Spayed cat is becoming even meaner with other cats.

[gibbly]

I'm at my wits end, seriously, and as much as I love her and as much money as I've just spent on her, I'm at the "finding her a new home" brain thinking of my decisions -_-

about a week ago I got my cat Paint Spayed, one for her health, (she had very short, irregular heat cycles) upon having her spayed the vet discovered she had an unusually immature reproductive tract. AND because she was becoming increasingly mean with the other two cats.

she had a bit of an upset after the surgery, got extremely sick, I took her to the vet and they put her on IV-fluids, gave her some anti-biotics and tube fed her to get some food into her stomach, kept her over night and the next day she had done a complete 360 degree flip, and was back to being normal (as normal as she ever was lol), So I brought her home.

HOWEVER, in the last couple days she's gotten increasingly mean with the other two cats, her sister Emry, who doesn't put up with it and promptly puts her in her place, and Finn, who she is terrorizing, because Finn does not fight back.

She's also been going at Emrys kittens, who are now 9 weeks old, particularly the two male kittens, which is a sore spot with Emry as well who goes after Paint, I'm afraid Paint is going to get hurt so soon after being spayed, but she HAS to stay in the basement now with the rest of us, because I live with my grandpa and he no longer wants my cats allowed access to the upstairs part of the house.

I was always told spaying CALMS cats down, not this cat. I know she's not in pain anymore because she runs and jumps and plays, she's just mean.

between spaying her AND the extra vet visit I am out 1,200$ on this cat, in the last week! so I don't wanna up and ship her down the road, but I have very little tolerance for this much upset, just when Emry and Finn were *kind of* starting to tolerate one another.

 

[Willowy]

It's only been a week, her hormones haven't had time to go down and are probably all haywire at this point, she's still in pain (even if she doesn't show it. . .anyone would be in pain one week post-op. And cats are particularly stoic). I really think she needs to be separated for a while. Hopefully you can find a way to give her some space to be alone and recuperate.

 

[ktlynn]

It's only been a week, her hormones haven't had time to go down and are probably all haywire at this point, she's still in pain (even if she doesn't show it. . .anyone would be in pain one week post-op. And cats are particularly stoic). I really think she needs to be separated for a while. Hopefully you can find a way to give her some space to be alone and recuperate.

I agree.

You don't mention whether or not  Paint was given pain meds.  Spaying is invasive surgery and it hurts.  Cats need pain meds for it, though for dubious reasons, some vets don't administer it.    Pain can make even the sweetest cat "mean" and from how you've described her, it sounds like Paint already had a somewhat sassy personality.

 Not sure why she got "extremely sick" after the surgery, so I'm wondering if there is some lingering problem.  If she's still out of sorts or stops eating/drinking you'll need to get her back to the vet to make sure there haven't been further complications.

 You mention the cats all being confined to the basement.  If they've previously had the run of the house, Paint may just be having a harder time than the others becoming used to this living arrangement.  Is it possible for just her to live upstairs to help alleviate the stress that she's feeling?  I'm guessing Finn ( and obviously Emry) is not neutered (hopefully you can do this eventually) so for now, being in the basement where they can't (I assume) escape outdoors is preferable.  At least Paint, who is now spayed, will not be in danger of becoming pregnant if she accidentally gets outside.

 

[gibbly]

Yes she was given pain meds, which she is still on.

the basement is half as big as the main part of the house (four open rooms), so space is not an issue.

as far as her getting sick, she was on the verge of death as a result of effects of anethesia (not in the mood to spell it right) stopped eating, stopped drinking, stopped moving ect, went downhill within a matter of days the vet himself said he was glad I brought her back in because a few more days, she would have been dead with how dehydrated she was.
 

My grandfather has given me the "keep them downstairs, or outside or get rid of them" option at this point (because I am renting the basement from him) and his own cat (an 8 year old, extremely mean, extremely grouchy (god I hate that cat) spayed female) is starting to act up and pooping on the floor.

Finn and Emry are not spayed, as after what happened with Paint, they will not be getting spayed any time soon, if ever. Simply am not going through this again.

 

[missymotus]

While her hormones can take time to settle, it's not unusual for entires and neuters not to get along or for the neuter to boss the entires around. Best to get them all fixed and then hormone levels won't be a factor.

She needs to be apart for at least a week to recover from her surgery and complications. 

I'd suggest finding a more competent vet, allowing your cats to continuously cycle through heats is very bad for their health.  Did you get any pre-op blood work done? Since you've got cats inbreeding that could be why they're reacting badly and their organs aren't formed properly, also the type of anaesthetic used can make a difference but I'd be getting bloods done first on the other cats, then spaying which is better for their health. 

 

[eb24]

I agree with what all the other posters have said. 

