question for you cat people

pixiesis

pixiesis

Cathlete
Hi all,

I know lots of you here have kitties, and I was hoping to get your advice. My two 4 1/2 month old kittens are getting fixed on Friday (one is a boy and one is a girl, and they are littermates). Anyway, I know it's a very routine thing, but I was hoping some of you may have some knowledge regarding the best post-op care. One thing I noticed is that it costs extra to have pre-anesthesia and pain medicine. I plan to get them this since it should make them more comfortable, but is there any downside to giving them more medicine?

And I know the girl will have a tougher recovery than the boy, so I need to figure out how to make sure he leaves her alone when he's recovered and she's still getting better.

Any and all advice is welcome! Oh, and when I get home from school I'll post some pics of the adorable babies!

TIA
Amy
 
Amy,

I've had cats all my life, currently have four (due to being a sucker for a beautiful face cooped up in a cage). It's great that you have two--they are so much happier than when they are by themselves and truly not any more trouble. In my opinion anyway.

I don't recall being offered different options as far as medication so I'm not any help there. I know that mine have always had some "help" for the pain as well as the anesthesia. They were groggy when I brought them home.

It's truly amazing how quickly they recover, boys in particular since it is much easier to snip their junk than to take out innerds. Even my females have been jumping up on the bed within 2 days. There may not be enough time between their recoveries to even worry about him giving her a hard time. You may also be surprised to see that he won't bother her while she's healing. My older two (boy and girl) were fixed at the same time and it wasn't an issue. I should add that he is a big docile baby, however. That's what sometimes happens when you relieve them of their male parts (is there a lesson there?). My other younger fixed male isn't docile, however, so who knows.

I provided some pillows and blankets on the floor for them when they came home. I recall a lot of sleeping at first (well, "a lot" is relative for a cat since they spend so much time sleeping anyway). I took my cue from them and pretty much left them to their own devices and they gradually became more active. If your guys (girl and guy)are using a full size litter box you may want to use a smaller one so they don't have to climb a lot to get into it.

Have fun with them and good for you for being responsible and having them fixed. They'll be happier and better off for it!
 
Cataddict pretty much covered it!

Just be sure to make it easy for them to get to places they need to be (litter box, bed, food) without jumping or going up/down stairs for the first few days (for the girl, especially, since she could pull stitches).
 
Yea, I have five and have had countless neighborhood cats fixed and it's pretty much a snap, if you're not getting anything else done. They bounce back fast. I was never offered pre-op pain meds though they'll definitely need them post-op, after a while. Are you able to keep one in a separate room, if you're worried about your boy being too rambunctious?
 
I have had numerous "fixings" over the years with both kitties and dogs. They bounce back very easily. I don't remember them even having anything for pain after. They are pretty groggy when they come home and at first they don't want to do much. The only thing I ever worried about was making sure they had water available for when they wake up. They don't each much the first few days either, so don't worry about them not eating.

Oh, and they don't particularly "talk" to you either. I've gotten used to being snubbed after surgeries. But they eventually get over it and will start being friendly again.
 
I don't remember giving any of my cats pain medication after having them fixed. If you do use it make sure you following the vet's instructions carefully. Cats react differently to pain med than dogs or humans. When I had to use it for a cat that was attacked by another cat my vet made me repeat his instructions back to him in addition to giving them to me in writing. The main thing to watch out for with the female is infection. But all in all they bounce back pretty fast.
 
may i ask what's the average price of getting the procedure?and what is the best age to get it done? we have been offered a male kitten. if i do take him i don't want to run the risk of him getting out of the house and mating with the numerous strays and outdoor kitties. i just couldn't deal with seeing poor little kittens out in the cold but i don't have the means or room to take care of so many. i am looking for one indoor kitty for now(may convince dh for more later LOL)

kassia
 
Kassia - a neuter is less than a spay, so you are lucky you were offered a boy! Around here, the cost ranges from about 65-130 or so. The lower cost does not include pre-anesthesia blood work. There are also low cost spay/neuter clinics around.

