How often do cats need to use the litter box?

[kirk]

I assume it depends on the individual cat, their age and any health issues. 

Our kittens are 6 and 7 months old. They are getting spayed and neutered tomorrow morning and the vet instructed us to keep them in their cat carriers for 24 hours following the surgeries. I've never done this before, but if we don't do it the forms we signed become void. Basically, if we follow the vet care exactly and something still goes wrong, the vet will see the cat and provide whatever they need at little to no cost. We're supposed to:

-Keep each cat in an individual cat appropriate carrier for 24 hours following their spay or neuter. 

-Keep cats separated from each other for at least 10-14 days.

-Have each cat wear a proper fitting e-collar for 10-14 days.

-Switch cat litter to Yesterday's News for 10-14 days. 

-Don't change the cats diet during the recovery period. 

-Attempt to keep cats (especially female) from running or jumping during the first 7 days. 

So since they "need" to be in their carriers for 24 hours, how often should I take them out for litter box use? I'm home all the time so it's not an issue. 

 

[shunra]

I've had quite a few cats neutered over the years, mostly males (castration) and a few females (spay) and I've never done any special aftercare beyond not letting them out until they are well and truely over their anasthetic, which doesn't take long for males and takes a day or so for females.  They have never had a cone or collar.

I'm in the UK so females get a flank spay rather than a midline, and mine have all had subcutaneous dissolving stitches - no stitches for the boys.  The incision for a flank spay is typically 1cm - less than the width of a thumb - and the layers of muscle are separated not cut, so they pretty much spring back once the retractors are removed.  In contrast with a mid-link spay the linea alba has to be cut - that's the line of connective tissue down the midline of the abdomen.

When Minnie got spayed she show out of the carrier, did the wall of death round the house with her brother, ate a hugh meal and promptly fell asleep for the evening and night.  Max was a bit bemused by something being 'different'.

Think your vet is at the extreme end of 'cautious'!  Personally I'd be looking for a different vet...  The best bit of the advice is no changing the diet following surgery.  The first three items look designed to stress them futher when they will already be a bit stressed, and so might changing their litter unless you change it first.  BTW they do Fresh News as well as Yesterdays News, Fresh News has a little bicarb in but looks exactly the same.

 

[irinasak]

As far as I can remember, a kitten 6-7 months old uses the litterbox 2-3 times for peeing and 1-2 times for pooping. However, that might not be the case 24 hours after surgery, considering that they will not eat hours before and hours after the surgery. So no precise answer here.

That being said, I have had spayed/neutered my two female cats and my male cat. I also spayed/neutered several cats in the feral colony I take care of and I help in any way I can other people spay/neuter their cats/cats in the area.   

NO CAT was confined 24 hours in a carrier. My cats were NOT separated one from another. My vets are totally AGAINST e-collars and therefore I never used one, although I understand it is the standard in other parts of the world. I never changed the litter or do anything else.

My worry is that all those extra precautions will only stress the cats. Of course they have to be supervised so they won't pull the stitches out, but I am pretty sure they can do that while confined in a carrier. Keeping them separated and with e-collars and changing the litter seem like so many changes in such a short time for cats that, while waking up from under the anesthesia, will need to feel safe and protected, which means they will need their familiar surroundings, litter, and so on.

 

[fleabags mom]

Wow, he's deffo cautious!  And I would also think of another vet - he sounds like he just wants to shirk any responsibility here with his terms and conditions, to the animal's detriment. I agree, I would've thought all the precautions would add so so much stress to the kitties. My thoughts are making life as normal as possible when they come home is the best way to go - they've already gone through a hugely stressful thing going to the vets.  My experience also when cats come home from an operation and there are other cats in the house that they do not recognise each other so well as their smell has changed. I would think that keeping them apart for so long will only make that part worse.

 

[stephenq]

I am not a vet, but this opinion is based on working with many spayed and neutered cats and working with many vets in shelters including emergency shelters around the USA.  The first 2 items of your vet's requirements (below), are outside of commonly accepted veterinary practice in the USA.

