Thanks for your input and advice, everyone!! I really do appreciate it. The consensus seems to be about what I suspected, and now I can go into the vet's today with the confidence of knowing that I have consulted a group of true cat lovers, whose felines are happy and healthy.

I'm taking him in for the checkup today, and will bring a stool sample so that I can refuse the de-worming with a clear conscience. I'm also going to discontinue the one vaccine they were going to give him today. It's for kennel cough or some such thing, and it seems wholly unneccessary to me. The reason they gave it to him in the first place was that it was a preventive measure in case he should ever need to be around a lot of other cats...kenneled or an extended stay at the vet's or something. Well, we're not going to kennel him ever (lots of friends and relatives in town), and I'll take my chances with the other. He's healthy.

Deb, I would find all of this VERY irritating, too, except that I know this area of town too well. It's all middle class, with about 3/4 of the people trying HARD to convince the world that they're upper-class by spending, spending, spending!!! These are the sort of people who WANT to give their animals every vaccine in the book, b/c isn't the most expensive care the best? The way I see it, this vet's office is just giving the people what they want. Other than being somewhat bossy and treatment-happy, I really do like them. They're VERY good with Rizzo, and when he was fixed they were very good with me. They called several times during the day to let me know how he was doing, they explained his recovery thoroughly, etc. That said, if they continue to try to guilt me once I make my wishes known, I *will* be looking for another cat doctor.

Thanks again everyone! I'll let you know how the visit goes.