One of the most difficult trials a cat needs to go through is castration. Veterinarians consider this operation to be simple, but it is very important for the health of the animal to perform proper care after castration.

Since the procedure is performed under anesthesia, the pet’s body experiences a lot of stress, and there may even be negative complications.

And it depends on the person how quickly the body recovers, how quickly the cat will be active and mobile again. Veterinarians always give advice on how to care for the animal and how to improve its well-being in the postoperative period.

Castration is performed under the influence of anesthesia an experienced veterinarian.

Necessarily this should happen in a veterinary clinic setting, where it has specialized equipment and medicines.

The cat remains under the supervision of a specialist for a while, who will monitor what is happening to the pet, how its cardiac and respiratory systems work.

For future health, the first time after the procedure and the condition on the first day are important..

ATTENTION! Owners of cats or dogs should always have the phone number of a good veterinarian at hand. Moreover, after the procedure, cat castration is an operation.

Cats are castrated under anesthesia, animals tolerate its effects differently. They may experience unpleasant symptoms such as nausea and dizziness. Sometimes muscle weakness is also noted, the cat moves with difficulty at first and eats poorly.

At first, this is a normal phenomenon; most cats tolerate castration without serious consequences. You should not leave your pet in the clinic for more than a day.(if there are no health problems).

It is important for cats to feel at home, feel the attentive attitude of your beloved owner. This makes the rehabilitation of his body easier.

Castration of cats depending on age

The most favorable period is from seven months.

The veterinarian will determine how developed the animal is, its organs, whether the cat is physically prepared for the operation, and whether there are any contraindications.

At a young age, cats do not yet have experience of sexual life, so they tolerate the procedure more easily.

You can also castrate an adult pet up to five years old. But old age can lead to complications during the rehabilitation period.

ATTENTION! There is a certain age when a Sphynx or a cat of another breed can be neutered. It is better to obtain such information from experienced breeders or veterinarians.

The cat's well-being after surgery

There are certain peculiarities in performing such an operation in cats..

• Under the influence of anesthesia, the animal does not feel pain, but its eyes remain open. And while caring for the cat during and after the procedure great attention is paid to moisturizing the conjunctiva. First, the veterinarian closes the cat’s eyelids himself, and then the animal’s owner does this. You will need antiseptic drops to treat the eyes, you can also drip saline solution for dryness.
• Cats may develop a fever. Usually it stays at 37.5-39, and in the first days after castration the thermometer can only show 36.5. It is necessary to warm the animal - put it on a warm blanket, cover it. Sometimes a heating pad comes in handy. If your paws feel very cold to the touch, you should rub them well.

Caring for a cat after castration

A neutered cat should be cared for carefully so that rehabilitation takes place in a short time and there are no complications.

How do cats behave when they are in severe pain? They may meow pitifully or lie silently. At the same time, they refuse food and water.

You can tell if a cat is in pain by looking at the dilated pupils and looking at one point. It is the owner's responsibility to help the animal.

Anesthesia affects different systems of the cat’s body, including the muscular system.. During rehabilitation, the cat may move unsteadily and walk with a staggering gait.

You need to watch where the animal is going whether he climbs objects located at heights. Such recommendations will be important after other operations.

ATTENTION! At first, the cat experiences severe pain. Even if he tolerates them silently, he needs to alleviate the condition with the help of antispasmodics.

How and how long a wound heals depends largely on home care. You should not only properly treat the seam, wash your eyes, and feed him. The cat will need silence and isolation during such a difficult period; you need to behave carefully with him. You should not allow other animals or small children, who may accidentally touch the wound, to be near your pet.

Important rules for treating wounds

The animal’s recovery in the hours and days after surgery depends on its body, as well as on wound care and treatment.

• When a cat is castrated, a complex wound is formed on his body, which requires stitches. To make them heal faster requires regular treatment (twice a day) when using brilliant green or hydrogen peroxide. The veterinarian will show you how correctly the treatment is carried out. Among the recommended products there is also an effective ointment Levomekol with an anti-inflammatory effect.
• After castration the cat must wear a collar, which will prevent scratching of the wound. Thanks to a special collar, the pet does not lick itself at the operation site or scratch it with its paws. If you do not wear this lightweight design, inflammation may occur at the seam. The collar is removable for feeding.
• In rare cases, experts prescribe antibiotics, if inflammation of the wound is possible. During inflammatory processes, cats feel unwell and their appetite decreases. The likelihood of such a complication depends on immunity.

If the cat licks the wound, the stitches may come apart, bleeding sometimes occurs. A small diaper with a hole for the tail can serve as a preventive measure. In it, the animal does not lick the suture site, and the process of tissue fusion is not disrupted.

Postoperative complications

Like people, animals tolerate surgical interventions in their bodies differently. Sometimes even a simple castration procedure can cause health complications.

• Disturbances in the functioning of the heart.
• Breathing rhythm disturbances.
• Swelling of the tongue or eyelids.
• Pallor of mucous membranes.
• Complications may include a sharp deterioration in character. The cat is nervous, bites, and does not allow contact even with its beloved owner.

