Hi all,

My cat got spayed today and seems to be dong well - I've tried to keep her in our spare room as we have another cat but as he's disappeared under the bed for hours and she's been scratching at the door I've let her out and she's wandering around. I bought a couple of pouches of bland food from the vet which she's shown no interest in but has just scoffed some normal food so I'm glad she's got an appetite!

I was quite surprised that the vet said to keep her buster collar on for 2 weeks - is this normal? I'm also worried about keeping her on her own in the spare room while we're asleep or out - won't she get bored or lonely?

Is there any other advice you'd give while she's healing?

i didnt do the collar - my vet said to try without & only put on if they lick the wound,
other people had them for 1 day or 2 - then see if they lick the wound.
again let mine have full run of house - theres things to jump on and off in every room!

My vet also said collars to be worn for 2 weeks, but it really broke my heart to watch how upset they were in the collars. Plus they couldn't eat with them on. So they only lasted a couple of hours. We had to put them back on occasionally when they wouldn't stop at the stitches but they soon got the message.

I did keep them in the room with me at night while I was sleeping - normally they get full run of the house.

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My vet said to keep them on the girls for 2 weeks - took them off at the vet check 2 days later - he gave me spares in case they worried their stitches but they were as good as gold and didnt need them

All three were also starving after getting home, and had a feast of roast chicken

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I put the collar on my cat after she was spayed,lasted all of 30 secs because she took off like a maniac bumping into chairs,table legs,etc.
Grabbed asap and removed it,she ate a bowl of food and went to sleep,boy cat was same after his castration,both shrugged it off like "yeah..whatever".
All down to cats temperment,etc i think.
Didnt bother my 2 at all yet I know other ppl who have had poorly cats for over a week.

No collar here either.

Watch your girl approx. 12 days, she should not be allowed outside the house during this period, you'll have to check her incision, to have a normal appearance (no leaks, bad odour, strange colour of the skin, no swelling - except for the first 2 days). Check her temperature, you usually can feel if she's too warm by touching her ears. The cat should gradually return to food and water within a day, she will start being playful even tomorrow. If she hides and does not eat, this is not a good sign. Usually everything is fine. But remember to have the vet's phone number with you and an emergency vet no, if needed at night time.

Oh, and be affectionate to her, she needs it and you'll build a more trusting relationship with her.

When we did that, I planned it for my holidays, to stay at home with her and watch her 10-12 days.

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Can I just add to this - both my girls were midline (on their tummies rather than their sides) - they both had small lumps under the incision site. The vet told me it was because the muscle had been cut, and it was normal, as long as the wound site is not red, weeping, or sore.
He pressed the lumps, and this caused no discomfort.
He said it can take up to 6 months for the lump to go, but both of mine are back to normal and were done on 16th Dec

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Yes, the incision line will be more solid for a longer period, when touched/pressed , but during the first 2 days the swelling is more prominent and this should not frighten the owner.

So you've recently gone through these emotions, too. Great to hear everything is fine, it's always a relieve when everything comes back to normal. I still haven't forgotten about my similar worries of 2 years ago

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