-Keep each cat in an individual cat appropriate carrier for 24 hours following their spay or neuter. 

-Keep cats separated from each other for at least 10-14 days.

Having said that, keeping the cats separated for a few hours while they shake off the full effects of anesthesia is fine but not required if they aren't upset with each other, and limiting their movements by putting them in a small room like a bathroom for a day or two is also fine.  If the carrier is large enough for the kitten, and a small litter box (like a modest aluminum baking pan), and food and water then it is humane, but the carrier must be big enough for the kitten and all these items.   If the carrier isn't big enough then it isn't humane.  I have never heard of a cat being put in a carrier for 24 hours after spay/neuter.  To your question about taking them out to use the litter box, you can't possibly do this in a way that will make them happy.  If you can't fit a small litter box in the carrier, then they will pee and defecate on themselves.

The 10-14 day separation is also very unusual, and frankly wrong headed.  You run the risk of having to do a re-introduction after that amount of time, and it simply isn't medically needed.

The E-Collars are debatable, but are not inhumane.  Perhaps a bit more useful for a female kitten who has a larger incision, and maybe for 24-48 hours.  If they don't lick the incision then it isn't needed.  If they do lick the incision then it is needed.

Frankly I would consider using a different vet.

 

[skeletor]

That's a lot of requirements! Your male will probably be back to being a crazy running jumping kitten as soon as you get him home. Last week I had my kitten neutered and sure enough it was like nothing happened.

With females it CAN be a little different. The surgery is definitely more involved and she will have either glue or stitches over the incision which animals can pick at. Instead of locking her in a small cat kennel I'd section her off into her own "recovery suite". Pick a room, put a bed, food, water, litter box and some toys in it. Keep an eye on her and if she's a good girl and leaves her incision alone she should be fine. If she doesn't leave it alone you can either get her a cone at the petstore or try to find a kitty onesie that covers the incision (but still lets her use the litterbox).

Those're my suggestions. Not a vet, but I have two fixed males and one fixed female.

 

[kirk]

How long should I keep them separated from each other? I can't have them licking each others wounds open. 

How long do I need to keep them from running and jumping around?

I didn't switch their litter or lock them in carriers. They are wearing cones though. I'd rather be safe than sorry, and one of them males keeps trying to lick.

 

[skeletor]

I'm not sure, I let my kitten out with my male and my female without any issues. My female did clean his incision but it's so tiny and now it's healing perfectly fine. I feel sad he has scabby bits but hey that's the healing process.

I'd wait for the wound to start healing, so drying up and scabbing like a normal one for the female to get any jumping play. Males really don't have the same issues females do, their incision is SO tiny and not in a place that's really affected by jumping around.

 

[kirk]

Okay thanks. Another question. One of the boys peed himself and he is wet all over. His back half is wet and front legs. He smells terrible and is tinted yellow. I know he can't have a bath, so how can I clean him up? I tried baby wipes but they didn't work. 

 

[skeletor]

You can either get a "Quick wash" non-water pet shampoo but be careful to avoid where his incision is OR you can use a warm wash cloth and a mild soap. Here with strays we use dawn ultra because it gets rid of fleas and isn't bad for them. So you would get the washcloth warm with a little bit of soap, rub it on, get another wash cloth, make it wet and start working the soap out of the fur. Rinse the cloth and repeat, repeatedly. Don't get his incision wet at all!

 

[raintyger]

Hmmm...even in the 1970s we got a cat and there wasn't a requirement to be confined to a carrier. Both that time and for the one we got in 2003 we were supposed to discourage a lot of high jumping.

 

[cprcheetah]

Wow, carrier for 24 hours?  That is pretty extreme.  We keep all spay/neuter surgeries overnight to watch them and keep them 'confined'.  I think normally separating them for the night (if they come home the same day) is adequate as far as keeping them apart.  That way they have time to wear off the anesthesia.  Cones are a good idea, I have seen quite some damage from kitties who insist on chewing.  It is hard to keep cats from running and jumping, none of my cats were ever restricted in that way because they were all kittens when they were fixed.  As for getting the urine off, follow the suggestions listed above.