Nervous about getting little mittens spayed

happyliz

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First of all I am so sorry if this is in the wrong place. Ok so my little mittens is about to be 4 months old. I know the time to spay her is getting near and the more I think and read about it the more nervous I get. I am just scared that something might go wrong after surgery or what if i cant take care of her properly? Could you guys give me advice as to how u properly take care of a spayed kitty? what do i have to do? and how do i prevent her from getting hurt such as jumping on the bed or on stuff? how was ur experience? 
 

Willowy

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I have had a LOT of cats and kittens spayed. Never had even one problem (well, OK, Pixie messed with her stitches and I had to put a sock on her tummy :tongue2:. But she's the only one who has even done that). Of course, it's important to find a vet you trust. If you want extra peace of mind, you can have bloodwork done to make sure she doesn't have any underlying health issues that could cause complications. I never have done bloodwork on a young healthy kitten, but it might make you feel better, at least.

As for aftercare, I've never tried to restrict their activity. I figure that they know what hurts. Just regular jumping shouldn't damage anything, but don't play hard jumping games for a while, and if you have another cat, try to discourage wrestling/kicking games. Depending on what kind of anesthetic your vet uses, she may or may not be dopey when you bring her home; if she is, keep her in her carrier or in one room so she doesn't stagger off the top of the stairs or anything. Once she's fully out of the anesthetic, you probably won't notice anything different at all---young kittens recover very quickly. You just need to keep an eye on the incision, and let the vet know if it looks red and weepy, or if she pulls on the stitches (I allow some licking to keep it clean, but if too much or if she bites them, put a baby onesie on her, or a tube sock around her belly so she can't mess with them). The vet should give you an aftercare sheet, and tell you what to look for. . .if not, ask for the information.

Remember that spaying her now is better than the complications that may arise if she isn't spayed, and spaying later in life is definitely harder on them! And we all get nervous about surgeries, of course, because we love our kitties :D.
 

ritz

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It is so very good of you to get her spayed, four months is just about right--before her first Heat.

She'll be fine (I know, easy for me to say!).  She'll be sleepy and 'out of it' when you bring her home.  If she throws up, that's kind of a normal reaction to the anesthesia.  She probably won't be too hungry.

I too was concerned about Ritz (female) jumping, and the vet won't want her to jump, either.  But tell that to a kitten!  Ritz sleeps with me, and I didn't want her to jump up onto the bed on her first night.  So, I slept on the floor with her.  (She was a little puzzled by the change of accommodations, but settled in nicely at her usual spot--between my legs.)  By the second day, she was jumping onto the foot stool and sofa so I let her sleep with me in the bed the subsequent nights.  (I can't pick her up so that wasn't an option.)

The vet may recommend a soft cone so Mittens can't scratch at the stitches.  That's really up to you and the behavior of  your cat; Ritz didn't bother her stitches except once or twice, and a soft 'no' stopped her.

What kind of stitches will the vet use--disposable ones.  Hope so.

Although rare, if there is a lot (some, is normal) of swelling or any smell around the incision, call the vet.  He'll give you a post-op instruction sheet with some other information.

A word about pain meds:  certainly she should have one during the surgery.  I was given Metacam to take home and give it to Ritz.  But Metacam can cause really bad reactions in cats.  And I knew the pain, hurt Ritz would feel would be temporary.  So I elected not to give her pain meds, and Ritz didn't seem like she was hurting.

PS:  you might look in the Health section for additional information.
 

franksmom

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You may want to look into getting a laser spay it has a much faster recovery rate. I am doing the laser spay with my Birman kitten. I am also very nervous about her surgery because the one health problem Birmans have is that they have problems with being put under. Because of this I am waiting until she is 7 months as both the breeder and vet suggest. I also have a set up in my house that every exit is enclosed with another door and the rule is that you cannot open the outside door unless the other door is closed, so we have never had a cat get outside.

Because your cat is probably not a Birman she should be fine at 4 months with a vet used to doing the surgery on cats younger than 6 months. Laser spay and pre surgery blood work will give you piece of mind. Also I agree with the above posters that spaying is the best thing you can do for her health.
 
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happyliz

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Thanks everyone!  I just saw a video on youtube on a kitty getting spayed 
After seeing it I must say i thought twice about doing it. Poor kitties! 
 

Willowy

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Well, surgery is never pretty :tongue2:. But if you want to scare yourself into having her spayed ASAP, check out a pyometra surgery or a mammary tumor removal. . .:eek:. Not to mention the risk of pregnancy. . .so look up a c-section video! Being female ain't easy! :lol3:
 
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wt1964

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You and Mittens will do fine.  It is the right thing to do.  The vet should tell you pretty much what you'll need to know.  She'll need to be confined for about a night and a day.  My girls were all spayed, and they have all lived long, happy and healthy lives.  Cats are very forgiving, and in a short time, Mittens will have no memory of it. 

 
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