We have two cats and one (Bagheera) was neutered this morning. We brought him home and kept him locked in the hall until about 6 O'Clock as it seemed the meds had worn off. We introduced him back to our other cat (George) and he immediately started hissing and not allowing allowing George to come close. We then locked Bagheera in the hall again and tried 3 hours later only to get the same result. George isn't being aggressive and you can tell he is very curious as to what is going on with Bagheera. We had George neutered about 4 months ago and he did just fine. The cats have always gotten along. He is not scared of anyone in my family including a 6 year old. But he does seems to not be too familiar with us but allows us to pet him and rubbs between our ankles. He only acts this way with George. Is this a common issue? Has he lost his memory? How long does it take for the anesthesia to wear off completely? George is 1.5 years and Bagheera is 8 months.
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Memory Loss After Neutering
- Thread starter Audrina_o
- Start Date
It's not memory loss, but unfamiliar smells that are causing the problem. We have a good article on it: How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats
It is a couple of things for Bagheera. Certainly the first day he is still a bit off from the anesthesia and discomfort of the procedure as well as a little annoyed with those who brought him there for it and other household pets. He just wants to be left alone and if the other cat gives him time he will be fine in a day or two.
I bring all 4 of my cats in for their vaccinations at once to avoid this. (Plus they charge me only one office call) Cats rely on their sense of smell HEAVILY for recognition. The smells from the surgery and the vets office have invaded Bagheera's sinuses and changed the way he smells things for a while. To him, George is a stranger. Plus he is really traumatised, he doesn't want ANYONE close to him until he figures out that he is safe again. In two days he will be fine.
A day or 2 of odd behavior is normal with anesthesia, and the stress and smells mess with the cats for a few days more. when Freya was spayed, she was pretty of for most of a day, and the betadyne smell near her incision really bothered her.
Post neuter surgery a male cat should be isolated at least 24 to 48 hours until all meds wear off and their sinuses clear. If the surgery was more complicated then a simple neuter, then he should be isolated til the site heals and stitches removed, with gradual reintroduction after that point even with known housemates. Using a good sized kennel crate at this point allows him to interact without the other animals being able to get to him. He will let you know when he is ready for the door to be open by how he acts with the others close by.
