I went to a different vet to get a 2nd opinion on some ailments of the Monkey. We went to the MaxFund Wellness Center, which was not nearly as fancy as my usual veterinary care center. Nestled in the hood, it’s a bare bones clinic with bars on the windows and no scheduled appointments, so one could possibly wait in the lobby, staring at the pieces of paper scotched taped to the walls declaring one must pay at time of service and listing the reasons why it’s cruel to let your cat wander the streets, for hours. The exam rooms are solemn and show signs of wear. There are no fresh baked cookies or fish tanks in the lobby, only some photos of Max and some scattered sheets about dental care. And a painted rock. That must have been a barter payment. I was skeptical. Until Dr. Adams came in. She had a nose piercing. And the most gentle kind way of examining, explaining, caring, and finally just taking care of business in a way that I actually felt for once like she cared about my pet, and not how much she could bill me at the end of the session. Clear estimates, clear choices, clear results while I waited and the best part, no guilt. No shaming glances when I stated I needed to think about the estimate. No push to clean the teeth that had just been cleaned, no attempts to remove things that didn’t need to be removed. Just plain good care. I called later that day and scheduled her surgery.
