After sterilization, the cat sleeps a lot and is lethargic, does not go to the toilet, the first hours after the operation

Care, help, diet

Fact 1:
The suture area can be treated with hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green or Levomekol ointment
Fact 2:
The filler should be purchased as soft as possible so that it does not cause irritation when it comes into contact with the suture area.
Fact 3:
If you want your pet to remain healthy after castration, exclude any fish from his diet.
Fact 4:
There is an interesting pattern: the more compassionate the owner, the fatter his cat after castration

Castration is not the most difficult procedure, but any operated cat needs careful treatment and care. This will help the mustache recover faster. The more vigilant the owner is during such a crucial period, the faster the cat will recover and begin a happy life.

How is castration performed?

The cat can be operated on at home or in a veterinary clinic - at the owner’s request. There is no difference, besides, in a home environment the cat will experience less stress than in an unfamiliar place. First, the cat doctor will examine the pet to make sure that the mustachioed patient is completely healthy and the risk of complications will be minimal.

If the veterinarian doubts anything, he will prescribe additional tests and examinations for the cat. Drugs in different veterinary clinics may differ in price and purpose. Depending on the cat’s condition, the doctor can offer the owner several options for preparatory injections and anesthesia itself. The most important thing is to administer anesthesia to your pet and successfully “turn off” his consciousness. The cat will not feel pain or discomfort.

The whole operation lasts no more than 5 minutes, and the cat lies with its eyes wide open. The doctor periodically closes his eyelids to moisten the conjunctiva. Dry eyes should not be allowed. First, the cat's surgical site is decontaminated, then a small longitudinal incision is made on the scrotum and the testis is removed in several stages. After the operation, a special treatment is performed: blood clots are removed and sprinkled with an antiseptic.

What consequences can there be for a cat after sterilization?

The cat requires special care in the first days. The animal is not able to move normally; if it falls, it may be injured, the suture will come apart, a wound will open, and postoperative complications will arise.

In the first days after sterilization, the following consequences are observed:

Lethargy, the cat sleeps constantly.
The temperature rises;
The pet does not go to the toilet.

After sterilization, a cat sleeps a lot and is lethargic: normal or pathological

Lethargy during the day is normal. However, if the depressed state lasts longer, the owner should contact the veterinarian. After surgery, the animal's mouth feels dry. After 3-4 hours, or when the cat wakes up from anesthesia, you can give it a few drops of water from a pipette.

Clean water should be placed near the feeder. You can't force feed.

In the second half of the day, you can give some granules soaked in water to a liquid pulp. However, nothing bad will happen if the animal goes hungry for 2-3 days.

Should you worry about rising temperatures?

Health status is monitored by measuring temperature. 38-39 °C is considered normal. Thermometers may have an error of 0.5 degrees. Minor hyperthermia can be explained by the individual characteristics of the body. However, an increase above 40 °C is an alarming sign.

An inflammatory process of bacterial origin develops. You should pay attention to how you feel and take thermometry after a few hours. If the temperature rises or persists, you should consult a veterinarian.

Be sure to read:

How to care for a cat after sterilization: blanket, diet, treatment and removal of sutures

The cat does not go to the toilet after sterilization

Before surgery, cats are not fed for at least half a day. If the owners violate the instructions and feed, the contents of the stomach are expelled during vomiting. For three days after the operation, the animal eats very little or goes hungry. If nothing gets into the stomach, then there is nothing to come out. Therefore, the absence of bowel movements in the first 3 days is explained by physiological reasons. But when your pet does not eat anything for more than three days, you should contact the clinic.

The problem of feeding cats fed natural food is that it is not recommended to change the set of components during the rehabilitation period, but at the same time, raw meat, legumes, fatty and starchy foods are prohibited.

Therefore, it is best to switch to specialized dry food for sterilized cats. During the period of recovery of the body, the granules are soaked. If the kitty ate ready-made food, it is also given in semi-liquid form and gradually, over the course of a month, it is transferred to a specialized product.

The fact is that cats' nutritional needs change. Motivation for physical activity disappears, and appetite increases after recovery. A cat gets fat from boredom.

Specialized low-calorie nutrition is designed to contain a lot of plant fiber. Consumption of such food leads to a feeling of satiety when consumed in moderation. And fiber (fiber) stimulates peristalsis and prevents the development of constipation.

