Altamont Cat Hospital

I do Not recommend this vet. First, this vet was abusive to her workers. It was very uncomfortable, and I felt very sorry for them. Second, she didn't know enough about cat urinary bladder inflammation than my new vet. She recommended antibiotics each time even though my cat didn't have an infection - extra cost and bad for her immune system when she didn't need them. My new vet explained everything thoroughly, and did NOT recommend antibiotics. This was not once but twice. Then, the third time my cat had problems, even though I called a couple days before the end of the week, they told me they couldn't fit her in. They have very limited hours. They suggested I go to an emergency vet, but I just went to Adobe because they're open late and on weekends - plus they turned out to be awesome. Read Less

Dr Matthews and her entire staff are just wonderful.  I have "problem" kitties, one had diabetes, recurring pancreatitis, constipation, weight loss, food aggression, all of the things. The other kitty is older-than-dirt, has lung cancer, kidney failure, "the worst" arthritis, and most recently cystitis.Dr Matthews has not only kept my babies alive, but they are HAPPY and comfortable, and I am not thousands and thousands of dollars in debt. I cant imagine how things would be for my babies had I not been told about Altamont Cat Hospital (by a former employee).  I live in Oakland and drive to Livermore to see Dr Matthews. Read Less

I'm an RVT that works part time (mostly I stay home with my kids) in San Jose. So usually I take all my pets to the vet I work for but I wanted to have a relationship with a local vet for our cats in case of emergency. I have to say that Dr. Mathews is amazing. She's patient, caring, and very thorough. I have recommended her to countless people over the last year because she is that good. Read Less

Dr. Mathews is the best! I have a brood of four. One of the most stressful parts of moving was finding a new vet. Dr. Mathews always handles my kitties with care and compassion and she always takes time for thorough exams and time to answer questions. Her support staff is amazing as well. Read Less

First off this review has nothing to to with their veterinary skills, but how Dr. Mathews and Greg treated me on a certain day. I used to drive and pick up samples for vet clinics. Just drove past this clinic and it reminded me of that day. I was so angry about this but never said a thing since I respected my company and supervisor. Now that I left the company a long long time ago I can speak my mind. ( I think his name was Greg or Craig. I'll just call him Greg) I had a set route, their clinic was an on call meaning I would only pick up lab work from then when they called in.  Oh, I had other random on calls in Tracy also... so no Greg, I wouldn't always be on time like you thought. One day they call in and I drive 45 minutes  out to Livermore. I've picked up from them for about 3 months without having problems opening the door.  On this particular day the first thing I notice is a sign saying "out for lunch" but it is still mandatory to knock and confirm. I tried opening the door first as I usually did for THREE MONTHS, but it's LOCKED. I knock and wait a minute, no answer. So I walk to my car, grab a tag, walk back to the front door, fill out the tag, stick it on the door to let them know I was there and continue with my route. 30 minutes later into my route dispatch calls and asks me to return. I say sure, thinking they must've forgot, no biggie. Dispatch also says "you are going to go in this time right?" Which was confusing...I turn around and go back 30 minutes. Now I am losing 1 hour. I was kinda expecting a "hey we are sorry about that" type thing, but nope, got the total opposite. I walked in with a pathetic smile and get the wrath of the devil. Now I'm thinking WTF?! Are Greg and Dr. Mathews really putting the blame on me?! Saying the door was never locked. Said they even had a client inside. They even made me open the door in front of them just to make me feel or look stupid? Asked me if the door was sticky lol. She says "how can we accommodate you? How can we make it better for you?" Talking to me as if I was a toddler. Are you serious?! While Dr. Mathews talked her crap Greg had this stupid smirk on his face. So you think I drove out there 45 minutes just to go stick the tag on your damn door and leave?! Or did you think I enjoyed making myself backtrack and lose an hour on a four hour route?!  Anyways, maybe you should check your staff Dr. Mathews. Maybe, just maybe one of them accidentally locked it and wasn't man enough to admit? Maybe he stuck that out to lunch sign up hoping to go out for lunch early? Maybe he didn't want anymore clients coming in? You think this could be a reason your door was locked? Just maybe? Maybe he was scared if your raging hormones or menopause symptoms.So yea, a few days later I go in for another pick up and I overhear Greg say "guess who's here on time". You tard, YOU are NOT the only pick up. There is no "on time"!Phew, that off my chest. Excuse my language but screw the both of you. Read Less

