Feral Cat Spay Discharge Instructions

[gloriajh]

I've taken my 8th Feral-born cat into the same Clinic today. The surgeries and recoveries have all gone very well.

However, I have this complaint about the Discharge Instructions - the written instructions only pertained to Pets - indoor and outdoor.

I always get verbal instructions - and, they vary in feeding instructions.

I understand that the age of the cat may cause the instructions to vary.

Today I was surprised to hear that I could give my 6-7 month old female a little food and water once she gets home.

So, what's your take on when to provide a food and water - a little at a time.

And, while I'm at it - when do you release your Feral-born female after her surgery?

(I did provide some water, and about 2 hours after I brought her home I gave her some juice from some canned food.)

 

[Willowy]

I feed after-spay cats right away, as soon as they want food anyway. Not too much so they don't throw up, but still a little something.

As for releasing, it depends how crazy she is to get out. I released one the day after because she was going crazy and I was afraid she'd hurt herself, but another one I kept for 10 days because she seemed content in the spare bathroom.

 

[gloriajh]

I found these instructions, found them to be helpful:  http://plannedpethoodrockymount.com/files/Feral_Cat_Discharge_Info.pdf

Here is an excerpt:

... Cats recovering from anesthesia are particularly prone to chilling which will prolong recovery & may be dangerous. Place newspapers on the floor to catch urine, stool, & food that will fall from the trap. ...

... Once the cats are fully alert & able to stand without being wobbly, they may be offered food &

water. Some cats may be able to eat a small meal & some water the evening following surgery. It

is important not to feed them too much as they may vomit if they eat too much. • Fill water bowls with only a half an inch of water at the bottom. This will keep the cat dry and

safe. Wobbly cats will knock over water bowls. They are in a tight place & will use the trap for all their relieving needs. Use one end of the trap for food & water. You can fill water bowl with a watering can through the side or top of the trap grate.  ...

... RELEASING THE CATS - ONLY RELEASE CATS THAT ARE FULLY AWAKE!! If cats are fully awake the next day, they can be released in the same location from which they were trapped. Relocating cats is rarely successful.  ...

Obviously, these are general instructions - but far better than what I'm getting at the Clinic I go for surgeries.  

 

[bastfriend]

A lot depends on the type of anesthesia that was used - there's an older kind that my TNR clinic uses that takes a long time to get out of the system (don't know the name) and they recommended 24 hours for a male who'd been neutered.    But I had a female feral spayed at a place that used the really fast acting/recovery stuff and they said 12 hours could even be enough and I had to let her out because she was trying to chew through the carrier - lots of energy!    Food, I just gave a little canned food every couple hours increasing the amount as long as they ate it all and seemed to want more.

 

[tx_kat]

We try to keep most of our ferals overnight, in the trap, in the bathtub lined with newspaper.  We put a little wet food and water on one of the trap so they can use the other end for relieving themselves if they need to.  We feed put a little dry food in the trap for overnight, and feed them wet food in the morning.  Most of the time, they just settle in and sleep all night.  We have almost always released the morning after surgery, when they look like they are "back to normal".  They hide away for a day or two before coming around for food and water as usual.