Getting cats fixed is a necessity if you want to keep their populations in check. However, caring for a cat after if has been fixed isn't something that people tend to know much about, and many people assume their cat is seriously ill if they aren't immediately back to normal.
Things You'll Need
- Cat food
- Antiseptic
- Neck cone
Instructions
First of all, there are different procedures for fixing male and female cats. Males are neutered and females are spayed, with spaying generally considered to be the more invasive and serious operation. So depending on your cat's gender, caring for it will differ.
Male cats are generally easier to care for after they have been fixed, and will start eating and sleeping normally right away after they have come home. Also, there isn't so much of a risk of the ripping stitches out as their scar, which is near the testicles, is much harder for them to reach to lick or bite.
Male cats that have sprayed prior to getting fixed are now usually not able to do so. However, they will often try to once they have healed up after a couple of days. This usually results in them simply leaking urine down themselves, and this behavior usually wears off after they realize they cant spray properly anymore. Male cat's characters often change once they have been fixed, as they generally become more passive. They won't tend to fight other non-fixed males as much as they might have used to.
Female cats are a little harder to care for, and in many cases cause unnecessary worry for their owners after they come home. It is completely normal for the first two or three days if they eat very little or even nothing at all and sleep most of the time. Female cats with young kittens won't be as hostile to them as they can smell that they are no longer able to reproduce. Because female cats have stitches on their stomachs, they will undoubtedly try to lick the wound regularly and may even rip their stitches out. If they are only a couple of days from having them removed anyway, then this isn't usually a problem. Although if the wound is infected, hasn't healed yet or the stitches are ripped out quickly, then a neck cone might be necessary. These are available from the veterinarian's office, and stops the cat from being able to reach its stitches.
Usually after a couple of days, a cat will begin to eat normally and will slowly start to become more active. One thing to look out for is if you have other kittens in the house, then the newly fixed female cat will start to look after them as if they were her own. This is usually harmless enough, but if she still has stitches, then the tiny claws of nursing kittens can rip them out.