Cat acting weird after kitten neutered

My cat KC is acting very strage after my kitten Ozzie was neutered today. Obviously Ozzie is uncoordinated and acting weird himself thanks to the drugs and anasthesia, but KC (who is spayed herself) has been hissing at him since he came home.

She is also very interested in his "area" now and is doing the mouth breathing thing. They have been together for 5 months now so they are used to each other and other than the scrapping, they get along great. But it seems like she doesn't know who he is... does he have a different smell now or can she tell he is now 2 items short?

We're very surprised she is acting this way, is it normal or has anyone had a similar experience?

Welcome to TCS!!

What's happeing between your two is pretty normal. Cats recognize each other by scent, so Ozzie being at the vets office made him smell different and KC thinks he's a different cat invading his territory. One thing I've seen suggested here is the "vanilla trick". You dab a bit of pure vanilla extract on both of their chins and at the base of their tails. This will make them both smell alike and should stop the hissing from KC.

Originally Posted by cacathy13

She is also very interested in his "area" now and is doing the mouth breathing thing.

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Definitely it is the scent. The "mouth breathing" is actually a special kind of smelling that cats do which is called Flehmening. They are utilizing Jacobson's Organ to taste & smell at the same time.

Use Vanilla under their chins. Rub the kitten with a cloth and then rub mom with the towel so they get use to each other's scents again.

Oh yes, it's completely normal. Cats act this way toward one another if one or both of them have had a vet visit. It's because their smell has been altered, and they don't smell like themselves anymore. Your babe smells like a stranger to her feline friend!

I recommend taking natural vanilla extract (not artificial) and dabbing a dot on both of their chins and the base of their tail on their back. This will not only neutralize their scents, but also make them have the same smell, so there won't be anymore problem.

If this doesn't help, try separating them for a few days as well.

Let us know how it goes, ok?

Originally Posted by Chester&Piper

Welcome to TCS!!

What's happeing between your two is pretty normal. Cats recognize each other by scent, so Ozzie being at the vets office made him smell different and KC thinks he's a different cat invading his territory. One thing I've seen suggested here is the "vanilla trick". You dab a bit of pure vanilla extract on both of their chins and at the base of their tails. This will make them both smell alike and should stop the hissing from KC.

Click to expand...

Heehee...this'll teach me to read others' replies BEFORE posting something...I just posted the same exact reply!! I guess I'll leave it, but in the future I'll read others' replies first. Lol...what a dork!!

Originally Posted by katachtig

Definitely it is the scent. The "mouth breathing" is actually a special kind of smelling that cats do which is called Flehmening. They are utilizing Jacobson's Organ to taste & smell at the same time.

Use Vanilla under their chins. Rub the kitten with a cloth and then rub mom with the towel so they get use to each other's scents again.

Click to expand...

If you want to read more about Flehmening, check out the following link. Thought you might like to read more about it...I always do!

http://www.cat-olholics.com/flehmening.html

I would separate them for a day or so to let Ozzie recover, then do the mentioned vanilla trick.

Originally Posted by katachtig

Definitely it is the scent. The "mouth breathing" is actually a special kind of smelling that cats do which is called Flehmening. They are utilizing Jacobson's Organ to taste & smell at the same time.

Click to expand...

Ooh, Flehmening, is as cool as "Katachtig"!