Heartbreaking Experience With Our Sick Cat
Our visit to AniCura Svenstrup was genuinely heartbreaking.
We brought our cat, Nova, in after a weekend of illness. While the emergency phone staff were kind and helpful, our actual appointment with Niels Henrik Lund was shocking. Instead of allowing me to calmly unzip Nova’s soft carrier, he shook her out of it, already setting a stressful tone. When she hissed and swatted in fear, he hit her on the back. Not a gentle nudge. A hit. My partner and I were stunned. Nova was already unwell and scared. How is that ever an acceptable reaction from a vet?
Instead of taking responsibility, he blamed us for not warning them that she might act out, even though no one ever asked. We were first-time visitors and had no idea this was expected. We followed all the advice we could find, but nothing prepared us for how we were treated.
I sent a complaint and hoped for a serious response. At first, they claimed the slap was a reflex. Something I still can’t accept from a professional with decades of experience. But the final reply was even worse: we were blamed for not having the “common sense” to disclose our cat’s behavior in advance, as if it was our fault she was hit. No apology from the vet himself. No sign that anything would change. Just a refund and a defensive tone.
What hurts the most is that I really believed AniCura was the best place I could take Nova. I trusted them. But after this experience, I’ve lost all confidence in the clinic, and I’m left with the awful memory of Nova being hurt in a place that was supposed to help her. I hope no one else has to go through what we did.