Helping a cat in the first hours

The castration was completed successfully, and the cat is still sleeping. But you can start helping him now. In some clinics, the owner is offered additional useful services for administering an IV and recovering from anesthesia. The dropper helps the animal’s body cleanse itself of anesthesia toxins and restore the activity of brain vessels. The cat develops an appetite and a good mood faster.

Without a drip, the animal may refuse to eat for a whole day, not respond to the owner and behave strangely. It is important to carefully monitor the cat during the first hour, to be sure that the pet is breathing and is aware of at least something. He will need to continue to close his eyelids, or put antiseptic drops in his eyes. If the operation is performed at home, it is better to write down the number of the doctor who will leave immediately after the procedure. Reinsurance in this case will definitely not be superfluous.

Over the next 2-3 hours, the cat will recover from anesthesia and puzzle the owner with a variety of symptoms: vomiting, muscle weakness, severe thirst, loss of coordination. Gradually the manifestations will disappear. The cat will begin to close and open its eyelids on its own. But his body temperature will be very low. After the anesthesia wears off, your pet will feel pain in the surgical site. He may meow pitifully or show no sign at all. Refusal to eat and immobility are the main signs that an animal is in pain.

If the procedure was performed in a clinic, the doctor may suggest leaving the pet there for a day for better control. The owner must decide what is more important to him: the lack of stress for the pet or the guarantee of an ambulance if something goes wrong. Many owners still take the cat home, unable to suppress their pity. Sometimes such a decision turns out to be a big detriment for their pet. It is important that the owner performs the following series of actions:

The cat must be placed in a bed with warm bedding and covered with a piece of blanket.
Rest and isolation from other animals are required.
Your pet's ears and paws need to be rubbed, this will save you from chills.
A warm heating pad in the bed won't hurt. The cat will decide for itself how close to the heating pad to lie down.
If your pet decides to walk around the apartment, you need to make sure that he does not climb on high furniture. He still has too little coordination and little strength, falls are inevitable.

And be sure to buy painkillers recommended by the veterinarian. The silence of a cat is not a sign that he is not in pain.

general information

Let us note that some behavioral problems, as a rule, occur after surgical castration, since, despite the simplicity and speed of execution, it is a serious stress for the animal’s body. And the older the cat, the more pronounced this stress factor increases.

After castration, a kitten can run and play again within three to four hours. But an “aged” cat is physically unable to recover from the consequences of the operation at such a speed. So you shouldn’t be surprised when your pet, which you just brought from the clinic, sleeps “without its hind legs” all the time. It’s just that at this time his body is recovering, and there is no need to interfere with it.

By the way, how long does it take for an animal to fully recover from anesthesia? It is believed to take about three to four hours. After another 10-14 hours, the animal’s behavior becomes almost normal, but until then it almost always sleeps. Let us repeat that this is a completely normal phenomenon, and therefore there is no need to worry.

A particularly long period of recovery from anesthesia is typical for castration of cryptorchids. Let us recall that cryptorchidism is a pathology in which during puberty the testes do not emerge from the abdominal cavity into the scrotal sac of the scrotum. Such cats can only be sterilized through a rather complex abdominal operation. Only in very rare cases is it possible to stimulate temporary descent of the testis into the scrotum, when the organ is “caught” and standard surgical castration is performed.

Wound care

In summer, the chances of catching a dangerous infection are much higher, since warmth is a haven for bacteria. To avoid infection of your pet in the summer, he needs to undergo a 5-day course of antibiotic treatment.

It is also necessary to purchase a special collar for the cat that prevents the animal from licking itself. It would seem that licking wounds is characteristic of animals and usually helps them. But not in case of castration. A hard cat's tongue can remove stitches and introduce infection into the wound.

The suture area can be treated with hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green or Levomekol ointment. Every morning and evening, check the cat's groin area and check for bleeding or other suspicious phenomena.

Going to the litter box after castration

During this period, the cat's litter box should be filled with light-colored litter, so that unexpected drops of blood are clearly visible. The cat may refuse to visit the litter box for a whole day. There is no need to force him into the tray and force him to defecate. Remember, he is very weak and needs love and understanding.

The filler should be purchased as soft as possible so that it does not cause irritation when it comes into contact with the suture area. Some owners put small diapers on their cats, but experts consider this blasphemy. The cat is already in pain, and the friction of the diaper against the operated area with every movement causes unbearable discomfort.

