Getting Nervous About Neutering

My boys are getting neutered later today.  They're supposed to be dropped off at the vet's office in a little over 3 hours.  I'm getting really nervous about it.  They're my babies and I don't want anything to happen to them.  Some reassurance would be nice.  They're about 5 and a half months old.  Vets where I live are a bit behind the times and won't spay/neuter until the cats are 6 months old or are starting puberty.  My boys have been getting a bit grouchy with each other, trying to establish dominance, so I was able to get the surgery moved up.  Connor is obviously the dominant one.  They're the same size (brothers from the same litter), but Connor is solid and muscular and Murphy is more soft, if you know what I mean.  Anyway, is there anything I should be worried about?

Also, I'm not taking them.  I'm making my boyfriend do it.  That way, they'll be mad at him, not me.  Then I can pick them up and I'll be the hero who rescued them and babies the hell out of them.

Neutering is a fairly minor procedure and quite safe.  Complications from the procedure are extremely rare.  Of course you are worried, but honestly, you should be reassured by how safe this procedure is.  And you are quite right that your boys will be much happier afterwards.

When they come home, your vet may or may not include some pain medicine.  My Milo came home without any and was fine - back to his normal self within 24 hours.  

Good luck!  And try not to worry!  

I can't help but worry.  I haven't slept all night because I've been snuggling them.  Yes, it's a minor procedure but most surgical complications are a result of anesthesia.  Because of that, even minor procedures can go wrong.

I worried like crazy when my son had to have surgery for hydroceles when he was a year old and that was a very minor, outpatient procedure.  It involved anesthesia, though.  I'm a worrier.  Can't help it.

I think you or someone else should go as well. Don't let your boyfriend handle both of them, if not you then someone else should go with him. The cats wont hate you, no worries.

What you should expect after the surgery:

They will sleep for at least 24 hours, maybe wake up to demand food or to go to the litterbox but that's it then go back to sleep. Don't worry if their tongue is out of their mouth for the first 2-3 hours or if they look "dead"...it is normal. Then they will wake up and sleep again, then they will wake up and do some personal business, they won't play though, don't expect them to. After 12 hours or so they will be able to wake up but they will be very sleepy still...

In the following 2 or 3 days they will sleep a lot but they will act normal most of the time and within 4 to 5 days they will be back to normal routine, just don't push them for a few weeks until they heal completely.

I've volunteered to TNR many feral cats and they were fine roaming outside as soon as they woke up from the 24 hours sleep. Most were female too, and females have a much bigger surgery, they still did well. I also worried a lot but honestly it is not worth it. You will love the results after this is all over, just make sure they have water and food available whenever they wake up.

My boyfriend has to leave in about 20 minutes to get them there on time for their appointment so we don't have time to fine anyone else to go with him.  My future step daughter is still asleep and it is REALLY not a good idea to wake her up before she's ready.  Haha

We have a carrier with a bed in it.  It was made to fit in the carrier and it's big enough for both of them.  They don't fight constantly.  They still groom each other and sleep together.  This is the kitty version of the teen years so they're having mood swings.  LOL.  And right now they're in sleep mode.  Murphy is in the crook of my arm stretched out along my side - he does that a lot - and Connor is next to me with a paw on my leg.

The vet is keeping them overnight.  Like I said earlier, our vets must be a bit behind the times.  I'm hoping they'll let me come by after the surgery to check on them.  I typed up a list of questions for my boyfriend to ask.

As for them being mad - Murphy won't be.  Connor will.  After both sets of shots, he gave me constant murder stares and refused to cuddle me for 2 days.

:lol3:

Alicia88 said:

Also, I'm not taking them.  I'm making my boyfriend do it.  That way, they'll be mad at him, not me.  Then I can pick them up and I'll be the hero who rescued them and babies the hell out of them.

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:lol3:

On a serious note, what @Margd and @The Catsage is correct. But I just want to add on a few more points. Just take precaution after when they use the litter box. Make sure that there's no litter or litter dust stuck on the incision (it's just a tiny slit, not very noticeable). If there are, wipe it off gently with a damp tissue. Also watch got foul smell or yellowish in pus. If there's smell or pus, it means the surgery site is infected. Don't come in here and ask what to do. Bring your kitty immediately to the vet.