Paint needs as much quiet time and space to herself as you can give her so that she can rest and recuperate. Also, you don't want her roughhousing with the other girls to rip her stitches. Perhaps you can confine her to the bathroom if the upstairs is now off limits? Even with her pain meds she's likely in a lot of discomfort. And, so soon after surgery her hormones are all out of whack and it will take some time before she settles down again. Given all the changes that have happened in such a short amount of time it's not surprising that she is acting out. Be patient with her and try to give her the space she needs- she will settle down again soon. 

It does sound like her reaction was to the anesthesia, and dehydration is common after spaying. Do you know what they gave her? This bad experience should not deter you from having Emry and Finn spayed- I would just be certain they use a different anesthesia (go to a different vet if you have to). MM is right that altered females tend to become dominate over un-altered ones so in order to keep the peace and maintain the hierarchy you need to have them all done. View Paint's surgery as the one to learn from and try to adjust for the other girls. Also, buy some rescue remedy to give to them right after surgery- it really does help give them a boost. 

If you think about it, having Paint spayed was a very big blessing. Given how small and underdeveloped her uterus was (underdeveloped organs are a common sign of inbreeding) a pregnancy very well could have killed her. While the surgery was unpleasant and costly, that's nothing compared to what it could have been had she had complications from a pregnancy. 

Overall I think you handled the situation really well and did the right thing taking her back to the vet. I know it sucks to be out so much money and that it was a scary expeinrece but don't let that deter you from doing the responsible thing and having Emry and Finn fixed as well. Not only will it restore order among your girls but you will have the peace of mind knowing there will be no more unintended litters! 

 

[orientalslave]

It is very unusual for cats to react badly to spaying.  Not sure if it is co-incidence with Paint or if she has pain that's not being managed (presumably she had a mid-line incision) or if something else is going on.

I don't think you've said how old Paint is.  Younger cats often bounce back from neutering far better than mature cats.

I second all the suggestions to get all your cats spayed.  Unspayed cats are at risk from pyometra which is an often-fatal infection of the uterus, and the longer they are left unspayed the more at risk they are for breast cancer - spaying a cat before

However it might be that she is never, ever going to get on with your other cats.  Maybe you have one cat too many (or even more than one) for the space you have.  They might not agree with you that there is 'plenty of space', and there may not be enough of the really important types of space - high places, places to hide, places to sleep, litter trays, food, water etc.

Finally, what happened to make your grandfather not want your cats in the rest of the house?  The effects on his cats? Something else?  A mix of things?

 

[gibbly]

 Since you've got cats inbreeding that could be why they're reacting badly and their organs aren't formed properly

I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about since Paint and Emry weren't born here, niether was Finn. So I don't know if they're inbred or not, the only thing I know is that I found them as tiny kittens in a store parkinglot, and I know that they are sisters, because I saw the mother and and the rest of the litter.

As far as paint getting pregnant, the vet said it was very unlikely that she even could have, because she most likely would not have ovulated with the matings. Her longest heat cycle was was 2 days, which is not normal, the last one she had before getting spayed was just a couple of hours. Weird little cat indeed, doesn't make sense that Emry is normal and Paint in not though. I dunno.

right now I don't have the money to get anybody else spayed and so it'll probably be a while before I can afford such. 1,200$ was a wee bit much and drained me financially for quite a while, but anything for one of my cats as far as I am concerned.

As I said, my grandpa has given me options, he's tired of my cats eating his cats food,  and his cat doesn't get along with anything that breathes, so *shrug* she has pooped in the middle of the kitchen and pretty much any other room almost every day for 2 weeks. He said so long as he doesn't have to see them and they are kept clean he doesn't care how many cats I have.

As far as dominace goes Emry is, and always has been at the top, and does not hesitate to let the other two know it, especially since she had the kittens. Paint has always been under her, and Finn being the new girl is at the bottom, she is a very stubborn, but very passive cat, she tests her luck constantly with Emry and only gets mean when she HAS to.

 

[callista]

That's really a lot of money for a spay. Please do check around--call some more vets, ask if they have options for low-income cat owners. Start saving up now, of course, but I'm pretty sure you can get it done for way less than $1200. In the long run, neutering cats will absolutely save you money.

I think missymotus was referring to the malformed uterus and irregular heat cycles as a sign of inbreeding; there's a good chance that your cats' parents were brother and sister. It's important to get such cats spayed because of the risk of health issues, especially because they may not survive a pregnancy.

 

[gibbly]

ALl of the vets around here charge just to walk in the door, then there is the actual check up, shots if they need them (Paint did not) then the spay.

to take Paint to the vet the first time it was 60$ to walk in the door, 180$ for the checkup, 350$ for the spay,50$ for pain meds. then to take her back another 60$, then a total of 200$ for the IV fluids, and feeding tube,they WERE nice enough to shave off the overnight fee and anti-biotics which would have cost me atleast another 200$ not the cheapest vet in the world but the only one I trust
 

 

[callista]

Wow. Are you sure that every single vet in your area is that expensive? What about the Humane Society--do they help people with spay/neuter? I know I got Tiny done pretty cheaply because at the time he was thought to be feral, and I was low-income; the Humane Society helped with that, and then he started letting his domestic side show and I just didn't have the heart to release him back into the colony...

