Advice re neutering

[MissSueFlay]

I'm after some advice and info please! First time cat owners, we've had our lovely girl kitten for a couple of months and she's coming up to the time to be spayed (and chipped), which is all fine.

Is the operation quite quick and we take her home straight after? Will she have to have a cone for a while to stop her licking the stitches? Does it take them long to recover from it?

I've read that their behaviour can change a bit after they are neutered - in what way usually? Our girl has a lovely temperament and is a gorgeous lap cat at the moment, I don't want her to suddenly decide she doesn't like us after all! 😆

Cat tax:

[EmpressaurusOfTheScathingTinsel]

I‘m a fosterer & I’ve looked after 3 girl kittens after spaying so far.

They were dropped off at the vets first thing & then the vet phoned when they were ready, usually mid-afternoon / late evening.

Two of them had their cones for about a week, one removed hers three times in the first two hours so I decided to see how she got on without it. Absolutely fine & ignored her stitches.

I wouldn’t say any of them changed that much, once they’d recovered.

Does that help? I WFH mostly so that made it easier to keep an eye on them, and they watched a lot of Cat TV while they were recovering.

[BlackCatsAreBrilliant]

With ours, they went in first thing in the morning (after a night with no food - the horror!). And picked them up mid afternoon the same day - vets wanted to see them come round properly and have something to eat first.

We used bodysuits rather than cones. But, yes they did need the stitches protecting for a few days.

No changes in personality with ours. Still cuddly little idiots.

[MissSueFlay]

Ah, thank you! Good to hear they didn't change personality, that's reassuring. We'll see how we get on with the cone then, I've never heard of a cat in a bodysuit before! Poor little thing, she doesn't know what's coming...

[Sunshineandrainbow]

She will be fine op.
We researched online to see about feeding before the op as their tummies are so small (depending on age) we fed last meal around midnight as he wasn't going to vets till 8ish. But have a look online and see what info you find around this.

We also made a body suit to cover the stitches out of tights but you can buy something similar as they hate the cones.

[Allergictoironing]

In general any personality change would be for the better, as no raging hormones!

Most obvious in male cats who have been done a little later on, they can change from alpha male aggression to cuddle monster once they lose those furry little pom poms & the associated hormones.

[getmeavodka]

My girl was spayed a few months ago. She had taken the cone off in the five minutes journey back from the vets. The bodysuit we got lasted seven minutes before she did a Houdini act. Luckily she didn't touch the stitches so we left both off and avoided stress for us all. Was back to normal running around the next day

[Toddlerteaplease]

My 3 year
Old rescue girl was too small for a cone, an inflatable collar and a surgical suit. She refused to walk with the suit on and kept catching her leg in it. So I gave up. She left the wound alone and it healed up beautifully.

[CeeJay81]

Mine was done in January. She had a bodysuit, not a cone. Her behaviour was subdued with the body suit on but back to normal once off. Here's her with her suit on.

[MissSueFlay]

Thanks all, looks like a bodysuit or nothing 😆 Will see if I can find one. We have been practicing with a harness for her but she wriggles out of it pretty quickly (she's still too small for it really) so imagine she'll do the same with a bodysuit.

[CurlewKate]

In first thing, home mid afternoon. Like living with a stoner the rest of the day! Our vet avoids cones or suits-says in his opinion they are more likely to do damage trying to get them off. No personality change- sadly!

[gamerchick]

You can get doughnuts instead of cones.

She'll be miserable if she doesnt get done. Plus the racket from their first season usually focuses the mind. Don't worry about it, they heal quick.

[Plump82]

Like others, ours went in first thing and then we got them home about 4 that afternoon. Both absolutely fine, girl a little more subdued as she had painkillers. Apparently it's a much easier, less painful op for boys. But within a few hours they were completely back to normal. Vet said to keep them calm but that's impossible with 2 four month old kittens!! Neither of mine had cones, bodysuits or donuts. Our vet said best without unless they really bothered with the incision. Girl cat had internal stitches and a little glue and her incision wasn't even an inch long.

[FuckoffARFID]

My girl got spayed last Tuesday. She was in a bit of pain that evening and only wanted to lay on the floor in the corner, didn’t want anyone near her and didn’t eat much of her food. She was a lot better the next morning, moving gingerly and more subdued but back on peoples laps. She was absolutely back to normal (racing around / leaping about) the day after that

Her personality hasn’t changed in the slightest, incl her lap cat tendencies