Conference misery::feline_v1

Hi Y,

Here's some of that reassurance you were asking for.

We took Hemi in about a month ago to be spayed.  She even had to stay overnight
(standard procedure at our vet).  And she was fine when she came home, she just
looked a bit silly :-).  Now that her fur is growing back and the stripes are
all matching up (how do they know to do that? :-)), things are back to normal.

Bill just made appointments to get CJ and Penny spayed, so we're looking
forward to the same thing in duplicate now.  So, it couldn't have been THAT bad
:-) :-)

Jill

    Thanks for the reply! I know I'm being silly, and I'm doing it for her,
    so she won't have to go into heat or anything like that. It's just I've
    never had a kitty be THAT calm at the vet before. At least not on the
    SECOND trip!
    
    I'll let everyone know how she's doing tomorrow, and how silly she
    looks with no hair on that fat little belly! I was surprised they
    didn't want to keep her overnight myself, but they said she could come
    home tonight. I'm just as glad though. She doesn't really like to be
    closed in a cage. I'll just leave her in her carrier and open the door,
    so she can come out when she wants to.
    
    I'm sure she'll be as bonkers as ever in a few days! Thanks again for
    making me feel better!
    
    
    Y

    Don't worry she'll still love you....but she might not show
    it too much tonight.   I'm sure she'll be a bit groggy and want
    to sleep alot.   But in the morning....I bet she'll have her motor 
    box going again!!!
    
    For as many times as I have gone through this with the kids...I
    still get so nervous!!!  Hang in there...she'll be fine!!
    
    Sandy
    
    
    

    :-)
    
    Don't worry don't worry don't worry don't worry...  :-)
    
    But I know that you will.  My three just got spayed Friday and I
    was very concerned for one of them because she has problems with
    an ongoing cough/wheezing and there was concern for the anesthesia
    (sp?) and her coming out of it with no problems.  But all was well,
    and I'm sure that Furby will be too.  For a few days she will be
    sore, as mine were and still are, but that will pass.  She will
    be happy to see you, she will be thrilled to come home and sleep,
    and if you really MUST, you can bring her little tidbits of food
    so she won't have to walk far, and give her lots of hugs and
    love.
    
    So put your mind at rest about her still caring for you because
    she will not associate you with the operation at all.  She will
    probably associate you with her RESCUE from the place.... :-)
    But Dr's Patil (husband and wife team) are very concerned with
    the animals and treat them like they are their own.
    
    Nice people!
    
    Nancy
    

    Thanks again!
    
     I'm just waiting for 4:30 to come around so I can call and check. I'm
    trying to wait, so I don't interrupt them from other pets. I can't wait
    to see her!
    
     Nancy, thanks for putting it that way! She'll associate me with
    rescuing her! I like that thought! :-) I'm sure she'll be a little
    hungry later on. She's such a glutton! She's just 6 months old and is
    already over 6 pounds! Feendoonie is over a year now, and is just over
    6 pounds. She's petite like a Siamese. Furby is built like a Maine
    Coon. She's gonna be a big one!
    
     Thanks again for your replies. I feel a lot better. Especially since
    the time is drawing near to go get her and bring her home!
    
     Nancy, you're right about them caring for pets! They treat them better
    than some doctors treat poeple! I like that too!
    
     I'll let you all know tomorrow how she's doing.
    
     Not-quite-so-worried-now
    
     Y

    According to the directions I get from my vet, cats aren't supposed to
    be fed except very lightly (some water, a small but of food) for awhile
    after being anesthisized. 
    

    She might not eat though!  My three wouldn't touch food for 24 hours.
    In fact, at my vet they recommended not feeding them for at least
    8 hours, as there was the possibility they would throw it up.  In fact,
    that is exactly what happened to Suki, and she didn't even eat for
    over a day!  So I guess it takes longer for some to recuperate that
    it does for others.  The vet told me that for that first nite just
    let them have ice cubes they could lick (even water could cause
    problems if given too much of it).
    
    Most likely, little Furby will just want to sleep, so get a little
    bed ready with a comforting old toy.  I made sure the house was warm
    so they wouldn't get cold (no one said they would be, but I thought
    that with all the shaved belly and just coming out of an operation,
    they might have a tendency to get chilled).
    
    Good luck playing "mom to the rescue."
    
    :-)
    
    Nancy

    Guess the vet has never licked an ice cube!! 8^D
    
    Jo

    Just got Onxy home from being neutered the other day and my
    instructions were:  no food until the next morning and a shallow
    tray of water also until the next morning.
    
    He was pretty groggy and didn't seem interested in eating or 
    drinking anything anyway.  Poor guy hadn't eaten since 10pm the
    night before surgery.
    
    Jan

    I remember when I brought my cat to get his front paws declawed and
    neutered at the same time.  I really thought he'd hate me.
    
