I have a few stray / Feral cats in my area and I have decided to undertake getting them spayed, we trapped two today and they have had their surgery around 4 pm how long should I keep them contained before it is safe to release them back into the wild? I have 4 more trapped and ready to go to the Vet in the morning so I just want to make sure that I am doing this right and the cats will not get hurt. I had to release one already as she had just had a litter of kittens and I could not find them so I had to let her go so that she could go back to her kittens although I tried to follow her I still could not find her Kittens.
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How long should I keep a cat contained after spay / neutering
- Thread starter jue55
- Start Date
Welcome and it always makes me very happy to hear about others stepping up to trap/neuter feral cats. So, thank you. 
For that spayed momma, you did the right thing by letting her go once she had her faculities about her and if she is caring for kittens. Such a tough life and I always feel so much more stressed when I trap a nursing mother and it does happen. Usually you don't even know if it is a male/female or even a nursing female. If I do know ahead of time, I usually would let her lose and wait to spay her or try to trap her after the kittens are a bit older. But it is alright that she was spayed while nursing as that is one of the downsides to trapping feral cats.
I do hope that you can find and trap those kittens. Her milk will start to dry up soon as well from the spay.
Females are usually crated for at least 24 hours after a spay or longer if possible.
Males can be released the same night after they are fully recovered from the anesthesia, about 5 - 6 hours after you get home.
I usually will bring along a few cat carriers and have the vet put the females into the small carriers for transport home. That way I can put those small carriers with the female inside into a large dog crate with her necessities for the next day until she recovers. She usually won't leave that carrier anyway the whole time she is recovering but the option is there for her when it is dark and you are gone. Males can go back in the trap and recover in there for about 5 - 6 hours before you release.
For that spayed momma, you did the right thing by letting her go once she had her faculities about her and if she is caring for kittens. Such a tough life and I always feel so much more stressed when I trap a nursing mother and it does happen. Usually you don't even know if it is a male/female or even a nursing female. If I do know ahead of time, I usually would let her lose and wait to spay her or try to trap her after the kittens are a bit older. But it is alright that she was spayed while nursing as that is one of the downsides to trapping feral cats.
I do hope that you can find and trap those kittens. Her milk will start to dry up soon as well from the spay. Females are usually crated for at least 24 hours after a spay or longer if possible.
Males can be released the same night after they are fully recovered from the anesthesia, about 5 - 6 hours after you get home.
I usually will bring along a few cat carriers and have the vet put the females into the small carriers for transport home. That way I can put those small carriers with the female inside into a large dog crate with her necessities for the next day until she recovers. She usually won't leave that carrier anyway the whole time she is recovering but the option is there for her when it is dark and you are gone. Males can go back in the trap and recover in there for about 5 - 6 hours before you release.
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