Dr Hovanetz and her team saved my boy's life! Recently moved to the area and this is the vet my sister reccomended after they were amazing with her very spicy old lady Tabatha. Ramen Noodle was not acting right.They squeezed him in for imaging but told me if he needed surgery they wouldn't have time and would refer out. After seeing his xrays and seeing that he needed emergency surgery they found a way to fit him in and prepped him immediately. Things were worse than it seemed once they were in surgery and they called to update me mid surgery and update me about price increasing from the risk increasing. What happened to my boy is incredibly rare but they stepped up to fix him. They sacrificed the breaks in their schedule to save my boys life because they saw he needed it. They care. They were very communicative and honest about prices and options up front and I appreciate that. I'm so grateful that my spicy little man is still next to me. He's very mad about his long recovery but I'm glad hes acting himself again. This is definitely where my 3 babies will be going now. Thank you Dr Hovanetz and thank you Carefree Cats!
Carefree Cats has been great so far! I have only brought one of our cats here so far but will definitely bring the others when needed! The staff is friendly and responsive, and the doctors are knowledgeable.
Carefree Cats has always been great to us. Whether it’s a routine visit or an emergency, they’re always quick to help and are very accommodating. Everyone is kind and caring with our cats, and we always feel confident that they’re getting the care they need. We really appreciate the team!
9/9/26:
After my wife’s original review (refer to Roxy’s review), Roxy requested Momo and Chloe’s complete medical records on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. We were extremely upset by multiple inaccuracies in a September 2, 2026 client communication note.
At Momo’s appointment, I had provided a detailed printed sheet that my wife had written, documenting the entire GI timeline, including when the diarrhea started, what food preceded the vomiting and diarrhea, how things progressed, what Momo was eating, and what supportive measures had already been started.
The sheet documented that Momo was already receiving Proviable, and Roxy also handwritten that morning that she had started Pro-Pectalin. Yet the chart simply states that FortiFlora Pro was “offered and declined,” without documenting that she declined it because Momo was already receiving Proviable and Pro-Pectalin. That omission materially changes the context and makes it sound as though we simply rejected supportive care, which is false.
There are also inaccuracies surrounding the metronidazole conversation. The discussion about our previous cat’s 100 mg dose was made by Roxy, not me, yet the note attributes it to me. Our previous cat weighed 13 lbs, but the note refers to a “previous 14 cat.”
More concerning, the note says that Roxy mentioned trying metronidazole over the phone “according to MA.” She did not speak to that staff member. Another staff member transferred her directly to the veterinarian. Neither of us requested or proposed empiric metronidazole over the phone.
The note also states that we were told the medication could be discontinued if the testing came back negative. That instruction was never given to us during the call despite both of us being present and actively engaged in the conversation.
What bothers us most is that these aren’t simply minor documentation errors. They concern who said what, what information was provided, what treatment was supposedly requested, and what instructions were supposedly given.
I felt it was important to post this update because this discovery further contributed to our loss of confidence in the practice.
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Update 9/11/26:
Turns out Momo doesn’t have Tritrichomonas, parasites, or any bacterial pathogens. Her PCR came back completely negative.
Imagine treating her with the maximum dose of metronidazole for absolutely no reason. Thankfully, we didn’t blindly go along with it.
If there is one takeaway from this entire ordeal, it’s that as pet owners, we are our animals’ only voice. Veterinary medicine requires professional expertise, but trust should never mean blind compliance - especially when something feels fundamentally off.
Veterinarians are human. They make mistakes. Some can be inexperienced, insecure, or overzealous, and medical records can sometimes contain inaccuracies or omissions that materially change how an interaction appears.
If we had simply deferred to the white coat instead of doing our own research and trusting our instincts, Momo could have been subjected to unnecessary medication for an infection she never had, while her medical chart would falsely claim that we “declined” supportive care we were already actively providing.
Trust your instincts. Keep your own records. Read the medications being prescribed. Verify the dosages. Ask questions. Push back when something doesn’t add up.
Being an attentive and vocal advocate for your cat isn’t being “difficult.” Sometimes, it’s the only thing protecting them from unnecessary treatment.
