Cheshire Cat Clinic

When Dr. Sodakoff was running Cheshire Cat Clinic, it was 5 stars. He was awesome and my cat loved him. Unfortunately, after he left, my experience went way down. The vet who took over along with the assistants, do not seem to know and love cats the way Dr. Sodakoff did. In my cat’s first visit post Dr. S, they frightened him so terribly that he became aggressive. The more fearful he became the more they manhandled him, and things just got worse. They wouldn’t let me stay in the room with him, which calms him. Now, my cat who was never afraid of the vet, is terrified. We have since changed vets, and it’s getting better. But slowly. Cheshire Cat really traumatized him. I do not recommend.

I can’t speak highly enough of my love for Cheshire Cat Clinic and the amazing staff. Dr. Atid, Monique, Jessica, Ashley… the entire crew. What a warm, healing, caring bunch.
I’ve been coming to Cheshire Cat since I moved to Oakland 8 years ago. I am a self-​professed crazy cat lady, and there’s no better place to take my felines!
The few naysayers are interesting — veterinary care IS costly, but Dr. Atid never EVER overcharges or suggests things that aren’t necessary.
Chances are, I’ll have more cats and many more visits to Cheshire Cat. And I’m so glad they are here!

Had some good experiences in the past but lately no one has returned my phone call about cat showing no improvement after last visit. On the hunt for a new vet I guess.

I liked this clinic when we brought our (now long-​departed) cats here well over a decade ago. So naturally we came here when we adopted a new kittie. I don’t know if things have changed in veterinary medicine in general or if these problems are particular to this clinic, but… here goes.
First: I don’t like being made to feel guilty for having not brought my HEALTHY cat in for an annual ‘checkup.’ She is 4 years old– I was here two, maybe 2 ½ years ago. She is a cat, not a child. I see no reason to stress her out with a trip in the car if she is fine. Just because you don’t keep your records organized is no reason to ask me things like «When WAS the last time you brought her in?» It isn’t confidence-​inspiring that you can’t find her records.
Second: telling me my cat has advanced dental disease, needs to have all her teeth pulled (!!) and then handing me an estimate of $ 2000 to do the job– when I didn’t even ASK you about her teeth– isn’t confidence-​inspiring either. In reading the reviews, I see that other visitors here have paid a high price for dental services. I will shop around, get another opinion, etc. But, researching on the web, I find that 70% of cats have dental disease. This seems like a potential goldmine for veterinarians! Sorry, don’t mean to be cynical, but please– I just had to pay $ 2k for a first installment on my second daughters’ braces. I just don’t have another $ 2k for the cat’s teeth.
But the third issue os the most important. I was given prescription medication for my cat that had vague instructions on the envelope. No one demonstrated the right way to administer it or THE RIGHT AMOUNT– not the assistant, not Dr. Atid. I only found out by calling the clinic after my follow-​up visit (when I was given what i was told was «the right drug,» which they had been out of the first time I was there!!) that I wasn’t administering anywhere near the correct amount. This is inexcusable and medically irresponsible. If you did this with my child, you would be out of business. As it is, it makes me– really mad. I sure hope it hasn’t affected my cat’s healing process.
If you go to this vet, be proactive, and ask lots of questions.

Dr. Atid was okay and the staff was nice, but what made me really annoyed were the prices. Everything seems to cost a LOT, and I sort of accepted it as something at all vets, until I complained to a friend about the estimated costs for extracting 1 — 3 of my cat’s teeth. The estimate was $ 710 — $ 910, depending on whether or not they extracted one, two or three teeth. This was simply out of my budget, but I also felt terrible because I didn’t want my cat to be in pain.
I called the place my friend takes her cats to in Pacifica and ended up going there. It cost $ 532 to extract all three teeth, and I was very happy with the service. Yes, it was a bit of a trek for me, but saving almost $ 400 was definitely worth it. I’ve paid the higher comparable amounts at other vets in the East Bay and SF related to teeth expenses, and am feeling like they’re all in cahoots to rip us off. (Cheshire Cat charged $ 220 on a previous visit for blood work and the other vet charged $ 58.) If you have the possibility of going a little further, it might be worth looking into to save some $$$.