Such symptoms should cause alarm to the animal owner; the cat should be immediately taken to the veterinarian.

IMPORTANT! A consultation is also required if the wound bleeds for a long time, becomes inflamed, and the cat’s behavior does not return to normal.

Bleeding may result from poor constriction of blood vessels at the wound site. Another reason is poor blood clotting as a feature of the body. You should monitor whether the cat often licks the wound, put a protective collar on it.

Feeding a neutered cat

Owners are also interested in the question:

As a result of the effects of anesthesia, as well as due to severe pain, the cat may not have an appetite in the first hours after castration.

No need to force him to eat, this will only irritate the animal. But it is important to monitor whether your pet drinks.

Water should always be available, fresh and clean. When an animal is sick, it is always thirsty.

If you monitor what changes occur in a cat’s behavior after castration, you can note an increase in interest in food. You should not indulge a large appetite, as gluttony can lead to obesity and the appearance of urolithiasis.

IMPORTANT! After castration, fish rich in magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium should be excluded from the cat’s diet. Excess of these elements negatively affects kidney health.

But complete lack of appetite is also a bad factor, you need to find out from the veterinarian why your pet is not eating.

Veterinarians recommend feeding the animal dry food. Its advantage is that it acidifies urine. Such a diet will be a good prevention of urolithiasis. But it is mandatory to drink plenty of fluids, three times the amount of food.

Toilet features

A light-colored filler in the tray will help identify if the wound is bleeding. If bleeding continues for a long time, you should take the cat to a specialist.

It is better to take a soft filler, not annoying. Dangerous is the lack of desire to go to the toilet, small or large. It's worth trying to give him some Vaseline oil, it should help.

It’s not scary if the first few days of urine are very small, but then its amount should increase. After castration, cat urine becomes less pungent in smell.

ATTENTION! To make the operation and recovery easier for the body, it is recommended to perform castration in the winter, when there is less risk of infection by bacteria.

Useful video

Detailed advice on care after castration

Castration in most cases is a planned operation. The owner needs to know how to care for a cat after castration before undergoing surgery. Competent actions immediately after surgery, compliance with the rules of the rehabilitation period and postoperative care will ensure the animal’s rapid recovery and prevent the development of complications and diseases.

Read in this article

Transporting a cat after surgery

After the operated animal is handed over to the owner, it is placed in a carrier for further transportation home. The cat may be in a state of narcotic sleep or may already be waking up. A spacious carrier with a folding top is best suited for transporting your pet. The bottom should be covered with a waterproof film and a clean sheet on top.

How cats recover from anesthesia after castration depends on a number of factors: individual tolerance of the drug, dosage accuracy, preoperative preparation, etc. Under no circumstances should you transport a cat in your arms or on a car seat. Under the influence of a narcotic substance, an animal is absolutely unpredictable and can harm itself and others.

Anesthesia reduces the pet's defenses, and it loses the ability to normal thermoregulate. In this regard, the cat must be provided with warmth. It is especially important to prevent hypothermia during the cold season. To do this, use a heating pad or a plastic bottle with warm water. It is placed strictly on the side of the animal’s back, making sure that the warm object does not come into contact with the cat’s crotch area. Heat at the wound site can cause bleeding! You can cover your pet with a warm blanket on top.

During transportation and subsequently until recovery from anesthesia, the animal should lie on its side.

Postoperative cat care

Upon arrival home, the animal can be left in the carrier, if it is spacious, or carefully transferred to a clean and warm bedding. The optimal room temperature is 22 - 24 C. Additional measures:

• The cat should not be placed immediately after castration near a radiator, heater or in drafts.

• The animal must not be placed at a height (sofa, bed, etc.). The pet does not control its movements and may fall and get injured.

• While the animal is sleeping, you should carefully ensure that the cat is on its side. At this time, a gag reflex is possible as a side reaction to anesthesia. It is important to ensure that the cat does not choke on vomit. If the animal is properly prepared for surgery and is on a 12-hour fasting diet, then there will be no vomiting, only urges.

The factors mentioned above influence how long it takes a cat to recover from anesthesia after castration. On average, the recovery time from anesthesia lasts from 2 to 8 hours. Complete recovery occurs 8 to 24 hours after surgery.

When recovering from anesthesia, animals behave inappropriately. They may be afraid of the slightest noise, movement, familiar objects, or people. During this period, you should protect your pet from all kinds of high jumps and falls. Quite often, cats experience involuntary urination. These are the consequences of anesthesia; under no circumstances should you punish your pet.

Anesthetic drugs used during castration cause animals to become very thirsty. When the cat’s movements become confident, be sure to place a bowl of clean water in an accessible place.

You can feed a cat after castration when the animal completely comes out of anesthesia and has an appetite. This occurs approximately 20 to 24 hours after surgery. You can't force feed. For the first time, you can give the cat light meat broth, cottage cheese, kefir. In the first days after surgery, you need to feed your pet with its usual foods. A sudden switch to a different diet will cause him stress. The transition to a special diet should be made no earlier than the 10th day after castration.

