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How long did you keep your male cat inside after neutering?

5 replies

largeprintagathachristie · 24/07/2026 16:38

My once stray/ visitor cat is happily ensconced as it turned out his owners didn’t want him. So now it's time to get him neutered.

A couple of issues.
This cat adores being outside and has roamed as he wanted for a year when he was missing, it turns out. He will be OUTRAGED at being kept in and I imagine scratch the wooden door frames and generally be very unhappy.

Second issue. My flat was built to enable wheelchair access, so the only way to get any fresh air is via big patio doors. (There are no windows, for example, that you could open a not-big-enough-for-a-cat-to-get-through crack.) There are no windows at all, just patio doors and it’s all very open plan.
The recent heat wave has meant I just put the neutering on hold. Meanwhile the still pretty hot weather in the south east continues.

To keep the cat inside after neutering I’m going to have to basically hermetically seal us in! He is very slender and bendy and could get through very narrow gaps. Though I guess not with a cone?

Obviously the vet will advise how long to keep him inside after the operation, but I'm seeing various info on the internet - some advising quite long periods - so was interested in real world advice. Perhaps having him first on the vet's list for the day might also help?

OP posts:
largeprintagathachristie · 24/07/2026 16:40

Cat tax - an unusual picture of him actually inside!

How long did you keep your male cat inside after neutering?
OP posts:
CurlewKate · 24/07/2026 16:42

I have very outdoor cats-I kept them in until they appeared to be over the anaesthetic. I reckon they are more likely to do themselves damage trying to escape than just going outside as normal!

Stickytreacle · 24/07/2026 16:47

A couple of days should be fine, but ideally up to a week in case wounds got infected and he wandered off. Feral cats are usually released after 24hrs.
Flat Cats make door screens that work and can be used to keep insects out. Pricey but worth it.

bluebeck · 24/07/2026 16:52

I would say a week. Mine didn’t have a cone, they said it wasn’t necessary. He didn’t bother with his wound to be fair.

largeprintagathachristie · 24/07/2026 17:49

Stickytreacle · 24/07/2026 16:47

A couple of days should be fine, but ideally up to a week in case wounds got infected and he wandered off. Feral cats are usually released after 24hrs.
Flat Cats make door screens that work and can be used to keep insects out. Pricey but worth it.

I suspect this boy would climb up/shred a screen, but definitely worth a thought, thank you. I guess the whole point is they're cat proof.

Also need to pay for a catflap to be put in a double glazed patio door - I thought AFTER he'd been neutered, so it's less confusing.

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