How to do phased release from cage rest?

[glittercat]

Hi all

Long post, sorry!!

Well my little Feora bug has been on cage rest since 1st Oct following a (hopefully successful) surgery to correct a spay op, done in Feb, that didn't quite get all the ovarian tissue. So this was a midline surgery rather than flank.

Unfortunately a few days after the op (day after the first post-op check) she slipped past me and went galloping off round the house and it took a while to catch her!

This resulted in a huge swelling / lump on her tummy where the op was done, and the vet was really concerned that she would herniate as the muscles etc wouldn't have knitted back together properly. So kitkat has been on strict cage rest with twice a week checks (and an ultrasound). Luckily it appears to be soft tissue only / fluid and the swelling has now reduced significantly, although there is still a lump there.

Upshot is that the vet is happy that everything is now OK or at least going in the right direction. Feora can have the collar off and start to come off the cage rest. Yay!!!!!! But we need to take it slowly and I have to still try to keep her as quiet as possible (ha!), bearing in mind that I have two other cats. Vet suggests confining her to a small room if possible and trying to make sure she doesn't over do it. She's approx 15 months old, very active and agile, likes to climb and is very quick. She's a zoomie cat and the opposite of calm

For those of you who have had cage rested cats who can now come out:

- would you do a couple of hours spread out through the day but back in the cage between times, over a few days and build up slowly?

- Or just let her out in one room and forget the cage totally?

- Should I keep her separate from the others? I'm concerned they'll do their normal play fighting but my boy Anubis particularly likes to bunny kick with his hind feet and although the wound is fully healed I'm worried about it catching the lump

She's having a really good groom now the collar is off and she can reach her feet!

Sorry for the long post but hugely grateful for any advice x

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I'd keep her seperate, and continue to utilize the cage as you described

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I agree. And if your living arrangements allow it, empty a small room of anything tall, allowing her to move around in there with nothing to jump on. If you're in an apartment, that may not work, but if you have a garage, perhaps furniture could be temporarily stored there?

 

[glittercat]

I agree. And if your living arrangements allow it, empty a small room of anything tall, allowing her to move around in there with nothing to jump on. If you're in an apartment, that may not work, but if you have a garage, perhaps furniture could be temporarily stored there?

Sadly I'm in the equivalent of an apartment, so I won't be able to empty any tall furniture out of either my bedroom or the spare room. I'm not keen at all on confining her to the bathroom as she gets very distressed when left on her own if she knows I'm in the house (I've been sleeping on the sofa since the op as her cage is in the living room!).

I let her out in the living room this morning for about an hour after we'd been to the vet - that's probably got the least high furniture in it. Hopefully jumping on to the sofa isn't too bad. And then she's been out for another hour or so this evening but back in the cage now.

It's impossible to stop her galloping about like a mad thing though while she's out.... I checked her tummy and it looks fine still so I don't think she's done anything while charging around after her toy mice.

 

[Furballsmom]