Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

My cat was spayed Monday afternoon and she’s still really miserable

44 replies

Legwork · 13/07/2023 09:03

Is this OK? She’s eating, drinking and using her litter tray but she’s lacking in any interest in anything. She was an absolute nutcase until this - now I can only just get her to look at her toys, she might bat at a feather half heartedly, but just wants to flop on her bean bag hour after hour. The word I want to use is depressed. There was a blue bottle buzzing about earlier and she watched it fairly closely but didn’t summarily execute and scoff it - this isn’t normal behaviour. I know she’s just been through something serious but it was Monday and it’s now Thursday - I thought she might be up on her feet at least by now?

OP posts:
Lonecatwithkitten · 13/07/2023 10:42

Has she been sent home with any pain relief?

Floralnomad · 13/07/2023 10:44

Was she an older cat or kitten , when our kitten was done you wouldn’t have known she’d had an op by the time she got home . I’d take her back and have her checked .

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 13/07/2023 11:28

That's not normal in my experience.

What does her incision look like? Is it red or swollen or hot to touch? Was she sent home with a decent supply of painkillers?

Original poster
Legwork · 13/07/2023 11:31

Hi - thanks for the replies. She’s 9 months. She’s on metacam pain relief. She’s normally an absolute whirl wind. She just went upstairs for the first time since the op and managed to jump onto a bed - she’s not left the living room until now and as an indoor cat normally patrols her territory every couple of hours, demanding any shut doors are opened for inspection.

OP posts:
Original poster
Legwork · 13/07/2023 11:32

Her incision looks fine. She has pain killers - she slept for 24 hours straight the first day.

OP posts:
ItsNotRocketSalad · 13/07/2023 11:33

Some cats can be really sleepy and woozy after anaesthetic but it should wear off by 48 hours max. On the other hand if she's eating, drinking, and using the litter tray normally, it's probably nothing serious.

I would call your vet for advice. They'll probably tell you to monitor for a few more days and bring her in if she's still acting oddly.

StillWantingADog · 13/07/2023 11:38

Bless.
I’d at least call the vet for advice though if she is eating and drinking fingers crossed she just needs a bit more time to recover

Original poster
Legwork · 13/07/2023 11:44

I should say I called the vet yesterday and I spoke to the receptionist as the vet wasn’t available - she said if she’s not off her food and her cut isn’t red or hot then wait it out, but I know this cat and she’s not herself. I don’t think the cone is helping her want to do normal stuff, but I’m loathed to take it off even for a bit as it was a nightmare getting it to stay on the first day.

OP posts:
ItsNotRocketSalad · 13/07/2023 12:27

Ooh yes, it's probably the cone! My boy was utterly miserable when he had a post-surgery cone.

I'd take it off. If she bothers the wound you can use an old T-shirt or baby clothes to cover it instead.

GoldLacewingOrpington · 13/07/2023 12:35

Definitely take the cone off. I expect her behaviour would return to usual then. If it doesn’t ask for them to be seen. Is there a reason they suggested a cone? Our cats haven’t been sent home with them for years and years after spaying. They tend to use body suits things now if something is needed.

thecatneuterer · 13/07/2023 12:39

It's the cone! Take it off. We are a specialist neuter clinic and we never use cones.

Original poster
Legwork · 13/07/2023 12:51

I bought a body suit when she got the cone off, but that was AWFUL - trying to get it on post surgery we decided was positively dangerous - she was furious with us, tried to bite me, hissing and just mad as hell. We gave it 3 or 4 solid attempts but for a cat that was supposed to be being kept calm we instead were looking at having a full on physical altercation with her, it just wasn’t going to happen. In the end we engineered a new fastener for the cone and she hasn’t managed to get it off since and has stopped trying. The vet was stern as hell in saying she must wear it for 14 days - I don’t feel like I can disobey to the tune of 10 days. There don’t appear to be any actual stitches - it seems to have been glued. 🤷‍♀️

She appears to be dreaming - something I’ve not seen before - her legs are going crazy in her sleep. She was absolutely furious in the carrier for the first time and even managed to get one of the four clips undone to get her head out. It was massively stressful with several large dogs - I have no idea how much she has been freaked out by this, but she’s definitely lost her mojo right now. 😞

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 13/07/2023 12:58

I’d take the cone off and try again with the suit

Florissante · 13/07/2023 12:59

It's the cone. How difficult was it to get on in the first place? I wonder if giving her a break from it might help her mood.

Sadaboutdcatsnextdoor · 13/07/2023 12:59

Less than a week isn't enough of the silent treatment for sending her to That Place op..
She will be fine I am sure...

RoseBucket · 13/07/2023 13:01

Cats like to punish their humans, she is just letting you know she is pissed off and you need to apologise for the rest of her life. If she is eating and drinking fine and the wound looks ok. She just temporarily hates you. (I’ve had four cats spayed)

beccahamlet · 13/07/2023 13:04

Take the cone off. Most cats don't need them. She'll be massively p*Ed off with the cone.

nasanas · 13/07/2023 13:04

Can you try a donut I read if the cone? Or try the cone backwards if it for so her face is 'free'

whirlyhead · 13/07/2023 13:06

I’ve never had a cone on any of my cats when they’ve been spayed. I have one cat who has had seven operations now and no cone for any of them! She never bothers her stitches.

I would say take the cone off and see if she’s happier.

Original poster
Legwork · 13/07/2023 13:09

I guess the consensus is that it’s the cone then. I will need to wait until tonight to try taking it off because I’ll never get it back on again if she worries the wound without my husband to help.
she’s normally a really chatty thing - always meows a greeting when she enters a room with someone in it or when someone goes to her. Nothing now. She’s completely stopped weaving in and out of legs and I didn’t realise I’d miss nearly falling over her several times a day quite this much.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 13/07/2023 13:09

Ignore your vet. Most clinics don't use them after spays. As I said. I'm with a specialist neuter clinic. We spay thousands - we never send them home with a cone or bodysuit.

Florissante · 13/07/2023 13:13

Ahem, OP. The cat tax; it must be paid.

Original poster
Legwork · 13/07/2023 13:14

thecatneuterer thanks for this - I’ll try tonight when I have help if it goes wrong. She’s stretched out flat on her tummy under the coffee table at the moment - if I didn’t know better I’d say she’s pouting….

OP posts:
Original poster
Legwork · 13/07/2023 13:15

Cat tax?

OP posts:
ItsNotRocketSalad · 13/07/2023 13:15

If you don't want to go against your vet's advice (understandable) could you buy a soft cone - fabric rather than plastic - and then put it on backwards so she can't get to the wound but the cone isn't in her face? Mine was happier that way, though still not happy.