I love the Cheshire Cat Clinic. They’ve taken excellent care of my 17 year old cat, they don’t push you to do a bunch of expensive diagnostics or unnecessary procedures. I’m so glad I found Dr. Atid & her wonderful clinic.

Very attentive, kind and knowledgeable staff! I think we have found a permanent vet!

Very good experience here with my two kitties who sadly passed away several years ago. Vets were thorough and handled both of our senior cats well. It has been a few years but I recall them having good pricing too, which was important for me at the time as a grad student. Reasonable easy to find parking. One sad thing that wasn’t their fault was they called me a year later to remind me for an annual checkup on my two kitties who had since passed. That was a hard moment.

Cheshire has been great with my cats as well as previous roommate’s cats. They are not cheap but get the job done right. The staff is wonderful. A roommate adopted a cat that needed to have her ears amputated due to sun damage. When the cat was there ready for surgery, Dr. Atid said that the ears look good, that they should wait and see. That cat still has her ears. Says a lot about Dr. Atid and Cheshire. They earned my trust.

When we adopted an old and rickety Tipper we promised ourselves that we would not spend a ton of money in the likely event that he became ill. Fast-​forward a year later, we were at an emergency clinic spending about $ 1200 on fluids and tests that yielded no results. When we took him in for a follow up at Cheshire, the doctor pressed more testing, and we reluctantly agreed. When she didn’t find anything, she basically stalked us until we agreed to more testing. This is not to say she was overly aggressive — she gave us different options and conceded that it was possible more testing wouldn’t lead to anything conclusive. But she did firmly encourage more tests. Finally, they discovered Tipper was B-​12 deficient. We began giving him weekly B-​12 injections at home and he has since become a new cat. He is playful, lively, and seems to have gained a few years of life (in spirit anyway). I am so glad we followed the doctor’s advice and only wish we had done it sooner. Thanks for being so persistent, Cheshire!

I really appreciate the quality of care Cheshire Cat Clinic offers. The staff is great and the new owner is extremely knowledgable and knew exactly how to help my cat!

A few years ago I was in a complete panic because I had to fly home for a family emergency. I knew I would be gone for several weeks and Prince Malcolm Shabazz, Great Feline of Oakland, was going to have to accompany me on this journey. He needed a health certificate in order to get on a plane in 24 hours. I called around and no one could fit us in… except Cheshire Cat clinic. They were kind and amazing. They gave him the 1 shot he would need to be cleared to fly and prescribed some kitty volume to help ease his anxiety.
Since then, I have brought His Royal Highness to them for all his vet needs. The hours can sometimes be challenging and once when we were in crises, I strayed and went to another vet — The difference in service was HUGE! The «other» clinic did not have the little special touches that make kitties happy — ie the ear thermometers or a higher concentration of the antibiotic so I did not have to administer as much — they treated all animals — cats and dogs, the same way. I humbly returned to Cheshire Cat clinic and within 1 appointment, we were back on track and given the royal treatment. Dr. Susan Trujillo explained my options and I was very comfortable with the course of treatment. Prince M is back to his old self and I will never again stray from Cheshire Cat Clinic.

I LOVED this place when owned by Dr. Sodokoff. He may not have had the warmest bedside manner, but my cats loved him and I trusted him. I was sad to learn that he had retired and sold the business, but decided to continue with the clinic since I had been going to it since Dr. Youdall, Mark, the «Cat Whisperer» was there.
Dr. Atid is nice enough, but… my cat has had a bald spot above one of her eyes which went undiagnosed for years because none of the vets at Cheshire bothered to test it. However, this isn’t the main reason why I left Cheshire. I brought my cat into Cheshire to have this area above her eye examined and instead Dr. Atid’s partner Susan something diagnosed my cat with kidney disease (based solely on my telling her that my cat likes water) as well as a «heart murmur» (no other vet had ever said this). I went home in tears. After this, Dr. Atid tested my cat and listened to her heart with an amplified stethoscope. Then, it was determined that my cat did not have either kidney disease or a heart murmur. I was floored with Susan’s diagnosis and told this to Dr. Atid who defended her partner. I was told, however, by the receptionist that this is a fairly common occurrence with Susan (misdiagnosis and abruptness). Leaving there, I still did not know the cause of the bald spot above my cat’s eye which was the reason for the vet’s appointment in the first place.
Overall, like others have said, if you get Dr. Atid, you will probably get good care for your kitty, but if you get her partner, yikes is all that I can say!
Meanwhile, when I took my cat to another vet immediately the area above her eye was tested and the vet was shocked that those at Cheshire had never done so. It is a Mast Cell Tumor which is finally being treated by her new vet.
I love Lori, the receptionist. She has been there for years and has always been extremely sweet, also John and Jessica are lovely. However, as much as I loved Drs. Sodokoff, Fong and Mark, I would sadly not recommend Cheshire Cat Clinic as it is now.