Amy - my dear Midnight, who lived to be 19 1/2, jumped to the top of the fridge the night we brought her home from her surgery to be spayed. I nearly fainted! We kept putting her in bigger and bigger boxes b/c she was a jumper, but when she jumped out of a box that was 4 or 5 feet tall, we could do no more! She went right to one of her fave spots - on top of the fridge, and was fine. Some cats will hide under the bed (or some similar spot - closet, etc) until the next day. You just never know. They do recover amazingly fast. All the best to your babies on their big day :)
 
This is a great thread! My Maggie will be going in for her spay in January and I didn't really know what to expect. Plus I'm psyched so many of you have 2 or more cats. I have two but would like more and was wondering if I had just gone insane!

Especially since one is currently trying to climb the Christmas tree and the other is knocking bows off the presents!

Sparrow
 
thanks shana. i will see if the human society does anything. i thought i recalled somebody mentioning it. i figured the vets would be way more. i really want another kitty(although never had a kitten i always adopted big babies) and thought it would be a good chore for viola to feed kitty while mommy does all the dirty(god litter box) work LOL.

kassia
 
We also have two kittens. One is 6 months old that we got from the vet when our older cat was ill this summer. Unfortunately our older cat recently died, but I ran right out and got another kitten (3 months old) from the Humane Society. These two kittens absolutely love each other and get along great! Just waiting to see what they both do when we get our Christmas tree. Our last cat climbed it when he was a kitten.

Sherry
 
The SPCA in your area will certainly have connections to low-cost spay and neuter clinics. If you don't have or can't really afford a vet, I'd call them to ask.

My female was a rescue kitty. She was spayed before I got her at 9 weeks old! My male was a neighbors kitten and my vet neutered him at about 5 months of age. Just be sure to have it done before they reach sexual maturity, which comes about 6-7 months of age.

I can't remember the cost - but really, so worth it!

The only repurcussions have been that now the male get extremely nervous in the car! He used to not care. I have "wellness checks" for both my kitties this Saturday - always an adventure. The female acts like a primadonna once she realizes she's the center of attention. So maybe getting fixed so early is long forgotten.

Diane

PS. - To the OP, Congrats! I know you'll be a great kitty-mom!
 
Thanks to everyone who replied! I really appreciate all the advice and I will certainly keep it in mind. I'm attempting to post some pics of the babies. Delilah is the black and white kitty, and Gaspard is the black one. Thanks again! I'll update to let you all know how they did.

Amy

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/...6073651626/a=152840323_152840323/t_=152840323

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/...6073651633/a=152840323_152840323/t_=152840323

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/...6073651631/a=152840323_152840323/t_=152840323

and a few more...

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/...6073651628/a=152840323_152840323/t_=152840323

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/...6073669690/a=152840323_152840323/t_=152840323
 
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My boy just got snipped 3 weeks ago. They told me at the vet to not let him jump for 10 days, and I said...yeah right. He was very groggy the first day, and back to his old mischievious self the next day. I made sure the dog was more gentle with him for a few days, until he went flying through the air, landing on her head for rassling fun, then I said, you are on your own! He recovered fast, and is a happy critter today. When my dog(a girl) got fixed, it was a bit more involved, but they heal fast.
 
The babies did great

Hello and thanks again to those who replied. They did great. They came home and were so hungry and thirsty but I tried to limit their eating so they wouldn't get sick. The only problem has been trying to keep the girl from playing and jumping. She came home and spent the rest of the afternoon and the evening totally wired. She was tired but couldn't seem to fall asleep. The little boy was rather playful too but the vet said he was fine to jump and play. Apparently she was feeling no pain at all! I considered not giving them their take-home pain meds, since he acted fine and it seemed to drug her too much, but I went ahead and did it this morning. They both played and acted drunk for a few minutes and I thought it was a mistake, but then they settled down and went to sleep. So I guess I'll just play it by ear with the pain meds. Despite all her playing, her incision still looks perfect and hasn't bled at all. So I'm hoping she doesn't slow down her healing by being such a hellion!

Thanks again for the advice.

Amy
 
Amy,

Thanks for posting the pictures. They are absolutely adorable. Sending healing wishes.
 
Glad they are doing well! Normal kitties, sounds like ;) I would not keep with the pain meds, personally, if they are playing around fine...unless you think they need to stop and rest. Remember, my Midnight hopped straight to the top of the fridge the night she came hope :eek: and did just fine - They are such sweet kitties - thanks for the pics!
 
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