I absolutely love this place. I just recently got a kitten and Dr M was super informative and knew so much about the kitten and what I need to do to keep my baby healthy and happy. The visit went very well and I made a follow up for two weeks after. They didn't even charge me for my first visit!! :D The nice man that worked there helped me to my car and was very informative with the invoice as well as the medication I was given. Then over the weekend the kitten started to vomit (as it was very hot) and I was sick with worry. I emailed DrM and she responded so quickly and told me what I should do. A day later the kitten is no longer vomiting and is back to her normal self. For as long as Altamont Cat Hospital is there I will be bringing all three of my cats here. Highly recommend!!! Dr M is amazing ... Read Less

I can't say enough about Dr. Matthews and her staff Linda and Gregg.  They are gentle and compassionate with my two Bengals and have provided us with great care.  It's great to have a vet that specializes in felines.  She is not a vet that recommends more tests than are necessary.  I highly recommend Altamont Cat Hospital. Read Less

I would not bring my kitties anyplace other than th Dr. Mathews.  She is very patient and understanding to our kittes and to me.  She takes her time to explain details and answer all my questions.  She know that our kitties are not just pets. They are family and her "bedside" manners are far better than a lot of pediatricians I dealt with when my kids were little.  She helped me save the life of our wonderful Woody who was abandoned (found under a deck) and left sick with pnumonia and a severe eye infection at only 6 days old.  Only a 10% chance to live and I didn't give up on him and neither did Dr. Mathews.  He is now a healthy happy, slighly spoiled...  14 pound, 2 year old. Hurrah for Dr. Mathews! Read Less

I met Dr. Matthews today under unfortunate circumstances. I saw a small kitten trying to cross the road on Vasco this morning and pulled over immediately to try to get it out of the road. Within a minute and by the time I got to it the kitten had already been hit. The kitten was still alive when I got to it so I picked it up and ran to Altamont Cat Hospital which just so happened to be across the street. Dr. Matthews took the kitten from me and told me that she was gone. Being the huge cat lover that I am, I immediately started sobbing, she came out to console me and gave me a hug. She showed a huge amount of compassion towards me and also to the kitten, both complete strangers to her. The yelp reviews about how wonderful she is didn't surprise me and I will definitely be bringing my own cats to see her in the future. Read Less

Wow, I can't believe I haven't written a review for Dr. Matthews' practice.  We moved from Canada four and a half years ago and have two high maintenance cats (health-wise).  We were overjoyed at finding a cat hospital close to home and have brought our boys to her for their various scraps and shots since 2006.If I could give a five plus rating to the service of Dr. Matthews I would.  We have several friends who go to this hospital for their cat needs and all love her.  She is thorough, open to questions, up to date on the latest tests/drugs/procedures and is available if needed by email and will call you with test results even after she is closed to discuss at length the results.Her love for cats is very evident, from actively finding homes for abandoned cats to caring for ailing cats outside of her hospital.Efficient , knowledgeable, patient and professional she is - your cats will be in good hands. Read Less

You would think that a clinic that specializes in cats would have greater knowledge when diagnosing a cat.  I did not find this to be true.  The vet actually suggested my cat could have swine flu.  The lady receptionist was horribly rude and cold as ice.  The only nice person working here was a male assistant who carried my cat out to the car for me. BAD energy in this place.I always recommend meeting the vet and staff to get a feel for whatever clinic you choose. If you get negative vibes choose another place. The vet and staff chould be respectful and make you feel comfortable. Read Less

This is the BEST CAT VET around.. When you talk to Dr. Matthews you can tell right away that she is Passionate about what she does. There Office is not any more expensive then other vets. They don't rush you in and out, they explain things so you understand. NO UP SELLING.. Just FANTASTIC care. AS long as I have my Cat (TI KI) he will always be taken here.. Read Less

We just recently moved out of Livermore, but I still sent a Christmas card to Dr. Mathews and the staff this year. They've been a big part of our lives in helping us take care of our two beloved cats for the past three years. They've always made an concerted effort to fit us in when things go wrong with our cats ("can you come in around 10:30?"), and it's obvious they really love felines.**And for people looking to get kittens fixed, she does what's called a "keyhole incision". Smaller opening, less traumatic on the kitten, and no big area to chew on afterward - it was a no brainer for us. My kittens were fairly normal by the end of the day, and they put microchips in their shoulders at the same time (which has helped when they've wandered away). It was slightly more expensive than the other couple vets I'd called, but it was REALLY worth it, since I have friends whose pets got infections by chewing on themselves after surgery.We plan on going back once in a while to get flea meds for them, and keeping in touch with her so that we can take the cats there again when we move back (hopefully).Thank you, Dr Mathews! Read Less

We have been taking our large herd of cats to Dr. Matthews for more than a year. If you've never gone to a cat specialist, it is very different from the care we've received at various "dog vets" over the years.We feel fortunate to have a feline practitioner reasonably close to our home (in Tracy) and would recommend Dr. Matthews to any cat owner.And, no, she is not more expensive than other vets. Read Less