I’m incredibly thankful for the staff at this place. I have a senior cat who has developed hyperthyroidism and a number of other ailments over the years. In the first 2 visits, I felt like the doctor and staff had properly diagnosed her and offered a reasonable treatment plan. They were very respectful and loving for my cat, which is more than I can say for the other Berkeley vet where I had taken her before. The only reason i am not giving 5 stars is that after 5 months of treatment and 4 visits, they still want me to come on a fairly regular basis. My cat has improved tremendously over this time and I feel like return visits are doing little but weighing on my wallet at this point. Still, I take it as a good sign that they err on the side of concern and attention.

I moved to Oakland from San Francisco and issues that I had been having with my 18 year old cat were quickly figured out at Cheshire Cat Clinic (that hadn’t been at my SF vet). During each visit Dr. Atid was very thorough and always gave me literature about the issue to take home, so that I could know more. When my cat took a downturn and Dr. Atid determined that my cat didn’t have long, she was very compassionate and did what she could to do what was best for me and my cat. She also provided me with her cell phone number and regularly called in to check to see how my cat was doing. When the day came that I had to make the awful decision, Dr. Atid was very supportive and assured me that I was doing the right thing — something I really needed to hear — and she knew it. I have recommended Cheshire Cat Clinic to anyone I have met in Oakland the that has a cat.

If I could, I’d give Cheshire ¹⁰⁄₁₀ stars. This place is honestly, the BEST vet I’ve ever been to, nothing but kind hearted cat lovers who are there to help you and your feline companion. From the sweet receptionist Lori, MA’s John, Jessica & Dominique to Dr. Atid & Dr. Fung, I would just like to thank you guys for your outstanding customer service, veterinarian skills and sincere hearts towards my feelings and especially the safety, health and comfort of Pepper & Oliver.
Dr.Atid is Peppers primary care physician and is now going to be Oliver’s as well. Never in my life as a cat owner have I come across a veterinarian who cares so much for cats, I guess maybe that’s why this is specifically a CAT clinic. :P
The facility is small but extremely comforting for the cats since it’s nice and quiet. No loud dogs barking up a storm to frighten them and they provide coffee and cookies for their human parents while they wait to be seen. :-)
We had Pepper first for 7 months and decided to add an addition to the family so she’s not lonely while her parents are away. But little did we know that Oliver would bring a bug home with him from the shelter and got his new sister sick. I was extremely concerned because we got him a day before the Thanksgiving Holidays and Pepper got sick on Thanksgiving day… we did a bunch of research online and we thought that she might of just been going through the jealous stage that, most cats do when a newcomer comes into the house… but it turned out that she did not eat for two straight days… going on three… especially when we tried giving her her favorite flavor canned food… So as an emergency attempt I tried to take her to see Dr. Atid but she was not available on Black Friday, instead I got Dr.Fung. I was concerned at first because the negative reviews indicated that one doctor was really rude and not caring towards the cats… so I was hesitant to find out that Dr. Atid was not going to see Pepper but wow… Dr. Fung was completely gentle & patient with Pepper, thoroughly examined her to get to the bottom of what was causing her lost of appetite. Even when Pepper hissed at her once, she did not make an inappropriate comment, she completely understood Peppers agitation and proceeded when Pepper had calmed down. Was really impressed and appreciated that greatly. It turned out that Pepper had a bad case of Tonsillitis and was dehydrated, was prescribed antibiotics and given fluids through the skin. We followed protocol as Dominique (sorry if I got your name wrong!) had instructed us to do so when it came to giving our cats the medication and forced fed her and we had our baby again! She’s bouncing around, running around the apartment and playing with Oliver. :-)
Oliver was seen today by Dr. Atid and once again, completely informative and excellent service from her.
This place CAN be a little bit pricey, however, as people say, you get what you pay for and like we do for our children, we pay for them to be seen by THE BEST.
So if your furry friends mean the world to you like they do to me, I HIGHLY recommend this place for them to be seen.