You can bathe a cat after castration when the surgical wounds have completely healed, usually no earlier than 10 - 14 days after surgery. It is not advisable to carry out water procedures before this period. Heavy contamination can be eliminated by using wet wipes and dry shampoo.

After recovering from anesthesia, the animal actively shows interest in the surgical wound: licks and scratches. Sutures are not required for castration of cats, but excessive mechanical irritation from a rough cat tongue can lead to bleeding from the wound.

For prevention, especially active pets should wear a special collar. This simple device will prevent licking and scratching of unhealed wounds. The question of how many days a cat should wear a collar after castration cannot be answered unequivocally. Some furry pets can do without a collar, while others are forced to walk with one almost until the wounds are completely healed - about 7 days. Only in this case can you protect the animal from harming itself.

Treating a cat's wound

Modern methods of castration of cats do not involve sutures at the site of excision of the testes. Postoperative care for a castrated animal includes antiseptics for speedy healing. Wounds are usually treated with hydrogen peroxide or brilliant green. Iodine is not suitable for these purposes. When using a protective collar, wounds can be treated with Levomikol ointment. It ensures rapid healing. If neutering is performed during the warmer months, your veterinarian may recommend a prophylactic course of antibiotics to prevent wound infection.

In order to prevent contamination of the operated area, attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the cat's litter box. After each emptying, it is advisable to wash the tray with a disinfectant. It is better not to use filler at all during the postoperative period; in extreme cases, use soft adsorbents.

Signs of possible postoperative complications

Castration performed in compliance with the rules of asepsis and antisepsis and competent postoperative care do not always guarantee the absence of postoperative complications. The presence of the following signs may indicate the development of complications:

• wound bleeding;

• unpleasant odor, purulent discharge from the wound;

• increase in body temperature above 39.50 C after 5 days from the moment of surgery;

• lethargic, apathetic state, refusal to feed, lack of thirst for 3 days after castration;

• , inability to urinate for 3 to 4 days.

If at least one of the signs occurs, the pet must be shown to a veterinarian.

Features of keeping the animal in the future

After castration, a cat undergoes a change in the hormonal balance in the body. This affects his behavior, character, and physiological state. Owners often ask the question: “How do cats behave after castration?” In each animal, the period of attenuation of sexual behavior occurs differently.

Typically, testosterone levels gradually decrease over the months following castration. The animal stops looking for the cat, rushing outside, making loud noises, etc.

But surgery does not always guarantee a radical improvement in behavior. Due to their character traits, heredity, upbringing, and the age at which the intervention was performed, some animals continue to behave aggressively and yell at night. What to do if a neutered cat screams at night? First of all, it is necessary to check your health status and rule out diseases of the internal organs. If your pet yells in the first months after surgery, the cause may be high hormone levels. In this case, you should be patient and over time the animal will calm down.

Immediately after the intervention, pet owners may notice that the cat has become aggressive after castration. This phenomenon is most often short-term in nature, associated with stress. After the rehabilitation period, aggression decreases and the animal’s behavior improves.

Owners often notice that the cat has lost weight after castration. Weight loss after surgery is associated with a preoperative fasting diet, the recovery period, and stress. As a rule, the weight returns to normal after full restoration of strength, appetite returns to pre-operative levels, and the animal gains the missing kilograms.

You should also think about what to feed a neutered cat at home in advance. After surgery, your pet's metabolism slows down and it requires fewer calories. The animal does not experience stress due to the manifestation of sexual instincts, and it is easier to gain excess weight. Such metabolic features determine the observance of a strict regime in feeding a neutered cat:

• the animal must not be overfed;

• feed in small portions at regular intervals;

• use specialized food for castrated cats;

• provide free access to water.

Not all pet owners have the right idea of ​​what to feed their cat after castration. Often, after the operation, the owners continue to feed the animal with foods that were included in the diet before, including fish. However, such pets are susceptible to the development of urolithiasis due to changes in the metabolism of salts and minerals. Fish products help alkalize the animal's body, which is why castrated cats should not eat fish.

When feeding with ready-made formulas, preference should be given to specialized food for castrated animals. They are balanced in nutrients and contain substances that acidify urine, which prevents the development of urolithiasis. It is also necessary to ensure that the animal always has free access to water.

Compliance with the requirements of the rehabilitation period and the rules for caring for an animal that has undergone surgery will ensure rapid healing of wounds and restoration of strength. Proper care, balanced feeding and adherence to a diet will prevent the development of obesity and reduce the risk of developing urolithiasis in pets. Only the correct approach to caring for your pet will determine its life expectancy and health.

After the operated cat returns home, it should be placed on a warm bedding placed on the floor and ensure that there are no drafts in the room. After anesthesia, the animal should not be placed on a sofa or chair, since its movements at this time will be uncoordinated, as a result of which the cat may fall from a height. There should be no sharp or hot objects, wires or threads on the floor, as well as other things in which she could become entangled.

