How do I take my cat to the vet if she's scared?

You don't have to! Wandering Vet brings the veterinarian to your home. Your cat can be examined in familiar surroundings without the stress of a carrier, car ride, or waiting room. Dr. Behrens specializes in caring for fearful cats in their own environment.

My cat hides when strangers come over. Can the vet still examine her?

Yes. Dr. Behrens is experienced with fearful cats who hide. He can examine cats in their hiding spots, or work patiently to help them feel comfortable enough to come out. He's even disassembled beds to reach cats hiding in boxsprings!

Is a housecall vet more stressful for my cat than a clinic?

For most cats, a housecall is far less stressful. There's no carrier struggle, no car ride, no strange smells, and no waiting room full of dogs. Your cat stays in their territory, surrounded by familiar sights and smells.

A Veterinarian for Fearful Cats

Skip the carrier fight. Skip the car yowling. I come to your cat instead.

Schedule a Home Visit

Your Cat Doesn't Have to Suffer Through Vet Visits

You know how it goes. The carrier comes out. Your cat disappears. Twenty minutes later you're on your hands and knees reaching under the bed while your cat hisses at you. Then the car ride—yowling, panting, maybe an accident or two. By the time you get to the clinic, everyone's stressed and exhausted.

And that's before the exam even starts.

There's another way. I come to your house. Your cat stays in their territory, surrounded by familiar smells, with their favorite hiding spots nearby. It's a completely different experience.

★★★★★

"One of my cats is a rescue who is incredibly loving with people he knows but literally a cat out of hell with those he does not. He actually bit a previous vet who couldn't figure out how to approach him. Dr. Behrens not only had the good humor to help me disassemble my entire bed so we could pull my kitty from his hiding spot in the boxsprings, but he had the patience to hang out with him while he calmed down enough to have a full exam and booster — his first in five years."

— Yelp Review, San Francisco

Why This Works

Cats are territorial. Home is where they feel safe. At a clinic, everything is wrong—strange smells, strange sounds, dogs in the waiting room. Their stress response kicks in before I even touch them.

At home, I'm just another visitor. Sometimes I examine cats on the couch. Sometimes on the floor. I've done exams with cats still halfway under the bed. Whatever works. This is particularly true for senior cats, who often become more anxious with age just as their medical needs increase.

What You Avoid

The carrier fight. The car ride. The waiting room with barking dogs and that antiseptic smell. Your cat doesn't have to deal with any of it.

Instead, they stay home. I work around their behavior, not against it. And because I can see how they act in their actual environment, I often catch things—behavioral stuff especially—that wouldn't show up in a clinic.

I've Seen It All

I've been doing housecalls since 2008. About three-quarters of my patients are cats, and a lot of them are the "difficult" ones—cats who've bitten other vets, cats who haven't been examined in years, cats whose owners gave up on taking them anywhere.

A scared cat isn't a bad cat. They're just scared. I work with that instead of against it.

Let's Try This

Weekdays, 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM. San Francisco and Southeastern Marin.

Book Appointment

Questions first? Email me:

doctor@wanderingvet.com · (415) 376-9780