From reading the other reviews, it seems like the place is great if you get Dr. Atid. I, however, did not have the pleasure and got one whose name I shall not mention out of courtesy. I will just say that you should make sure that you get Dr. Atid, the owner of the establishment, since the other vet is horrid.
I had the same experience as Kit K. I would have given the place 2 stars, had it not been for the nice receptionist. But the knowledge of the vet and the technician were both underwhelming. The visitor vet that I had complained that my cat hissed at her. Uh, yeah, you were sticking your finger up his butt. Not that I’ve consulted Dan Savage, but I don’t think cats are into that. She also complained about having to check his anal glands «Lucky us,» she said. I had a bad feeling about her from the moment we met because she did not even introduce herself. I had to ask for her name!
The visits are well-​priced at $ 60 for a general wellness visit. However, the visit was only about 15 minutes long, and the vet obviously did not care about my cat. I do not plan to take my kitty back here. I would rather spend more money at a nicer clinic that treats my cat with the care he deserves.

If I were rating on the service of the receptionist, vet techs, and cute card that they send in the mail, then I would give this place 5 stars.
However, my experience with the doctor was terrible. Maybe I caught her on a bad day, but she was realllly not nice to my cat or me. When my cat hissed and growled at her (something she’s never done to anyone) she started commenting on how aggressive my cat was and that she would have to be sedated if I brought her back in. Maybe if she’d been a little more friendly and gentle, then my cat wouldn’t need to be sedated!
After taking some blood and urine samples, she came back to tell me again that my cat was being uncooperative. I waited 30 minutes for the results, and she told me with a cold face that it looks like my cat has Kidney Failure. What does that mean? She gave me a packet about CRF and told me to go home and «light a candle and read it».
When I asked her what the prognosis was, she couldn’t give me any clues. I left the clinic freaked out because I didn’t feel like I got any answers about what was going on with my cat or how to make her feel better. After doing some research online and freaking myself out more, I called the clinic to ask what stage of CRF my cat was in and if I could have a copy of the lab results.
One of the vet techs was kind and helpful with emailing me the results, but I am going to take them to another clinic to get a better understanding of my cat’s condition since I still feel like the vet wasn’t able to provide me with any answers. Plus, I think that my cat and I would both have to be sedated to deal with miss grumpy vet again!

I just had to update my old review from when Dr. Sodikoff was the vet. I have had nothing but great experiences with the new vet, Dr. Atid. Unfortunately, I have had to spend a bit of time there in the past year as both my cats are old and have had deteriorating health. Most recently my oldest guy was diagnosed with Diabetes. Dr. Atid explained everything thoroughly, told me my options, was not pushy about using insulin (which I decided against doing). She gave me printouts, loaned me a video, and even called a few days later to see if I had questions.
As his health got worst, and I was back a the vet, we found out he has a tumor that had progressed rapidly. Sadly it was his time, and when I came back the next day with my family to put him to sleep Dr. Atid was compassionate and understanding. I even received a card from her in the mail today.
Everyone else in the office is still there from Dr. Sodikoff’s days. I have had wonderful experiences with everyone from the vet techs to the woman who works at the front desk– they are all stellar and I continue to go back because they treat my cats (as well as me) great!
As for the price, I don’t price shop for my vet just like I don’t price shop for my children’s pediatrician. I originally picked Cheshire cat because it’s a cat only clinic and they know what they are doing. I have been nothing but impressed with the service and will continue to go back as long as I have cats (and I’ve still got one left!).

Dr. Atid is terrific and knows her stuff. She has a very gentle manner and she really loves cats. She has been fair with me and my unruly cat; the other members of the staff are also top notch. My cat is on regular medication, so I have to go over there regularly, and I feel valued as a client.
I see that some posters have been disappointed that the ownership changed — indeed, it did, but Dr. Atid has been involved with the clinic for the past several years, as have some of the staff. Wish I had their names so I could shout out to them.