There is now way to tell for sure why she "jumped at your face" but it is probably not that she hates you. Eyes dilated, acting strangely, is most likely residual effects from the anesthetic drugs that she was given. In addition, cats do "hate" those Elizabethan collars that some veterinarians use after surgery.I just got my 4 month old Tiger kitty spayed yesterday , her name is Emma. I'm pretty sure shes mad at me for taking her to the vet and having to fix her Cone on her head when she tries to rip it off. This morning i walked up to her and was talking to her and she jumped at my face, ( her pupils were so big) but she wanted to sleep with my Boyfriend all night on the couch. She hates me now.
What about using a T-shirt or Onesie as a wrap instead of the collar? I have seen posts here and on Facebook about using those options instead. Myself, my spayed queens are almost exclusively feral so they get by without anything.
The purpose of the collar is to prevent the cat from licking/chewing at the incision site. You certainly cold try the t-shirt or Onesie option and see how she reacts. As long as she is not going after the incision you are good.
