Help - kitten just been spayed !

My 5 old kitten has just come home from being spayed. We were told she would eat then she''d be sleepy and drowsy for the rest of the day ! Well she's come back full of beans which is great but I'm worried as she is still jumping up and off the furniture ! And she is finding different ways of knocking off her neck ! There is no way she is keeping that on her head for 10 days !!! The vet said some oeople put a baby's grow / suit on their kitten to cover the wounds ! Has anyone else done this ? We will need to work out how she can go in the litter ! She seems to have calmed down but how is she going to sleep with that thing round her neck ?

In my experience, it can take up to three days for all the surgery medications to leave their system (longer if you are using pain medications). I know with my boy he tends to get extremely grumpy and moody for that time period so the high energy sounds marginally better, lol. 

Cats learn to sleep, eat and drink with the cone on. We actually made a custom one and trimmed it down to just short enough that he couldn't get at spots for one cat who seemed to need the collar every few months. However, I haven't used the cone on any cat for a few years. If you don't give pain medication then the cat feels when it hurts and is less likely to do movements that hurt or mess with it; again, personal opinion and experience. The way I see it the cat doesn't know they had surgery and doesn't realize they have a healing wound without feeling it. As long as they aren't showing classic cat pain signs, like not eating and extreme hiding, I don't use pain medications. I don't take pain medication much myself either unless it is too much to deal with. For example I didn't take any when all four wisdom teeth were removed, so I am not being cruel to my cats and do get take home pain meds every time.

The baby shirt is a good alternative and I think someone recently posted about a sock shirt too. My girl didn't get any sort of collar or shirt though when she was spayed and she healed beautifully. I kept an eye on her the first 48 hours and would cover her wound with my hand any time she tried to go for it. After a few times she stopped trying to mess with it. I didn't give her pain medication at home and she didn't show any normal cat signs of distress or pain while healing. 

She's jumped up in her basket and has found a way to rest ! Poor thing looks so sad

She's going mad this morning ! We have trimmed down the cone a little but she is trying to pull it off with her two front paws and is rolling around angry! Bet she wonders what is going on ! She doesn't know she's had an operation ! We tried butting a baby best on her but she managed to wriggle out of it 8 more days and she can have it taken off ! God knows how she's going to cope

Does she have internal or external stitches?

I think both which will dissolve! The vet rang this morning to see how gracie was feeling ! I told her she is struggling with the cone and we have cut it down a bit ! She said important to keep on her ! Gracie's going back on tuesday for her 3 day check up so they will check stitches ! I'm worried as have to work tomorrow ! My partner has to now work too until lunchtime ! I'm just hope she's ok ! She's sleeping on my legs now

daisyD said:

I think both which will dissolve! The vet rang this morning to see how gracie was feeling ! I told her she is struggling with the cone and we have cut it down a bit ! She said important to keep on her ! Gracie's going back on tuesday for her 3 day check up so they will check stitches ! I'm worried as have to work tomorrow ! My partner has to now work too until lunchtime ! I'm just hope she's ok ! She's sleeping on my legs now

Click to expand...

If she has internal stitches I would take the cone off. It's not worth it if she's making her crazy.

There are alternative cones that you can find in pet stores. You can get a cone that's the same idea as what she has now but it's a nice soft material. (Some vet clinics actually have these) or you can get something that's an inflatable collar that's so wide they can't turn their head back far enough to lick. Or you can buy shirts meant for covering surgery sites. Apparently you can also cut a tube sock and slide that over their body.

As far as the energy I know how you feel. When my cat got neutered he was supposed to be quiet but he ended up breaking the screen out of the window, jumping out, and then taking off for two days. That's not being sleepy!

For her a spay is a more serious surgery so if you could try to keep her in an area without a lot of tall furniture so she can't jump and harm herself that would be a good idea.

Yeah was going to but vet scared me ! Said keeping a cone on for 9 days is better than her having to have an anesretic again if gets infected! I feel guilty as she didn't ask for to be spayed and doesn't know what's going on ! I rushed to have it done before she was over 5 months as didn't want her experiencing going into heat. ! Feel cruel now

daisyD said:

Yeah was going to but vet scared me ! Said keeping a cone on for 9 days is better than her having to have an anesretic again if gets infected! I feel guilty as she didn't ask for to be spayed and doesn't know what's going on ! I rushed to have it done before she was over 5 months as didn't want her experiencing going into heat. ! Feel cruel now

Click to expand...