After anesthesia, the cat should lie only on its right side, since lying on the left puts additional stress on the heart after surgery.

It is very important to ensure that your cat's eyes do not dry out. After the operation, she will not be able to blink on her own, so you need to instill a special solution under her eyelids and close/open them with your fingers every half hour until the cat begins to blink on her own. She will also have a dry mouth - wetting her tongue with water or carefully pouring droplets of water from a pipette into her mouth will help to cope with this - but very carefully so that the cat does not choke. Inappropriate behavior of the animal is also noted after anesthesia - this occurs due to its disorientation and is normal in most cases. However, if the cat is really unwell, you need to urgently call the veterinarian who performed the operation.

Post-anesthesia care

During the period of recovery from anesthesia, the cat may suffer from involuntary urination or vomiting, so you need to monitor it very closely - if it starts to constantly lick itself, you need to lay a newspaper or place a bag on it. Feeding can begin only after 24 hours, while the animal’s poor appetite may persist for several more days. The cat will be able to fully drink water after 3-4 hours.

After sterilization, a special blanket is put on the cat, which she will have to wear for 10-14 days until the stitches are removed.

To treat healing stitches, you need to regularly remove this blanket from the hind legs and immediately put it back on after treatment so that the cat does not lick the stitch wounds. In addition, you need to carefully ensure that the animal does not try to jump on a hill, since due to weakness it may not be able to jump and get caught on something in the blanket, hanging in it. Naturally, the cat will begin to squirm, trying to get out, as a result of which the seams will simply come apart.

Tip 2: Sterilize your cat. How to care for an operated animal

A cat from which the owners do not plan to produce offspring should be sterilized. This is much safer and healthier for the animal than constant estrus, and even more so the use of drugs to suppress sexual desire. However, you must be prepared for the fact that caring for your cat after surgery will take a lot of time and effort.

Instructions

Prepare in advance everything you need for care on the first day. Trim the animal's claws using special scissors with rounded blades. Find a spacious, tall box and insulate it from the inside with rags, and then lay a disposable absorbent diaper on the bottom. You can buy such a diaper at a human pharmacy.

Buy it and be sure to ask your veterinarian to show you exactly how to tie it. In the first 7-10 days, she must walk in this blanket, otherwise there is a high risk that she will scratch or lick the seams, and the wound will open. You will have to regularly handle the seams, so the sooner you learn how to attach this “clothing” to the animal’s body, the better.

When you bring the cat home after, carefully place it in the box. Animals tolerate anesthesia in different ways: vomiting, involuntary urination, etc. may begin. In addition, the cat will be lethargic and its body temperature will drop. Do not move far from the box: the animal may try to get out. After anesthesia, coordination of movements will be seriously impaired, so the cat may crash into something or fall. Your task is to prevent this from happening.

Monitor your cat's condition carefully in the first days after surgery. The veterinarian will set a date when you need to come to the clinic for a re-examination and removal of stitches, and until this day you should pay as much attention to the animal as possible. 1-2 times a day, remove the blanket and carefully treat the seams with the product prescribed by the veterinarian (this can be hydrogen peroxide, levomekol, etc.) It is advisable to do this together and very carefully, because even a very affectionate cat can become aggressive if it feels pain.

Try to minimize the risk of your cat jumping somewhere. After the operation, it will be difficult for her to return to normal life in the first days, and the blanket will be in the way. At best, the cat may simply not jump to its favorite closet or table. It would be worse if she fell and hurt herself. The worst option is if the cat gets caught on the handles of the cabinet or other protruding parts of the blanket and hangs on it. Try to reduce the likelihood of such troubles to a minimum.

Video on the topic

Animals require general anesthesia not only for complex surgical operations. Some medical and even cosmetic procedures are easier to perform when the animal is immobilized and does not feel the veterinarian's touch. The process of recovery from anesthesia is quite individual and largely depends on the type of anesthesia, age and condition of the pet. If the operated animal is not in a veterinary clinic under the supervision of specialists, the owners will have to pay increased attention to the pet in order to make it easier for it to come out of forced sleep.

The first hours after anesthesia

Inhalation anesthesia is easier to tolerate - usually the animal comes to its senses within a few minutes, and after an hour or two it is able to get up and even move around, depending on the severity of the operation. After total intravenous anesthesia, it takes about a day for the pet to fully recover. Some types of intravenous anesthesia, used for simple operations, are short-acting and provide quick awakening of the animal - within an hour or two.

In the first hours after surgery, the animal needs constant observation, rest and warmth. If there are other pets or small children in the house, it is better to isolate the patient. You can check if everything is okay with the animal by opening its eyelids and shining a small flashlight into its eyes. If the pupil narrows, the process of recovery from anesthesia is normal; if it remains unchanged, the animal should be immediately taken to the veterinarian.

Veterinarians often advise taking the operated animal from the clinic not immediately, but after two to four hours, in order to ensure proper care and observation in the first, most difficult hours after the operation.

