My cat is being spayed this week...

[~max~]

My cat Jessie is booked in at the vet for spaying on wednesday. I will have her chipped at the same time.
Can someone please reassure me that she is going to be ok? I'm very worried about it...general anaesthetics etc...
Will she be in pain afterwards? do I need to take some extra precautions re: the stitches? Is the anaesthetic dangerous? Will she be different afterwards? Many thanks in advance!

[ruthann58]

i know how you feel but try not to worry to much over the years we have had 20 cats all of which we have had done i have always found that the cats got over it really quickly a bit woosy and sleepy when they first get home but next day back to normal .no she wont be any different afterwards might be a bit put out for a day or two that will probably be down to being left at the vets for the day. try not to let her interfer with the stitches so she does not pull them out .good luck i am sure she will be fine .Ruth

[~max~]

Will they give her one of those cone things to prevent her from licking her stitches? Or should I just not let her out of my sight for 24 hours? Now that would be hard!

[Jugglering]

Max, she will be just fine ! The vets have had years of experience in spaying cats and she will be home in no time at all... Although it is a more serious op for a lady cat than a male one, they really do know what they are doing. She will have a bit of shaved body to admire but this will grow back very quickly.

The microchipping is really straightforward and will give you serious peace of mind - if Jessie gets lost she can always be traced back to you.

Good on you for sorting this out ! You won't notice much difference in Jessie's character - she will still get into everything and cause lots of trouble and chaos but that's only cos she is still a wee girl. I've always found that the spaying really changes the nature of the male cats - they become gorgeously placid and chilled out after having their *bits* removed (shame it's not available for certain male users on this site lol)

[~max~]

lol thanks Juggle!
I'm just very worried she will hate me for it! :O(
I'm sure she's going to scratch and bite the poor vet..I hope they're used to it, cos she's a wee darling with me but not used to strangers!
They said I can go pick her up again the same day, but they never said anything about after care, so that's why I'm worried! She is VERY affectionate, and I'm a bit worried she will turn into a clawing monster...lol
Do vets usually have unwanted cats in their care? I'm actually thinking of getting her a wee friend...

[Rosetta]

Max, she will be fine. Our cat had already been spayed before she came to us but she has since had a general anasthetic. She also has a heart contion but came through it with flying colours. Your cat has the advantage of good health and youth on her side.
I won't guarantee she won't sulk with you for a few hours when she comes home LOL. she does have to re establish her natural place as head of the family after all.

[~max~]

That's true Rosetta....Maybe she will accuse me of having slept in her (my) bed without her? Or having dared to sit on HER side of the couch? lol

I thought of leaving a used pillow case in her carrier so they can leave it with her when they're done with the operation, so she remembers my smell and isn't too traumatised...Do you think they'd do it?

[Jugglering]

She won't change in temperament Max, I'm sure of that ! As I said, it's usually only the male cats whose nature changes. She will be a bit tired and sleepy when you get her home after her little op but if she is anything like Ruby, she'll be up and about in a day, acting like nothing has happened. Let her get back into her routine before introducing a new *ahem* friend... she may not thank you for it !

[Jugglering]

PS That's a really good idea about the pillow case ! Cats have a much stronger sense of smell than us feeble humanoids....

[puss_boots]

Aww ~max~ don't worry Jessie will be fine. I have 2 toms and both had their bits off, its the best thing for the cats as ladies have no more kittens and the boys, well the boys will not be boys anymore lol

[~max~]

Oh, I'm only thinking about it! I want her to get well and fully operational before I'll even think of allowing her out *under supervision*, let alone getting another moggie! :O)

Now, I'm Max who has a cat....in few years, bet I'm going to be "Max the crazy cat lady next door"..lol

[ruthann58]

dont worry about being the crazy cat lady you can join me

[~max~]

lol Ruth!
She has been an indoor cat so far, but she so wants to get, it's breaking my heart! My mate next door said she won't stray far anyway, and will never go all the way down the road to the big crossroads (which is what worries me) because she'd be too scared. So now I'm thinking of letting her out, hence the spaying and chipping. Still worried about it though!

[bensmum]

As the others say Max, she will be fine. They recover quite quickly and you may have to spoil her a bit with some nice fish or chicken at first. Just watch her with the stitches they are sometimes given a collar to wear to stop them irritating the wound. Your vet should give you lots of advice.

[JonnyBoy12]

You will have to excuse the bluntness of most vets in my opinion, Max. Most of them like to call a spayed a spayed!

I am sure your cat will be fine, we have all 4 of ours done at once, and they were fine.

[Noweia]

Vet clinics generally give advice when they give you your cat back after the operation.

I can't say the anaesthetic is not dangerous because any anaesthetic comes with a risk, even human anaesthetics are the same. However, they are very safe. A vet practice will do thousands of these operations a year and the vast majority have no complications. Having a pet get into difficulty is every vet's worst nightmare and we generally do our utmost to make sure it doesn't happen!

If there are any stitches protruding afterwards, she may need to wear a Buster collar until the sticthes come out. However, many vets now use dissolvable stitches and bury these in the skin, so no collars are required (phew!). She will have just had a major abdominal operation, but will have been given painkillers before the operation, and you will be given some to take away with you afterwards, so she should not be sore.

Feedwise, she may not feel like eating when you get her back, but you can offer her small amounts of food the first night, then build it up to normal over the next day or so. You might want to keep her inside for a few days until she has fully recovered.

She may sulk with you when you get her home, but generally they get over it soon enough!

Hope this helps!