If a cat has not relieved itself for several days – any need – this is a reason to take action. Vaseline oil inside helps a lot. If a small need is excreted in very tiny quantities, drop by drop, at first this is considered the norm. Within a week, everything will be restored, and after another month or two, the pet’s urine will no longer have such a pungent, fetid odor.

Causes of lack of appetite

There may be several reasons why an animal refuses food or eats poorly after castration:

pain after surgery forces the cat to refuse food, in this case he can be given painkillers prescribed by the veterinarian;
nausea that occurs after anesthesia usually goes away within two days. When the cat does not eat for 3-4 days, you must contact the clinic;
constipation due to intestinal dysfunction, which is provoked by anesthesia, may cause a lack of appetite in the animal. In this case, there will be additional symptoms: plaintive meowing, failure to go to the toilet, trembling of the cat’s backside;
the animal’s poor health and lack of strength also explain why the cat does not eat after castration.

Usually, after complete recovery, the pet’s appetite returns and he continues his active life. It is not recommended to change the diet; you should give the usual food, only in a softer form. Normal appetite may not return immediately, and if a cat begins to eat little after castration, this does not mean that he is sick. The cause may be manifestations of emotional and hormonal changes.

Diet of a castrated cat

If the mustache does not eat on the first day, there is no need to sound the alarm. Believe me, if you were him, you wouldn’t be in the mood for food either. But you need to provide your pet with plenty of fresh water. The cat should always have access to it.

A neutered cat soon develops a new hobby - food. The cat becomes an exquisite gourmet and glutton. He constantly begs the owner for treats, and he puts so much pressure on pity that it is impossible to resist. There is an interesting pattern : the more compassionate the owner, the fatter his cat after castration. And there is another pattern, but this is a sad one: neutered cats very often develop urolithiasis, and the more phosphorus, magnesium and calcium they eat, the higher this risk.

Important! If you want your pet to remain healthy after castration, exclude any fish from his diet. Better yet, put the animal on super premium dry food, not forgetting to provide it with plenty of drink.

How to ensure a comfortable awakening for your pet?

So, you or your veterinarian have made sure that the cat’s “hibernation” is not caused by anything serious, and therefore your pet will soon wake up. What needs to be done so that waking up does not become severe stress for the operated pet?

You need to follow the simplest rules (equally suitable for pets who have undergone other operations):

If possible, the cat should be brought home after the procedure. In familiar and comfortable conditions, your pet will recover much faster and will be less nervous.
It is advisable not to place your pet on a bed, sofa or anything similar. It may be impossible to predict the behavior of an animal after general anesthesia. The cat may jerk sharply and fall. Considering that his coordination of movements at this time is very far from perfect, with special “luck” he can even break his neck.
Place a bowl of clean drinking water in close proximity, but so that it is in direct view. If the bowl stands close to the cat's bed, but on the other side of his head, he may simply not see the drink.

Remember! Sleeping soundly after castration is completely normal in most cases. Be patient and wait until your pet wakes up.

When to see a doctor

If during the recovery period, and especially on the first day, your pet exhibits the following symptoms, calling a doctor is required:

heart rhythm disturbances;
poor breathing, wheezing;
swelling of the tongue, swelling of the eyelids;
unnaturally pale/too bright color of the mucous membranes.

When interfering with a cat’s nature, one must not leave the consequences to chance. After all, it was not the cat who was interested in the advantages of castration, but its owner. Provide your pet with peace of mind and tender care, then castration will remain in the memory of a bad dream with a happy ending.

When does hibernation indicate something is wrong?

Thus, a cat sleeping peacefully after surgery is the norm; in most cases, it is absolutely common. There's no need to panic. But still, in some cases it is necessary to call a veterinarian, and as soon as possible.

We list some situations in which a visit to the veterinarian will not be superfluous:

The breathing of a sleeping animal is unstable, intermittent, hoarse. Such signs may indicate both problems with the cardiovascular system and pulmonary edema. In any case, the sooner the veterinarian arrives, the better for your pet.
All visible mucous membranes become bluish, slightly swollen, and cool to the touch. These signs also indicate serious problems with the animal's cardiovascular system.
The cat has been sleeping for more than seven to eight hours, and during all this time there have been no signs of awakening.
Try pinching or pricking your sleeping pet with a pin. In cases where more than five hours have passed since the operation, but no reaction is observed in response to your actions, it would not hurt to call a veterinarian.