My Cat Acting Funny After Getting Nuetered

Your pet undergoing surgery is stressful enough. But how about caring for your pet afterward? What sort of cat behavior after surgery is normal, and when is there cause for concern? Learn more about what to expect, as well as tips on how to keep your cat from jumping after surgery.

Brown tabby cat lying sleepily on bed - cat behavior after surgery — Photo by Kazuky Akayashi on Unsplash

Prepare a recovery room

The best thing you can do for your recovering kitty is provide a calm, restful indoor environment. If you can't offer a dedicated recovery room, at least keep the following tips in mind:

Provide clean, comfortable, and easily accessible spots to sleep, such as cat beds, mats, or blankets on the floor.
Make sure that food, water, and the litter box are close by.
Don't allow other pets or small children to be around the recovering cat without supervision.
If possible, remove furniture, cat trees, or perches that would tempt your cat to jump before her sutures/stitches are healed. (Read on for tips on how to keep your cat from jumping after surgery.)

Cat behavior after surgery

Your veterinarian or vet tech should instruct you on what to expect of cat behavior after surgery. Still, it's good to have a general understanding of what is normal and when there's cause for worry.

What is (typically) normal

Of course, what's normal will usually depend on the severity of your cat's surgery. In most cases you can expect your cat to be groggy and lethargic from anesthesia for the first 12 to 24 hours. She may also be a little cranky or aggressive—basically feeling extra sensitive.

Furthemore, your cat may have a decreased appetite for a day or so following surgery. Provide your cat with smaller meal portions than usual for the first 24 hours to decrease the risk of nausea and vomiting.

If your cat had a tube placed in the trachea (windpipe) during anesthesia, she may develop a slight cough. This should diminish over the next several days.

What does a normal incision site look like? The skin surrounding your cat's sutures may be slightly red or pink in color. You may also notice some bruising a couple days after surgery. And for the first 24 hours, you may notice intermittent blood seepage from the incision site or sutures.

Speaking of, your cat may be tempted to lick or chew on her sutures following surgery. If you notice this behavior, you'll need to put an e-collar on your cat. If your cat was released from surgery already wearing an e-collar, don't remove it before your vet says it's okay to do so.

Tuxedo cat hiding under a blanket - cat behavior after surgery — Photo by Pedro Sanz on Unsplash

When you should be worried

Extreme behavior may be a sign that your cat is in a lot of pain post-surgery: This includes anything from hyper-aggression and continuous meowing to hiding and withdrawal. Contact your veterinarian if your cat displays any of these behaviors. Remember, if your cat requires pain medication following surgery, your vet will have prescribed it for you. Do NOT give your cat human pain medication such as Tylenol, Advil, or aspirin—these are highly toxic to cats.

If your cat is still acting very lethargic or isn't eating much 48 hours after surgery, contact your vet for advice.

Finally, keep an eye on your cat's incision site. Contact your vet or an animal hospital if you notice any unusual symptoms, including a small amount of blood seepage more than 24 hours after surgery; continuous or excessive blood draining; excessive swelling or redness; or unpleasant smells or discharge.

How to keep your cat from jumping after surgery

Do you have a particularly rambunctious feline? You may have trouble helping your cat or kitten rest (aka stay put!) before her sutures or other injuries are fully healed.

How to keep your cat from jumping after surgery mostly boils down to limiting her options. This means you may need to restrict your cat to one room in the house where there is no tall furniture or window sills that will tempt her to jump.

If such a room isn't available in your home, you may need to crate your cat for the time being. This solution obviously isn't ideal for your kitty—but the most important thing is to ensure your cat's recovery! Make sure to use a large carrier, such as a dog crate, so that your cat doesn't feel too confined.

It's best to be prepared for cat behavior after surgery. Now you know what is generally normal and when there's cause for concern. When in doubt, call your veterinarian if you have any worries at all.

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