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I keep in contact with my friends /family back in New York. They say the veterinary clinics have gotten hit pretty hard with staffing and an influx of new animals:

1) Older DVMs retired during COVID-19;

2) People who got pets have been scheduling appointments to see these new animals;

3) Staff such as LVTs, front office, etc did not return for a variety of reasons this year

I was told it is 4-6 WEEKS to see a cat at many clinics in the WNY/CNY area. A couple of the emergency hospitals have had to decline new admits due to inadequate staffing for several days this year. If you have a cat or dog that is in extremis, you have a problem.

So I am taking two cats from a cousin this weekend, another cat is going to a niece, and my cousin is also sending two cats to Ontario, Canada to good friends who offered to take in two cats. These are cats that are older with not overly serious medical issues, but for which prompt treatment would be important.

I said to try and find a DVM who has a concierge service and makes house calls. You pay a retainer and some more for the care, but it would be timely. I believe it could be a money maker for an enterprising group of DVMs.