Caring for Your Cat after Surgery

Female Spay Surgery

Your cat was spayed today. Please follow these post-operative instructions:

Feeding

  • Please feed your cat 1/4 to 1/3 the amount of food and water that she normally eats about one hour after returning home from the mobile clinic. If she eats this, you can begin feeding her normal amounts tomorrow morning.
  • It is normal for your cat to have a decreased appetite after surgery; however, your cat should be eating and drinking within 24 hours of surgery.

Incision Care

  • Your cat’s incision is located on the abdomen. Stitches are internal and will dissolve with time – the stitches do NOT need to be removed.
  • Ensure the incision stays clean and dry for two weeks. Do not apply human products onto incision.
  • Please check your cat’s incision daily until it is healed. Contact us if you notice excessive redness, swelling, any discharge or openings of the incision.

Pain Medication

  • Your cat was given long-acting (three day) pain medication with her surgery. Do NOT give human medication to your cat. It is dangerous and can be fatal.

Activity

  • Please reduce your cat’s activity for 10-14 days after surgery. Excessive running, jumping, and aggressive play should also not be allowed. Keep her strictly indoors during this time. If your pet is too active after surgery, this may complicate healing.
  • Keep males and females separated. They may try to breed for several weeks after surgery.

E-Collars

  • Your cat should wear an e-collar for 7-10 days after surgery. Ensure she is able to eat with e-collar.
  • Your cat will probably not like the e-collar at first, but e-collars are very important for preventing your pet from licking her incision and causing a painful infection — even a little licking can cause problems.

Tattoos

  • Female cats who have been spayed receive a small tattoo near the surgical incision.
  • Please monitor the tattoo site and contact us if you notice redness, swelling, or discharge.

Behaviour

  • Spaying or neutering cats can reduce or eliminate certain undesirable behaviours, such as urine marking, mounting, aggression, or spraying, but these behaviours may have already been learned and might not go away completely. If these behaviours do go away, this may occur gradually.
  • It may take up to 30 days for female cats to stop showing signs of heat.

If you believe your pet is experiencing an urgent post-operative complication, please immediately contact one of the following emergency veterinary clinics:

Ottawa Veterinary Hospital: 900 Boyd Ave., 613-729-6139

Ottawa Animal Emergency and Specialty Hospital: 1155 Lola St. #203, 613-745-0123

Please also notify us at 613-725-3166 ext. 201.

For all non-urgent questions, please contact 613-725-3166 ext. 201.
Please do not email with urgent concerns.