, and if any individual you speak with doesn’t know the answer to your question, we are committed to getting you that answer.
5. We will be transparent with you about financial requirements for any given visit, and we will work with you to find a solution to any financial constraints.
6. We will be transparent with you about time requirements for any given visit, and we will work with you to find a solution to any time constraints.
7. We will provide the necessary resources for administering any prescribed treatments. If clarification is needed, we will make ourselves available to answer follow-up questions.
8. We will communicate with you in a respectful manner, and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions to problems or concerns. We truly want to make every situation right!
9. Our policies are created with the best interest of everyone in mind including you, your cat, and our team. We would never enforce a policy that we ourselves do not uphold.
10. If we are unable to provide medical care to your cat for any reason, we will provide you with any requested medical records and recommendations for alternate veterinary facilities that may be able to provide care to your cat.

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Client Responsibilities

As a client at SACH, you are responsible for: 

1. We expect understanding from clients when a patient is too stressed, scared, or painful for a treatment or procedure to be performed without the aid of pain or anti-anxiety medications or sedation. Please do not scruff or ask us to scruff or otherwise manhandle your cat!
2. We request that clients assume good intentions regarding our medical recommendations and actions.
3. We expect clients to share with us all potentially relevant medical information including allowing us to obtain your cat’s previous medical records from other veterinary facilities.
4. We expect clients to plan appropriately the time needed for the appointment, drop-off check-in, or patient discharge.
5. We expect clients to be respectful of our time by alerting us of any necessary cancellations at least 24 hours in advance and giving us notice if a certain drop-off or pick-up time is required. Clients should also understand that our doctors are unlikely to be available to speak directly outside of a scheduled appointment. 
6. We expect clients to accept responsibility for their accrued medical bills and to let us know at the time of the appointment if there is a budget we need to work within. Clients should not request free or discounted services.
7. We expect clients to adhere to the medical recommendations and to contact us if there are any complications or if further clarification is required. 
8. We expect clients to communicate respectfully, even when upset. We will not allow clients to yell at or be disrespectful to the team. We ask you to bring any concerns to management’s immediate attention.
9. We expect that clients will follow our policies, including bringing all cats to the hospital in a secure carrier. Clients should also respect and follow all COVID safety precautions implemented by SACH. All of our policies are written with the health and safety of you, your cat, and the SACH team in mind.
10. If you feel we have failed to uphold the Client Rights portion of this document, please discuss the issue with a member of our leadership team!