any cat health professionals here who might advise please?

[dejarderoncar]

I have a female spayed cat who I have had for nearly 4 years since she was a kitten. I took her in at 6 weeks with her 3 litter mates.

About 2 years ago she decided to be a semi feral cat, and wanders off into our local woods for days at a time. Sometimes she is gone for 2 weeks, but always pops back in for a meal sooner or later and to say hello (mainly to the dog!) I do not live in UK, the woods are safe from traffic, the climate is good, and I think she has at least one other home as she always looks healthy and well fed.

Six weeks ago she came home with a nasty wound in her side.It took three of us to catch her in a basket and I took her to the vet. The vet treated her and left her with 6 metal stitches and said to take her back in 10 days to remove the stitches.

I live in a one room studio with one door with a cat flap. The cats and dog are used to coming and going freely. The only semi secure option would have been to shut her in the bathroom 24/7.


I tried to keep her indoors but she went crazy. On day two she fought with my big male cat aand ended up with two stitches pulled out. Then she legged it and was not seen for two weeks. When she returned I noticed she had only two stitches remaining, but the wound had healed up cleanly with no sign of infection. But she would not let me go near her.

Now when she comes back I can see she is healthy, the wound is completely healed and fur growing back, but two metal stitches remain. They do not seem to bother her.She is still very nervous of being in the house or too near me.

My question is, will it do her more harm to trap her and take her to the vet again, or let her get on with her life?

[thecatneuterer]

I would phone the vet and ask what the consequences of leaving the stitches might be. Not having come across metal stitches I have no idea.

[dejarderoncar]

yes I am sure you are right. I was trying to avoid asking the vet as she always says to bring her in,and won`t usually advise on the phone. I really think that would be nearly impossible and very stressful for her. However if her health was seriously at risk I would try as best I could to catch her. The stitches are medical grade metal and work like staples.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

These metal stitches are known as staples in the UK. If not removed skin can grow over them, then the body can develop a reaction to them and worst case scenario is that she would require further surgery to remove them.
So yes I would take her in and have them removed, whilst it is a pain the possible consequences of removing them could be much worse.

[cozietoesie]

Out of interest, Lone, is there any particular reason for using staples (ie certain types of procedure) or is it just practice in certain places?

[dejarderoncar]

thank you Lone, will have to try and catch her.

Cozie - I recently had a major operation (not in UK) and they stapled me together with about 50 of the things!

[cozietoesie]

I'm wincing just reading that!