Spaying My 2 Feral Ladies... Yikes!

[KrisinOhio]

Hi everyone! You've all been so helpful and supportive as i shared my experiences in catching and trying to tame my feral mama and baby. A huge thank you! Now the mama's spaying appointment is in 2 weeks. (The baby is still too young, hers will be in a couple months.) i am freaking out about the recovery and would appreciate any advice or experiences you are willing to share. Thanks so much, this forum is awesome!!

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. I haven't read your thread about catching and starting to tame your feral mama and baby yet, but will check it out.
Thanks for bringing them into your home. They're adorable, and look like they're settling in rather nicely.

About spaying, here's a couple TCS articles that should have answers to some of your questions:

Spaying And Neutering - What To Ask Before The Surgery
Spaying And Neutering - What To Look For After Surgery

 

[ArchyCat]

Just a thought. Many TCS members have noticed some antagonism between the cat returning from a vet visit and the cats that remained at home. The reason, apparently is that the cat that went to the vet smells different when she returns. Apparently, one of the recognition signals cats use to identify each other is oder.

Maybe some members can make suggestions on how to avoid this. IO have read that some cat owners take both h cats to the vet simultaneously, even if just one cat needs the vet's attention.

 

[KrisinOhio]

Thanks for the input!! I had a bad experience with a dog spay as a teenager and its haunted me ever since. (Her incision reopened after her stitches were removed. All ended ok, but it was horrific.)

 

[rubysmama]

It can happen, that spay incisions get infected, but since you'll be on the lookout for anything abnormal, you'll be able to get it checked out right away.

 

[KrisinOhio]

Thank you all! Another question... sorry! The cats are staying in a "cat room" when i can't supervise them. i was hoing to put Miss Kitty (mama) in a dog crate with bed, food and litter to keep her apart from Tortellini (baby) and to keep her from jumping too soon. The crate is in the same room. Thoughts, comments?

 

[fionasmom]

I have never had a problem with any animal, dog or cat, who has been spayed. In the course of my life, I have TNRed a number of ferals who due to circumstances had to go right back outside. I always left them at the vet a day or two longer, but that was as much as I could do and no one ever had an issue with recovery. I have also brought home cats who instantly jumped onto something and have also suffered no ill effects. Using a large dog crate is a good idea and I have used those as well to keep cats isolated. In my experience, I have never had a reaction to a vet's office smell from another cat.

 

[KrisinOhio]

Thank you!!! I am sure i'm being over cautious and worrying too much. I appreciate your success stories and your advice!

 

[msaimee]

I have had some complications with spay recovery, it can happen, so it's best to keep an eye on her for the first few days (which you will do anyway!) . Crating her may stress her. "Feral cats tend to get stressed with confinement, so resort to doing that only if it proves necessary. The kitten will likely see that mama doesn't feel well the first few days after the spay and will leave her alone. It's been my experience that when one cat isnt feeling well or has been sedated, the others leave him alone. Use your best judgment whether or not they need to be separated.

If a cat is either in heat or pregnant when getting spayed, there will be more bleeding than normal, which may mean a longer recovery time. Be sure to ask that they give her a pain killer, and some extra pills for you to give her in case she is in discomfort. If she was pregnant at the time of spay, it may take a few weeks for the hormones to settle down, so she may not seem herself. The first 24 hours after the spay she will be groggy from the anesthesia, and she will need to have a warm room to recover in (cats recovering from spay surgery should never be put back outside the same day--especially in cold weather, because their r bodies can't regulate temperature well for about a day). If you do notice any signs of infection, call the vet immediately, and the vet may want to see her or will prescribe antibiotics.

Regarding vet smells on the cat--I find that rubbing the cat down with a warm, moist towel takes care of that.

It's natural to be a little worried about our kitties about these things, but you are doing her a very big favor by getting her spayed. She will be much happier and content

 

[KrisinOhio]

Thank you for yout comments!! I would rather not crate her, and it makes complete sense that it would stress her. My concern is that the cat room has 2 windowsill perches and a cat tree rhat she is always on. Is it better to crate and possibly stress her, or let her jump? I will be checking her often, but i do work fulltime.

