Spaying and neutering cats are routine surgeries, but still, after these surgeries, your cat will need treatment. If you're worried about how to care for your cat after it's been spayed (female) or neutered (male), forget it! You are in the right place. In this article, you can learn a few things to help with post-surgery healing and to make your cat happy and healthy again.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Creating a Safe Healing Room
Step 1. Provide a quiet, comfortable space for the cat
Cats may feel nauseous and confused in the first 18-24 hours after anesthesia. Cats are also more likely to get angry at people and other animals, so make sure your cat has a quiet place to rest.
- Make sure you can still see the cat from its resting place. Block all hidden points that you can't easily access.
- Keep children and other animals away from cats. Cats need to rest and recuperate. It will be difficult for him to do so if he is often interrupted or disturbed by other parties.
Step 2. Keep the cat comfortable
Make sure the cat has a comfortable place to rest. If your cat doesn't have a regular bed, try putting a soft pillow or blanket in a box.
If possible, place the cat bed on a tile or wood floor area. Cats like to cool their stomachs by stretching on the cold hard floor. It can also help relieve pain at the point of surgery
Step 3. Maintain dim lighting
Cats that are under the influence of drugs are usually sensitive to light. Dim or turn off the lights in the cat's resting area.
If that's not possible, use something like a domed bed so the cat can protect itself from the light
Step 4. Provide a clean litter box and easily accessible food and water
Cats should not jump, climb stairs, or engage in strenuous activities in order to heal after surgery.
Do not use a regular litter box for at least a week after surgery. This box can interfere with the incision during surgery and cause infection, especially in male cats. Use crushed paper or newspaper. Alternatively, you can also choose long grain rice to put in the litter box
Step 5. Keep the cat indoors
Do not allow the cat to leave the house for at least two weeks after surgery, to keep the operating point clean, dry, and infection-free.
Part 2 of 3: Caring for Cats After Surgery
Step 1. Examine the cut area on the cat
Seeing the slices can help you to check and monitor their progress. If possible, ask your vet to show you the incision marks before you take your cat home. You can also take a photo of this intersection point on the first day as a reference.
Female cats and male cats with undescended testicles will be sliced on the abdomen. Most male cats have two small incisions in the scrotal area (under the tail)
Step 2. Use the “Elizabethan” necklace
Your doctor may give you this collar or you can buy one at your local pet supply store. A collar like this restricts the cat's facial movements so it doesn't interfere with the area of operation.
This necklace can also be referred to as a protective necklace, an E necklace, or a cone necklace
Step 3. Offer food and water
Offer a small amount of water in a shallow bowl (or a small ice cube) as soon as you get home from the vet. Your vet may teach you feeding instructions. Follow the instructions. If you don't get instructions, consider doing the following:
- If your cat appears alert and responsive, you can offer him about a quarter of his normal food portion within 2-4 hours of his return from surgery. Don't force the cat to eat or drink, though.
- If the cat is able to eat, give another small dish in 3-6 hours. Repeat until the cat has eaten a full meal, then resume her normal feeding schedule.
- If the cat is younger than 16 weeks, give a small portion (about half of its normal portion) as soon as you bring it home after surgery.
- If your kitten won't eat after returning home, you can try dipping a cotton ball or cotton swab in maple syrup or corn and rubbing it against the cat's gums.
- Do not give food, snacks, or any nutritional food after surgery. Your cat's stomach may be upset, so keep your cat's diet as normal as possible. Do not give milk to cats because cats cannot digest it.
Step 4. Let the cat rest
Do not try to play with the cat immediately after surgery. While this may seem like reassuring you that your cat is recovering, it can actually be uncomfortable and cause less rest.
Step 5. Do not pick up the cat unless necessary
Surgical wounds on cats can reopen if you lift or move them too much. For male cats, avoid putting pressure on the scrotum (under the tail). For female cats (and male cats who were operated on for undescended testicles), avoid pressing on the abdomen.
If you must lift it, try this approach: cover the back of the body with one hand and use your other hand to support the cat's chest just below the front paws. Lift the cat's body slowly
Step 6. Limit the cat's movement
Make sure the cat doesn't jump, play, or move too much within a week of surgery. These things can cause irritation or infection at the surgical site.
- Get rid of trees, perches, and other furniture that may be a favorite place for your cat to jump over.
- Keep your cat in a small room, such as a laundry room or bathroom, or in a cage when you can't keep an eye on him.
- Consider not taking your cat up and down stairs. Your cat probably won't reopen the surgery area, but you should still be careful.
- Understand that a cat who is under stress – for example from a recent surgery – may be trying to escape. Make sure you are very vigilant about watching him, especially in the first 24-48 hours after surgery.
