Neutered Cat Aftercare: How to care for your cat after surgery

What is cat neutering?

Spaying, or ovariohysterectomy, involves the surgical removal of a female cat’s reproductive organs – the ovaries and uterus.

An incision is made in the center of the abdomen, the ovaries and uterus are tied off and removed, and the incision is sutured closed.

Neutering a cat is a common surgery, It requires anesthesia and a level of post-operative care and monitoring, which usually lasts around 14 days.

Spaying or neutering is beneficial because it helps prevent several diseases in cats, including:

Spaying your cat can help reduce the risk of mammary cancer, eliminate future heat cycles, and reduce the likelihood of unwanted behaviors such as urine marking, wandering, meowing, and fighting.

Additionally, spaying or neutering helps prevent pet overpopulation by preventing unwanted pregnancies.

What to expect after your cat is spayed or neutered

General anesthesia and Painkillers will be used to keep your cat comfortable during surgery.

Your vet will likely send your cat home with additional pain medication, such as: Gabapentinmeloxicam and Onsior™.

Cats often recover quickly after being spayed or neutered, and pain relief will help the healing process and speed up the recovery.

Follow your veterinarian’s instructions and give your cat all prescribed medications.

If your cat seems to be in pain or tries to bite or lick the incision site, contact your veterinarian immediately. Do not give your cat human or over-the-counter pain medications without your veterinarian’s advice.

Some hospitals will keep your cat for observation the night after surgery, while others will send your cat home on the day of surgery, usually in the afternoon.

Either way, your cat should not be left unattended for at least the first 24 hours after surgery.

Your cat may still be drowsy from the effects of anesthesia, and most cats tend to spend their first night home resting.

Once you get home, give your cat only small amounts of water (about half the usual amount, with ice) as he may be nauseated from the procedure. Limit your cat’s first meals to about a quarter or half of its usual amount.

Some bruising around the surgical site is normal, but if there is excessive bruising or discharge from the incision, contact your veterinarian.

Your cat may also have a small bandage on his front leg where the IV catheter was placed. This bandage can usually be removed a few hours after you get home.

In some cases, mild swelling at the incision site may continue for a few weeks after surgery as the sutures dissolve. Swelling usually subsides within 3 to 4 weeks, unless the swelling is extreme or causes complications.

During the first day, your cat may have a small amount of blood in their urine, which is normal, but if there is too much blood, if the blood lasts too long, or if there are blood clots in the urine, seek veterinary care immediately.

How to care for your cat after spaying/neutering

Proper post-operative care will decrease your cat’s recovery time, promote healing, and reduce the likelihood of the need for additional surgeries or medications.

After restricting your cat’s diet at the initial time, try to keep the diet consistent. A sudden change can cause gastrointestinal upset.

Do not add supplements to your cat’s food or feed them human food.

For the first two weeks, limit your cat’s activity and avoid running, jumping, or rough play.

This helps avoid problems such as dehiscence (wound reopening), bleeding, infection, or bruising, which could require additional surgery, medication, or wound care.

While your cat recovers, keep it in a quiet room away from small children and loud noises, ideally in a bathroom or a room with few furniture to prevent it from jumping on and off high surfaces.

Provide resources such as: Comfortable bedding, Food and water bowlsand Clean toilets.

Consider changing the type of toilet the latest newsUse paper towels or shredded newspaper to prevent excess dust and debris from contaminating the incision.

During this time, be sure to keep the litter box especially clean and check it multiple times each day for urine and feces.

Cats may smell funny to other pets in the house, so it’s best to keep them isolated for the first few days, and try to reunite them by socializing through a door or swapping bedding.

You can also use pheromones. Feliway® helps keep everyone calm. Do not bathe your cat or get the incision wet during the recovery period.

Monitor your cat’s incision at least once a day and keep the area clean and dry.

Avoid using topical ointments, sprays, or salves unless prescribed by your veterinarian.

A typical incision will look like a line on your abdomen and may have a little crusting or dried blood on it.

Changes that may indicate an infection include:

• Discoloration (such as redness or a change in color)

• The discharge may be clear, red (blood-tinged), white (pus), or a combination of these.

• odor

• swelling

• Heat coming from the wound

• Gentle to the touch

• Excessive bruising

• Loose or pulled out sutures or staples

• Wrinkles or openings at the incision site

Spaying usually doesn’t require a bandage or external sutures, but if there are stitches, they will be removed in about two weeks.

If your cat is sent home bandaged, keep the bandages clean and dry and make sure your cat stays bandaged. Comfortable recovery collar So I can’t reach the bandage.

Also, check the bandage frequently for signs of shifting, soiling, or swelling. Change or remove bandages as directed by your veterinarian.

Although your cat may not like wearing a recovery collar, it helps prevent them from licking or biting, which can cause injury to themselves or lead to infection.

A properly fitted recovery collar should fit snugly around your cat’s neck, over their nose, and be long enough that you can fit two fingers under the base of the collar.

Select a soft recovery color or Inflatable donutsHowever, this is only possible if the cat cannot reach the incision with its mouth.

Surgical gown or similar garments can protect the incision area, but they must be kept clean and changed frequently.

When to call the vet

Neutering your cat is an important part of proper care and pet parenting.

While the procedure can prevent future health risks, cat spaying is an invasive surgical and anesthetic procedure that can result in life-threatening complications.

If your cat exhibits any of the following symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately:

• Difficult to wake up

• Pale gums

• heat

• Abdominal swelling and tenderness when touched

• Excessive vocalization, meowing, or growling

• Extensive bruising at or near the incision site that worsens over time

• Bleeding, foul odor, or any kind of discharge from the incision or vagina

• Straining when urinating or being unable to urinate

• Pain or suffering that does not improve with prescribed medication

• Difficulty breathing

• Coughing that gets worse over time or produces a wet sound or mucus

• Open wounds and lost sutures

• Swelling at the incision site is known as a seroma. This will often resolve over time, but you should still get it checked out as it may require drainage of the incision site and prescription of antibiotics.

• Refusing to eat or drink for 24 hours after surgery

• No bowel movement for more than 2 days after surgery

• Excessive vomiting and/or diarrhea