Your vet is right, but the majority of cats leave their stitches alone. Try taking it off while you can supervise and see how it goes. Your vet is always going to be cautious. She can lick the stitches a bit, but don't let her pull at them with her teeth.

talkingpeanut said:

If she has internal stitches I would take the cone off. It's not worth it if she's making her crazy.

Click to expand...

Even with internal stitches, there is either some skin sutures, or surgery glue holding the outer skin in place. Until that is healed she can pick at it and pull it apart. It's not worth the second surgery if something happens.please keep the cone on or at least some forms of protection.

Maddies Momma said:

Even with internal stitches, there is either some skin sutures, or surgery glue holding the outer skin in place. Until that is healed she can pick at it and pull it apart. It's not worth the second surgery if something happens.please keep the cone on or at least some forms of protection.

Click to expand...

I disagree. Many cats leave their stitches alone except for some licking. Many don't pick and bite. The OP can see how her cat does.

talkingpeanut said:

I disagree. Many cats leave their stitches alone except for some licking. Many don't pick and bite. The OP can see how her cat does.

Click to expand...

It's totally ok if she takes it off and watches very closely. But I strongly don't reccomended taking it off and leaving her alone. I work in clinic and I have seen many cases of animals coming in for surgery after surgery because the cone was taken off. There are even reported case of animals opening the outer sutures, then the inner sutures and continuing into the abdomen.

Thank you both ! She's attenping to go for it with the come on so can't risk without it ! I think my partner trimmed the cone a bit too short as he wanted her to be comfortable ! Glad the vets check Her again on Tuesday ! They can have a look then ! I will look for a better cone online now ! She's sleeping again now !

daisyD said:

Thank you both ! She's attenping to go for it with the come on so can't risk without it ! I think my partner trimmed the cone a bit too short as he wanted her to be comfortable ! Glad the vets check Her again on Tuesday ! They can have a look then ! I will look for a better cone online now ! She's sleeping again now !

Click to expand...

The initial grooming is to get the smell of the vet off of her. I would let her lick a little, but watch her and make sure she doesn't start to chew at the stitches.

Well last night was fun ! We put a comfy bandage over the wound as she looked so upset and depressed ! Took cone off as thought she's be okay ! She went quiet and noticed she's only managed to wriggle out of it without us seeing ! Had to chase her around the bedroom to put cone back on her ! She then got her paw stuck in the cone as was trying go pull it off nearly strangling herself ! She's has to go to work with my partner this morning in her carrier as I can't leave Her on her own ! Needless to say she is not talking to us both anymore ! Got the hump !

She is so unhappy ! Just lays there and won't even look at me ! Will she ever forgive me ? She doesn't know why she has a silly cone round her neck

daisyD said:

She is so unhappy ! Just lays there and won't even look at me ! Will she ever forgive me ? She doesn't know why she has a silly cone round her neck

Click to expand...

It will be okay. Cats have short memories when it comes to something like a cone. She will forgive you probably a week after it comes off. 

Oh god ! Never had a cat before let alone a fiesty kitten ! I thought she was really ill just now but she jumped up when She noticed I had some egg! She's walked off now and gone the other side of the room ! I feel upset !

daisyD said:

Oh god ! Never had a cat before let alone a fiesty kitten ! I thought she was really ill just now but she jumped up when She noticed I had some egg! She's walked off now and gone the other side of the room ! I feel upset !

Click to expand...

Cats are fairly good at showing their displeasure but quickly forget it when it suits them. My little girl will yell as if you are poking her with hot pokers if you dare to even try to pick her up. She will storm off and glare at you from the other side of the room indigently so you know what a foul action you tried. But the second she hears the pop of the cat treat jar you are her bestest friend in the whole wide world again. My boy on the other hand rarely shows any emotion and is stoic even when he is in extreme pain which is a nice counter when the girl wants to be a drama queen. 

Don't take it personally. It means that some of how she is acting is just play acting because she is trying to get you to react so she likely is handling it better than you think. Makes it a challenge to try to figure out what is real and exaggerated sometimes.