Step 7. Do not bathe the cat
Do not bathe for 10-14 days after surgery. This can cause irritation or infection at the surgical site.
If needed, you can clean the area around the surgical incision with a damp cloth (without soap), but don't wet the incision yourself. You also shouldn't rub the surgical area
Step 8. Give pain medication only as directed by your veterinarian
He or she may prescribe medication for your cat. Make sure you follow the directions for this recipe, even if you don't see the cat in pain. Cats are very good at hiding pain – they may suffer even when they don't show it. Never give any medication that is not specifically prescribed by a veterinarian.
- Human medicine, and even medicine for other animals (like dogs), can kill cats! Do not give any medication, even over-the-counter, unless your vet has verified it is safe for cats. Drugs like Tylenol can even be harmful to cats.
- Do not apply any products to the surgical site, including disinfectant or antibiotic creams, unless authorized by your veterinarian.
Part 3 of 3: Watching Cats
Step 1. See if he is vomiting
If your cat vomits after eating the night she comes home from surgery, get rid of the food. Try giving another snack the next morning. If your cat is vomiting again or has diarrhea, call your vet.
Step 2. Check the sliced area every morning and evening
For 7-10 days post-surgery, check this area every morning and night. Compare her appearance to the first day after surgery to analyze the cat's recovery process. Call your vet if any of the following symptoms occur:
- Redness. The wedge may initially be pink around the edges. However, this red color should fade with time. If the red color is getting stronger or getting older, this may be a sign that the cat is having a developing infection.
- bruises. Light, purplish-red bruising is normal when your cat is recovering. However, if the bruising spreads or gets worse, seek follow-up treatment immediately.
- Swelling. Swelling around the incision area is normal during the recovery process, but if the swelling doesn't go away or gets worse, call your vet.
- Liquid discharge. When you take your cat home, he may have a pink discharge around the surgical wound. This is normal, but if the discharge persists for more than a day, increases in quantity, is green, yellow, white, or has an unpleasant odor, the cat should be taken to the vet immediately.
- Separation of the wound margins. In male cats, the incision in the scrotum will open small and quickly close again. A female cat or male cat whose stomach has been operated on may not show any signs of stitches. If stitches are visible on the cat, these stitches should remain strong. If the cat has no stitches, the edges of the wound should be kept closed. If the edges of the wound start to separate or you notice something unusual – such as stitches – coming out of the wound, take your cat to the vet immediately.
Step 3. Check the cat's gums
The cat's gums should be pale pink or red. When you press it gently and then release it, this color should reappear immediately. If your cat's gums are pale or don't return to their normal color when pressed, call your vet.
Step 4. Look for signs of pain
Cats don't always show pain like humans (or even dogs). Look for signs of discomfort in your cat. If you see it, the cat needs help and you should contact the vet. Common postoperative signs of pain in cats include:
- Desire to hide or run away
- Depression or feeling weak
- Loss of appetite
- Slouched posture
- Tight abdominal muscles
- Moaning
- hiss
- Anxiety or nervousness
Step 5. Watch for other warning signs
Make sure the cat is recuperating. Watch his behavior. Anything that doesn't seem "normal" should stop within 24 hours of surgery. If you notice any unusual behavior or symptoms in your cat, contact your veterinarian immediately. Here are some signs to watch out for:
- Weakness for more than 24 hours after surgery
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting after the first night
- Fever or chills
- Decreased appetite for more than 24-48 hours after surgery
- Failure to eat anything after 24 hours (for adult cats) or 12 hours (for kittens)
- Difficulty or pain when urinating
- The cat has not urinated for more than 24-48 hours after surgery
Step 6. Call the emergency veterinarian
In most cases, contacting your regular veterinarian will generally help your cat heal. However, in certain cases, seek emergency medical care for the cat. Call your veterinarian or the emergency department at a veterinary hospital if any of the following symptoms occur in your cat:
- Loss of consciousness
- Cat not responding
- Cats have trouble breathing
- Signs of extreme pain
- Altered mental state (the cat doesn't seem to recognize you or the environment, or acts out of character)
- Distended stomach
- Bleeding
Step 7. Keep up with follow-up appointments
Cats may not have visible stitches. However, if the scar is present, the vet should remove it within 10-14 days after surgery.
Even if your cat doesn't have stitches, you should still follow all follow-up appointments recommended by your veterinarian
Tips
- Keep the cat away from the children on the first day.
- Use a newspaper mat or a "dust-free" mat for the litter box for easy cleaning.
- Keep neutered male cats away from unsterilized female cats for at least 30 days after surgery. Male cats can still impregnate female cats for up to 30 days after being neutered.