Complete recovery from anesthesia

At home, it is best to place the animal on the floor, closer to the heat source, with something soft on it - do not place it on a sofa or chair, otherwise, when motor function begins to recover, the pet may fall from a height and be seriously injured. A small animal (ferret, rabbit, cat) can be placed in a spacious box or returned to its usual cage or house if its relatives are not there. If possible, it is better to use a disposable diaper as a bedding - after anesthesia, involuntary urination, vomiting, and salivation may occur.

Coordination in an animal recovering from anesthesia may be impaired for a long time - staggering when walking, falling, attempts to crawl or run are often observed. Transfer the fallen animal back to the bedding, pet it and calm it down.

If your pet's condition causes concern, it is better to play it safe and show it to a doctor. Snoring and wheezing are common during recovery from anesthesia due to relaxation of the palate and pharynx, but snoring should be distinguished from wheezing resulting from inhalation of vomit or respiratory distress. Lethargy and drowsiness may persist for 24 hours or longer after surgery.

How to help your pet

Cover your pet - animals often freeze when recovering from anesthesia. You can massage his paws if they are cold. If your pet's eyes and mouth are open, to avoid drying out of the mucous membranes, the tongue should be moistened with damp cotton wool, and a sterile saline solution can be dropped into the eyes from a pipette.

You can give the animal water 4-6 hours after waking up. If your pet cannot drink on his own, try giving him water from a syringe without a needle. Feeding is allowed no earlier than after 10-12 hours; it is better if the pet fasts for a day - this will not harm its health.

Today, many people castrate their cats so that they stop wanting a cat. But how is a cat cared for after castration? Can complications arise? How to feed a castrated cat and how to treat his wound? Below you will find the answers to these questions.

After castration, the cat is handed over to the owners, and the cat itself will be in a state of sleep.

He should be placed in an open-top carrier and taken home. Of course, doctors may suggest leaving the cat in the clinic for a few days, but the cat will experience severe stress after waking up, so it is still advisable to take it home.

Usually, the cat quickly comes to its senses, but during the first 12-24 hours the pet may experience the following unpleasant disturbances:

1. Dry eyes. The fact is that during anesthesia, the eyes of cats remain open. Of course, doctors are aware of this unpleasant symptom, so during the operation they periodically moisten the animal’s eyelids. After castration, a cat may not regain consciousness for a long time, so the owner will have to wet the cat’s eyelids himself. To wet the eyes, it is advisable to use special antiseptic drops for cats or tetracycline ointment.
2. Reduced temperature. Typically, a cat's temperature is 38-39 degrees, but after surgery it can drop to 36-37 degrees. Such a slight decrease, of course, will not kill the animal, but doctors recommend wrapping the cat in a warm blanket to restore the temperature level. You can also use a heating pad for heating. If your cat's ears and paws are too cold, it is advisable to rub them to normalize blood circulation.
3. Dizziness, loss of stability and coordination of movements, unsteady gait. Such disturbances are a side effect of anesthesia, so during the first days you need to monitor the cat so that he does not climb onto too high objects (for example, on a table).
4. Pain syndrome. After the operation, the cat will definitely experience pain, so you need to ask the doctor to prescribe painkillers for the cat. It should be understood that many cats endure pain in silence, but this does not mean that they feel well, so you should not neglect painkillers.

How quickly does a cat come to its senses?

Cats recover differently from anesthesia. On average, cats wake up 3-6 hours after anesthesia is administered, but at first they will simply lie still.

After some time, they will begin to rise, but due to severe dizziness, they are unlikely to want to run and frolic. Dizziness and instability usually disappear 10-12 hours after the administration of anesthesia, and the temperature will return to normal after 36-48 hours. The pain syndrome usually lasts no more than 3 days.

How quickly does behavior change?

Typically, people castrate their cats to reduce their sexual activity.

The fact is that after castration, testosterone levels noticeably decrease, which changes the animal’s behavior. And indeed, usually after castration, cats stop looking for the cat, no longer rush outside and no longer scream, and stop actively marking their territory.

Complete hormonal changes in the body usually last 1-3 months, depending on the breed and age of the cat.

How to care for your cat in the following days?

On days 2-3 after surgery, the cat’s behavior may change dramatically. Changes can vary - a cat can become either very aggressive or very apathetic. This happens due to the fact that the hormonal system is being rebuilt.

This behavior does not need to be treated, and the owner should be understanding of the animal's condition. Of course, a complete restructuring of the hormonal system will take several months, but after 5-6 days the cat’s behavior will return to normal.

You should also think about nutrition, toileting, and wound care after surgery.