Sure, you couldn't get a feral rate, but there have to be some people who can help you get a discount somehow. All you have to do is look around TCS a bit to see how much we care about making sure cats get their shots and their spay/neuter, because many of us have seen the reality of short-lived ferals, unwanted kittens, and overcrowded shelters firsthand. Cat people really do care about helping you and your cats get the medical care they need. Don't give up on looking for it. Besides--they need their yearly rabies shots, right? You're going to have to find a vet who can do at least that much without charging you $60 just to walk in the door.

 

[gibbly]

As i said, they are the on' vet I trust, and no I'm not just gonna toss my cat at the humane society and say "here, cut it's organs out plzkthnks" besides that, our local shelter is a joke, they have put cats up for adoption before who already HAD a home(happened to a friend of mine, he took his cat to the humane society to be spayed, they put her up for adoption because "they were positive" he said he was giving the cat up >.>), they spay at 6 weeks, which IMO is WAY too young. as far as low cost spay and nueter clinics? do you know how many cats go in and out of those places? desease city, no thanks
 

 

[ritz]

The low cost clinics where I live do a lot of s/n, so they are the most experienced and the most equipped to handle weird, unusual cases.  Because of limited space (and in some cases zoning laws or informal agreements with vets who fear competition), some clinics can not keep a cat over night so risk of exposure to disease is limited.

I'd take an experienced clinic anytime over a vet just out of school.

Yes, six weeks is a little young, although where I live it is two pounds or two months (I've TNRd 35 cats in two years) to do a s/n safety.

 

[Willowy]

Personally, I think a spay/neuter clinic probably has less risk of disease transmission than a full-service vet's office. Vets usually have sick cats there for treatment, s/n clinics don't. I've had nothing but positive experiences with s/n clinics but of course every clinic is different so it would depend. Usually they're better at spay/neuter than anyone else since they do it so often. If the HS has a tendency to keep animals, I probably wouldn't use them, though!

 

[stealthkitty]

Other factors against your local shelter aside, even if they do s/n cats at 6 weeks, no one says you have to take yours in so young, right? If so, that's a moot point.

 

[eb24]

 they have put cats up for adoption before who already HAD a home(happened to a friend of mine, he took his cat to the humane society to be spayed, they put her up for adoption because "they were positive" he said he was giving the cat up >.>), 
 

I agree with what all the other posters have said. Humane Societies/Shelters do have the most experience at doing these types of surgeries. 

I understand your fears about them putting one of your cats up for adoption if you feel they have a habit of doing that. This is easily worked around by drafting a contract with them. Just write on a piece of paper that XX is your cat and is only being dropped off to be altered. After the surgery she is to be returned to you. Include a detailed description of her coloring/markings. Then, make sure the shelter manager OR vet performing the surgery signs it. Make two copies, one for them and one for you, and you shouldn't have any problems. In theory you should have to sign consent paperwork anyway which can fashion as a similar document. Just read the whole thing carefully to make sure you are not relinquishing your rights to the cat and ask questions if you have to. 

If anything does go awry then you have documentation to take to the authorities to get your cat back. 

 

[sashasmama]

I just want you to know I understand 100 percent and dealt with and still dealing with the same thing. I have posts out there about my situation and progress. I had my maincoone spayed an emergency surgery and she became soooo mean I wanted to rehome her. Sprays didnt work and it took 4 weeks for drugs to work. I am now in month 3 and she has calmed but the others that she attacked (her sister and another) hiss at her and run away. The fighting has stopped but this is hard and frustrating and I get it I didnt think my house would ever get back to normal...but it has and yours will also.

 

[minka]

Yup, she sounds like she's in pain. This kind of reaction isn't normal.
I don't see the problem with taking your other two cats to a s/n clinic, but if you are that worried, why not just expand your range for vets? All the vets in your whole state can't be bad.

 

[gibbly]

Yup, she sounds like she's in pain. This kind of reaction isn't normal.
I don't see the problem with taking your other two cats to a s/n clinic, but if you are that worried, why not just expand your range for vets? All the vets in your whole state can't be bad.

Then there is the problem of my gas-gussling car, besides, I won't travel out of my area JUST to get a cat spayed, spaying is not important to me, I only got Paint spayed because I was worried about her reproductive health anyway, no cat I've ever had has only had heat cycles lasting just a couple hours, so that worried me.

 

[minka]

Then there is the problem of my gas-gussling car, besides, I won't travel out of my area JUST to get a cat spayed, spaying is not important to me, I only got Paint spayed because I was worried about her reproductive health anyway, no cat I've ever had has only had heat cycles lasting just a couple hours, so that worried me.

Shouldnt you be worried about pyometra and breast cancer? Not too mention it may mean your cats will never get along, will always call and will always want out and attract male cats to your home...