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Post Operative Instructions

Your cat was spayed (female) or neutered (male) today.  Please follow these Post-Op instructions:

1.      Leave cat(s) in crate until fully awake.  This is for their own safety.  Drowsy cats can get severely injured, even if kept indoors, by simply falling off of a bed or other furniture.

2.      Keep your cat inside, warm and dry tonight.  If hungry your cat can have water and half the normal amount of food tonight.  Tomorrow, you can feed according to your cat’s regular schedule.  (If your cat is a kitten, she should be fed the normal amount tonight, at her regular feeding times).

3.      Do not give food or water until completely awake.  A drowsy cat can choke on or even inhale food or water.*

4.      If the cat is an indoor/outdoor cat, do not allow him/her outside until the following day. 

5.      Monitor the incision for signs of heat, pain, redness discharge, or odor.  Call the number below if any of these signs occur.  Please do not let the cat lick her/his incision.

6.      There are no sutures (stitches) to remove.

In case of a medical emergency related to this surgery please call your own veterinarian or our back up veterinarian at (225) 755-3838.  They will not be-able to assist you unless a medical emergency and related directly to the spay or neuter.

*If your cat is feral; 

7.      If the cat is feral (wild), do not release until the day after surgery.  Feral cats who are not completely recovered from anesthesia could suffer serious injuries or death due to their inability to defend themselves or escape from danger; be hit by cars or even falling from trees.

8.      Once the feral cat is released, he/she will probably hide for a day or two.  Continue putting out food as normal and he/she will return.

9.      Be sure to release ferals back into the area from which they were trapped. Releasing in any other area could result in starvation/dehydration when the cat attempts to locate his/her former home.  Cats can travel miles looking for their old home.   If the cat *must* be relocated please review Alley Cat Allies website; http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=334   to safely relocate feral cats.