Nutrition

Regarding nutrition, you need to know the following after castration:

1. In the first 5-10 hours after surgery, the cat will completely lose its appetite. There is no need to worry about this. The main thing is not to forget to give the cat water.
2. In the first 1-3 days after surgery, the cat will have poor appetite. During this period, it is advisable to give up dry food, and feed the cat with meat broth or rare porridge with pieces of lean meat. Never overfeed your cat or force him to eat a lot!
3. On days 3-5, appetite usually returns to normal. However, remember - now the cat does not need such a large amount of energy, so food intake needs to be slightly reduced.
4. It makes sense to buy special food for neutered cats at the pet store. Also, castrated cats need to be given food that contains special additives that prevent the development of urolithiasis, since after castration the risk of developing this disease increases significantly.
5. After castration, you need to completely give up fish - fish contains a large amount of minerals that a castrated cat will no longer need, so they will begin to form as kidney stones.

Toilet

Regarding the toilet you need to know the following:

1. At first, it is advisable to use white or light-colored litter for the toilet. The fact is that a cat’s wound can bleed, and this will be very noticeable on light-colored litter.
2. After each trip to the toilet, it is advisable to disinfect the tray (for example, with boiling water), and throw away the filler. This must be done until the cat’s wound stops bleeding.
3. It is also advisable to give preference to soft toilet fillers to avoid irritation.
4. If your cat does not want to go to the toilet after surgery, it is advisable to ask your doctor to prescribe him some safe diuretic medication.

Wound care

Wound care after castration looks like this:

1. You should check your cat's groin area several times a day for bleeding wounds. It is advisable to treat wounds with hydrogen peroxide.
2. Also, the seam should be treated with hydrogen peroxide, iodine or Levomekol ointment so that it heals better.
3. Until the wound is completely healed, the cat will probably lick the wound. This can lead to irritation, seam splitting and other unpleasant consequences. To prevent this from happening, you should put a special protective collar on the cat, which will make it very difficult for the cat to lick the wound.
4. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection.
5. Complete rehabilitation usually lasts no more than 7-10 days.

Complications

Typically, postoperative recovery goes well, but sometimes complications may occur. They can signal that something went wrong during the operation.

Under no circumstances should you self-medicate - take the cat to a veterinary hospital.

Main complications:

1. Heart dysfunction.
2. Respiratory problems (eg, loud wheezing).
3. Swelling of the eyelids and eyes.
4. A sharp change in the color of the mucous membranes.
5. Complete refusal of food, which lasts more than 2 days.

Conclusion

Now you know how to properly care for a cat after castration. Let's summarize. On the first day, the pet will be very weak, but on days 2-4 it will return to normal.

Until complete recovery, it is advisable to treat the seam with hydrogen peroxide, iodine or special ointments. The amount of calories in food should be slightly reduced, and the pet should be fed food for neutered cats, which contains special additives, since castration leads to an increased risk of developing urolithiasis.

Also, you should change the toilet routine - you need to fill the cat's toilet with light-colored litter to detect bleeding, and the toilet itself needs to be disinfected regularly. If your cat develops any complications, you should visit a veterinarian.

Despite the fact that castration is a fairly simple operation, wound healing at home requires the attention and care of the owner. Both a few hours after the operation and a few days later, the cat after castration is forced to live with a gradually healing wound, which takes a lot of energy from him. Additional difficulties arise due to the need for the animal to cope with the effects of anesthesia, which significantly affect the pet’s body. Complications after castration are a rare occurrence, however, the cat owner must be prepared for them in order to take measures, if necessary, and not let the situation take its course. We’ll talk further about how to make your pet’s rehabilitation as comfortable as possible.

Most clinics, when castrating an animal, give its owner a memo that briefly outlines all his further actions. In some cases, the doctor verbally recounts all the points that the cat owner must complete.

Immediately after the operation, the pet remains in the clinic for some time to recover a little. This takes approximately half an hour - during this time you should make sure that the cat is not bleeding and the operation was completed successfully. If desired, the cat can be left in the hospital (in those clinics that provide this option) until it is restored, but few people can afford such a solution.

The length of a cat’s stay in the clinic depends on its health condition and the owner’s financial capabilities.

However, if the cat has a number of pathologies that make recovery difficult, such a solution is simply necessary, because if complications arise, you may simply not have time to take the animal to the doctor.

Shipping

To avoid unforeseen situations, the cat should be placed in a special carrier. The best option would be a plastic box, since it is the most spacious and provides excellent air circulation, unlike stuffy fabric options. Boxing will also provide freedom of movement that the cat will perform in a semi-conscious state.

Cover the bottom of the plastic box with a blanket or other cloth to prevent your pet from hypothermia.

It is advisable to take a blanket or heating pad with you to provide your cat with them. After anesthesia, the animal’s body temperature will drop, so it is logical to assume that it will be cold. This measure is especially important for cats with short hair or hairless cats.

Important! You should not place a heating pad under the wound itself, since the heat source will only provoke bleeding, impairing blood clotting.

Please note that the heating pad may move during movement.

During transportation, make sure that the animal does not change its position. Lay him on his side so that when he vomits, the pet does not choke on the contents of the stomach. Vomiting is uncommon, but may be the result of an individual reaction to the drug used for euthanasia. In addition, lying on its side will make it easier for the cat to breathe.