 

[msaimee]

She's not going to be doing any jumping or climbing for at least a day or two, she'll be groggy and sore. Usually female cats are spayed in the morning and returned home in the evening. Hopefully you'll be able to check on her a few times at night. If you do have concerns and have to be at work, then maybe crating for a day will be what you need to do. I've never had to do that with any cat I've gotten spayed, they usually just sleep and rest a lot for a few days. You might consider putting the kitten in a separate room for a few days though.

 

[KrisinOhio]

Tomorrow's the day I've been dreading, Miss Kitty's getting spayed. The vet is going to keep her an extra day (2 total), to make sure she stays quiet. I've been reading alot of the posts and articles on this site, they are great resource! I'm prepared to sleep in the cat room for a couple days to keep a close eye, but i have to go to work on Monday. My biggest concerns are her jumping too soon (she lives on her cat tree and window perch) and playing too much with the kitten. I really don't have a good way to separate them. Think good thoughts for me!

 

[KrisinOhio]

Oh, and I'm also worried that this is going to undo all of the progress made these last 2 weeks.... they are both really coming along and getting very comfortable with us.

 

[rubysmama]

Good luck today.

One thing to just be aware of, sometimes when cats go to the vet, the cat that stayed at home doesn't recognize the vet smell on the returning cat and becomes aggressive towards it. It's called non-recognition aggression. Hopefully that won't happen, but TCS has an article with more info in case you want to read up on it.

How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats

 

[di and bob]

If you are worried about her jumping to the perches, give her something lower to use first, like a 'stairway'. A crate or even a chair might work. I agree taht crating her might stress her out. She will make sure the kitten stays away. Your taming progress may be set back a bit, but I have neutered/spayed MANY and tehy all come around. I think they are so happy to be home they see you as a savior!
I feel sick to my stomach when I bring them in, it is a very stressful time for all. But WELL worth it in the future. It makes her a much more contented cat with a much happier life!

 

[msaimee]

That is wonderful news that the vet clinic will keep her for two days. Those two days are the main recovery days. Ask them to give her pain medication as needed, sometimes they will put a pain patch on a cat. She will be sleeping and knocked out for most of those two days. By the time she returns home, she will be able to move around much better. I don't think you need to worry so much about her jumping too high and hurting herself, cats have good common sense. I also don't think you need to worry about her smelling differently. Just take a hand towel, moisten it with warm water, and rub her down, that always works for me. I would put her back into her room upon her return, and if she is out of sorts, separate the kitten from her, allowing them supervised time together for a day or two.

Cats do not hold grudges about this sort of thing. She will be back to herself within a week or two. Once her hormones settle, she will be calmer and happier. Our pets are like our children, we stress and worry when taking them to the doctor, but we know it has to be done for their own good. Keep us posted.

 

[KrisinOhio]

So Miss Kitty's spay went fine, I'll pick her up Friday. Yay!! Thank you all for your advice and guidance! Now Tortellini, the approx 3 month old kitten is freaked out! She's in the cat room, hiding in a corner. She did eat and use the litterbox while i was gone but now that I'm in the room she"s hiding, and wont even eat her favorite wet food. Should i stay in here with her, or leave her alone? There is a camera, so i can see what she is doing. AND SHE WAS SOCIALIZING SO NICELY! just last night she played with me and ate treats from my hand. Tell me this isnt a major setback!

 

[rubysmama]

I'm glad all went well with Miss Kitty's spay.

About Tortellini (love her name!) she must be missing her mama. I've never socialized a feral kitten, so can't really offer advice. But I do think ensuring she keeps eating till her mama comes home on Friday is the biggest concern.

 

[fionasmom]

I did have a feral kitten who was trapped with her mom freak out when they were separated as she was too young to spay at the time. She came around as soon as her mother was back. Cats are reactive and it can be one step forward and one back, but you do finally get there. The two day stay at the vet's is what I always do with females as well. It will take care of that crucial period.

 

[KrisinOhio]

Brief update: i just spent an hour with Tortellini in the cat room. She came out of hiding and played with me and her favorite toy. She also ate and went potty while i was there. Then she started to settle in her bed, stretching and yawning!!! Now i can sleep.