It's such a minor procedure for male cats that they are only put under a light anesthetic. There is very little chance of anything going wrong.

One thing I would recommend is getting a carrier each to bring them home in. Even really good friends can be confused and disorientated after a trip to the vet. All the strange smells mean they don't always recognise each other and they might lash out if they are in the same carrier.

I'd recommend keeping them apart on the journey home and giving them a couple of hours in different rooms when you get them back. They'll need time to decompress. There's often a bit of hissing and growling until all the vet smells have worn off.

TabbyTom said:

On a serious note, what @Margd and @The Catsage is correct. But I just want to add on a few more points. Just take precaution after when they use the litter box. Make sure that there's no litter or litter dust stuck on the incision (it's just a tiny slit, not very noticeable). If there are, wipe it off gently with a damp tissue. Also watch got foul smell or yellowish in pus. If there's smell or pus, it means the surgery site is infected. Don't come in here and ask what to do. Bring your kitty immediately to the vet.

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Trust me, they will get straight to the vet.  Their regular vet puts his cell number on his answering machine and if there is a dire emergency, he will meet you at the clinic.  I wish he was the one doing the neutering.  They had an appointment with him in about 3 weeks, but they started hitting puberty a bit soon and their vet is on vacation this month.  So, I had to make an appointment with a different vet.  Which makes me even more nervous because I don't know this vet.

I had a lot of cats as a kid.  My mother let us take in any stray and never spayed or neutered them so we had kittens every spring.  We pretty much had a cat farm.  So, this is my first experience having cats neutered.

Honestly, I can't afford to get another carrier right now.  I was budgeting for their surgery next month, but like I said in the last post, I had to move it up.  And the vet I'm taking them to charges twice as much.  So I've really had to work to pull the money together and I'm flat broke.  We're gonna be eating Ramen for a while.

And, don't worry.  If anything does go wrong or they get infections or anything, I'm fully prepared to take a title loan out on my car to pay for the vet.

@Alicia88

So when exactly they are going got them sugery? Today or next month?

Alicia88 said:

 
And, don't worry.  If anything does go wrong or they get infections or anything, I'm fully prepared to take a title loan out on my car to pay for the vet.

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It's going to to be all right. It is a very simple procedure for a male cat. Much easier than for a female. 

They are not going to hate you. They do not know what that is. They may be slightly confused or scared a little by the vet visit and the new sounds/sights/smells but they do not hate. They love you now and they will love you after. They might be a little out of it after but that is normal. You are doing them a favor and it will be over before you know it. They will come home safe and sound and you can spoil and pamper them. 

Just sending you many good vibes!        Let us know how it all goes.  

TabbyTom said:

@Alicia88

So when exactly they are going got them sugery? Today or next month?

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Today.  Their appointment is in 2 minutes.

In post #11 you said you are budgeting for their surgery next month?

Never mind, keep calm and cool. Your boys will be ok.

Sending good vibes to you too

Good luck

TabbyTom said:

In post #11 you said you are budgeting for their surgery next month?

Never mind, keep calm and cool. Your boys will be ok.

Sending good vibes to you too

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I was.  But they started showing signs of puberty earlier than expected and I knew I needed to get them neutered before they started spraying because neutering doesn't always stop that if they're already started it.  That's why I'm so broke.  I was planning on having a few more weeks before their surgery, but I don't.  And since their regular vet is on vacation, I had to go with a different vet and the new vet charges twice as much for neutering.  So, I'm paying double what I expected a few weeks before I expected.

I'm sure there are low-cost spay/neuter programs in your area that you could have had them neutered for next to nothing.

Don't worry about your little guys, neutering is like a 2 minute procedure and the risk of infection is really low.

Pay attention to your kittens though if after 3-4 days all the sudden they seem lethargic. That would alert you to a possible infection, but again, for neutering is really unlikely.