Transport

It is not recommended to transport your pet on public transport. Extraneous noises, loud sounds and unfamiliar smells will disturb the animal and cause it anxiety. To minimize your pet's discomfort, it is advisable to use a car or taxi as a means of transport. This way you will get there without unnecessary incidents and save yourself more nerves.

Upon arrival home

The order of the following actions largely depends on the owner himself. Thus, some veterinarians advise leaving the animal in a carrier, believing that the animal will be more comfortable in it. However, given that the pet can make sudden spontaneous movements, there is a possibility of it hitting the iron bars when trying to leave the carrier, which will negatively affect rehabilitation.

Video - Condition of the cat after castration

After the cat lands, the owner will need to do the following manipulations.

1. Prepare a warm bedding in advance, which will become a sleeping place for your pet in the coming days. Don’t forget about the heating pad, which the cat needs while recovering from anesthesia and restoring normal body temperature.
2. Find a suitable place to place the cat. Remember that it should be warm so that the cat does not catch a cold, but excessive air temperature can cause the wound to open. Therefore, you should not move the animal close to the radiator or fireplace.

   

3. Provide your cat with plenty of water. If your cat consumed little fluid when healthy, forget about it during rehabilitation. When recovering from anesthesia, animals discover thirst that needs to be quenched. During the first hours, it may be necessary to administer water into the animal's mouth through a syringe. You should give your pet water only when you are sure that it will wake up.
4. To avoid numbness in the limbs, turn your pet's body over once an hour. Do this gently and carefully so as not to disturb the animal again. Do not place it on your stomach or back.
5. Many cats are in a state of anesthesia and after it remain with their eyes open. To prevent the eyeballs from drying out or inflammation from occurring, close and open the cat's eyes once an hour.

   

6. Carefully monitor your pet's movements and block his access to chairs, tables, and cabinets. Even if the animal looks quite normal, it may simply not calculate the distance and injure itself.
7. If desired, you can check the animal's condition during the first hours after surgery. When you touch the nose, ears or paws, the pet should move - this is a good sign that the cat will wake up soon.

   

Further rehabilitation

The effects of anesthesia are clearly felt by the owner over the next 10-16 hours. Cats experience awakening from anesthesia individually, so it is impossible to say exactly when the animal will finally come to its senses. It is necessary to maintain control even after a few days, since residual effects after anesthesia, such as loss of coordination or dizziness, will make themselves felt.

Some cats are overexcited during recovery. They rush around the apartment, meow loudly and climb on everything they can. You can't take your eyes off such individuals. Other animals tend to hide in a quiet, dark corner and wait out their unstable state there. Don't bother them again and let them be alone with themselves.

Feeding

The cat should be fed twelve hours after the end of the operation. Earlier meals are more likely to lead to vomiting, since the stomach has not yet had time to establish its functioning and cannot cope with the food that has entered it. When placing a bowl in front of the animal, do not insist on eating food under any circumstances. The pet will be able to independently understand its body and satisfy hunger when necessary. He is not in danger of starvation.

The diet for the rehabilitation period should be light, not overloading the digestion. The following should be completely excluded from it:

• dry food;
• canned food;
• meat;
• fish;
• porridge or cereals;
• vegetables.

In a word, everything that your pet willingly ate before surgery is subject to temporary withdrawal. You should stop at liquid types of food - broth or fermented milk products (provided the cat does not have lactase intolerance). Feed diluted with water should be gradually introduced into the diet.

Use of painkillers

There is no consensus among veterinarians on such an important point. Some experts claim that the animal is able to cope with the wound on its own, without medicinal support. Other veterinarians argue that the animal, of course, will cope, but by refusing him pain relief, we are committing an inhumane act and only increasing his suffering.

One way or another, the cat is really able to cope with castration in the absence of auxiliary drugs. It is up to the owner to make a decision about what is more important - refusal of medications or comfortable rehabilitation. Most doctors still advocate the need to use painkillers in the first two days after surgery.

When does a cat need pain relief?

The belief that if a cat does not actively express its suffering, then it does not exist at all, is deeply mistaken. Cats are secretive animals and do not want to share their unhealthy state even with their owner. Signs that your pet is in pain include:

• complete refusal of food;
• lying motionless on the stomach;
• the paws are tucked in, they are practically invisible;
• pupils dilated;
• when attempting contact, the pet shows aggression;
• intense gaze, focused on one point.

Remember that not all human pain medications are suitable for cats. Before purchasing such a drug, you should carefully read the instructions of your veterinarian, who will advise you on the correct medication.

Types of painkillers for cats

Painkillers can be in the form of tablets or injections. Injections are more effective, however, not every owner can cope with them. Among other drugs, veterinarians prefer the options described below.

Table 1. Painkillers for cats

A drug	Dosage	Description	A course of treatment
	Tablets: 1 mg of the drug per 1 kg of animal weight Solution: administered at the rate of 0.2 ml of substance per 1 kg of weight	An anti-inflammatory drug that effectively affects the source of pain. Available in the form of tablets and solution. Injections are given only subcutaneously. It should not be taken over a long course due to a wide range of side effects, since the medication is designed for five days of use.	From 2 to 5 days depending on the condition of the animal
	Solution: 0.2 ml per 1 kg of animal weight	A one percent solution, available in ampoules, which relieves your pet of pain. Shake the bottle before using the drug. Cats are administered only subcutaneously. The drug does not accumulate in the body and is soon excreted in the urine	from 1 to 3 days
	One tablet per 3 kg of weight	A universal pain reliever suitable for both cats and dogs. Available in tablet form. Due to the pleasant aroma, cats easily eat the drug	The tablet is given once a day for 3 days

Painkillers usually act within twelve hours, after which their effectiveness decreases. All these drugs are not designed for pain caused by the healing of an open wound, therefore, if necessary, it is allowed to use the above drugs twice as often, but only for the first two days. Excessive consumption of painkillers will lead to intoxication of the body of an already weakened animal.

Are painkillers always required?

An owner should not give pills to a cat simply because he has learned that the pet may experience pain. All animals have different pain thresholds, and there are animals that recover extremely quickly after surgery. Breeds that successfully cope with castration include Persian and British cats.

For the rest, you should focus on the current state of the cat and act in accordance with it. If attacks of pain do not go away after two designated days, you should immediately contact a veterinarian. If the animal quickly regains consciousness and looks healthy, there is no point in pumping it with medications.

Tray

It is natural to assume that a cat that has survived castration will find it very difficult to use the litter box at first. The need to climb into it and stretch the wound will cause attacks of pain and negative associations. You should not be angry with your pet if, after surgery, he empties his intestines and bladder in the wrong place for some time. In addition to the pain experienced, the cat may simply have poor orientation in space when recovering from anesthesia.

In addition, if you use natural crumbly litter for the tray, there is a high probability of dust and small particles getting into the cut areas of the skin, which can result in inflammation. Therefore, while the wound is healing, it is advisable to have as an alternative a tray with a grid that will not allow the pet to come into contact with the filler.

Urination

Infrequent emptying of the bladder after castration is completely natural. First, your pet has barely consumed any fluids or food in the past few hours. Secondly, urination is still a painful procedure for the animal, so it is in no hurry to do it.

Don't panic if you see traces of blood in your pet's urine. Drops of blood may leak from a healing wound. The urge returns gradually, and after a few days the cat usually returns to its natural state and uses the litter box without problems.

Loud meowing during urination and unsuccessful trips to the toilet should be a cause for concern and take the animal to the veterinarian.

If you wish, to avoid puddles throughout the house, you can try to dress your pet in diapers. However, cats do not always support this decision and resist. You can read below about how to choose a suitable diaper and put it on your cat.

Treatment of the wound

The surgeon deals with a wound resulting from an operation in two possible ways:

1. Places stitches. This method is less common these days and is used for cats that have problems with blood clotting.
2. Treats the wound with brilliant green and lets it heal on its own.

Accordingly, care for the resulting wound depends on the method of its healing. If there are seams, it is recommended to treat them twice a day with hydrogen peroxide and re-lubricate them with brilliant green. Most modern veterinary clinics use absorbable sutures that do not require their removal.

Wounds that remain open do not require self-care unless there are obvious signs of complications. The only difficulty that the owner may encounter is the animal’s excessive attention to its wound. Licking an unprotected area of ​​flesh is undesirable and risks introducing infections. That’s why special collars are put on overly active pets.

Prevent bleeding

Blood and ichor may leak out for several days after surgery. Blood can either concentrate in the scrotum area or flow down the hind limbs. To prevent excessive bleeding, it is permissible to use Dicinone, which improves blood clotting.

The drug is available in the form of tablets and solutions - in our case, it is the solution that is needed. Injections are given intramuscularly, 0.1 ml of the substance per 1 kg of pet’s weight. The optimal place for the injection is the thigh. In addition to injections, it is recommended to apply an ice pack to the wound for ten minutes, four times a day.

If bleeding is accompanied by increased weakness, fainting and bluish mucous membranes, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.

Possible complications after castration

Recovery after surgery occurs individually for all individuals, but it is important to sense in time the line between normal and a dangerous condition that requires intervention. Based on the time of manifestation of complications, they are divided into two types.

It is possible to identify the presence of an infection in a cat’s body without a thorough study of its anatomy. Of course, when a section of the intestine prolapses, the diagnosis is obvious, but there are also less obvious, but no less dangerous options. It is enough to note a few main symptoms:

If the above signs are present, it is necessary to contact the doctor who performed the operation and describe in detail the animal’s condition in order to develop further actions.

Conclusion

The success of recovery after castration largely depends on proper preparation for the operation and the skill of the veterinarian. If you can hardly influence the skills of a specialist, then the health of the pet is in your hands, which should be brought into proper condition before anesthesia. To avoid serious consequences, you can read on our portal. Initially healthy cats undergo surgery with less physical effort and recover faster.