    So, when I went to pick him up it felt like I was picking up a child
    I had left at a grocery store.  I felt terrible.  Every time I went
    around a corner I could hear this "MMMMMEEEEEEOOOOOOWWWWWWW" coming
    from the back seat.  I think it was kitty swears by the tone of it.
    
    He was fine though.  I doted over him for a long time after that.  
    
    b

    Actually, somehow I missed the vet's instructions the first couple of
    times Sweetie was anesthisized (I think his elderly receptionist was
    supposed to give me the paper and didn't think of it), so I had no idea
    I should withhold food, and Sweetie inhaled his dinner immediately,
    with no ill effects, each time.
    

    re: .8
    
    Yes, Jo, I agree!  Licking an ice cube straight out of the little
    tray could potentially be a sadistic experience!  When I was small
    I put my tongue to something icy only to have the painful lesson
    taught that you may leave half your skin behind!  :-)
    
    Jeesh, and here I was thinking I was doing my kitties a favor last
    Friday!  They did look at me sort of funny when I put down their
    water dish full of ice cubes...    ha ha ha
    
    Nan

    Sunny ate and drank when we brought him home as if nothing had
    happened.  (literally)  
    
    On the other hand, I just had an experience with a co-worker and
    her cat that bears relating.
    
    The cat had been declawed quite a while ago and enough of the nailbed
    had been left to cause a problem.  He had to undergo surgery again to
    have the rest of the nailbed removed.  He came home on amoxicillin.
    He drank plenty of water but ate nothing.  THe surgery was last
    Tuesday or Wednesday.  I was talking to the kitty's mom on the
    following monday and he still hadn't eaten anything.  I urged her
    to call her vet immediately.  Sounded to me like he was having a 
    reaction to the amoxi and that's exactly what was happening.  The
    vet told her to take him off the amoxi immediately.  
    
    I told the woman that not eating is a danger sign and that she should
    always call the vet for that.  She said she wasn't surprized when
    he didn't eat for the first 24-48 hrs after surgery and then it was
    Friday and they were closed.  Apparently, she didn't realize that 
    most vets have some sort of after hours coverage.  
    
    Well, now she knows for future reference.  As far as I know the cat
    is recovering nicely now.
      Nancy DC
    

    Hi all!
    
     Thanks for all the messages!
    
     The vet did tell me not to feed Furby until 10:00 last night. She was
    so groggy when I got her home, I figured she wouldn't even be thinking
    of food. WRONG! She almost beelined it for Feendoonie's bowl! (Well a
    zig zag beeline anyway! ;-)  ) I had to pick the bowl up to keep her
    out of it. She didn't throw up, but she only got a couple of bites
    before I picked it up.
    
     She went to sleep under a chair for a few hours, and then came in on
    my bed, where Feendoonie proceeded to give her an all o ver bath to get
    the VET smell off her! It was so cute! She started wrestling with
    Doonie when she had had enough of a bath. Sh ewas purring and doing
    squishy eyes the whole time though.
    
     She slept with me most of the night. (I didn't sleep much, cause I
    didn't want to hit her belly) She ate like a pig this morning, and best
    of all! Just like everyone said, SHE STILL LOVES ME!
    
     I'll keep you all posted on her progress. Thanks to all for being so
    thoughful to a worried mom! I truly appreciate it! I LOVE this file!
    
    
    Love,
    
     Y

Hi Y,

I'm glad things worked out so well for you and Furby.

My youngest two, CJ and Penny are at the vet's now to be spayed.  Bill
made the appointment, and I hadn't been sure if it was this week or next.  I'm
waiting for 2:30pm, which is when I can call and check on them.

Again, our vet will keep them overnight, which I realized today was probably
best for everyone.  It was hard enough last night and this morning putting
everyone on food and water restrictions (easier than separating them, since
it wasn't for too long).  Also, in case Hemi wants to play rough (which
she does more than the others) when they come home, at least they'll have
a fighting chance :-)

Is it 2:30 yet? :-)

Jill

    Jill...
    
    I'm sure CJ and Penny will be fine...and atleast they are
    together.   It's almost 2:30!!!!!
    
    Let us know how they are doing!!
    
    Sandy

    Hi Jill,
    
     I know what you are going through! Like sandy said, at least they have
    each other for company while they are there. 
    
     Furby is doing great! I couldn't believe how small the incision is
    compared to Feendoonies though!. I'm glad, cause that means less of a
    scar when she's in her bikini next summer! ;-)
    
     Let us know how your kids make out. One more hour, and you can make
    that call! Be honest on how much BEFORE 2:30 you actually make the
    call! ;-) 
     
     Y (who-can't-wait-to-get-home-to-see-Furby)
    

Well, I actually waited til a little after 2:30 before calling :-) but not much.
Our group goes down to the cafeteria for junk at 2:30, and it wasn't quite time
to call yet :-)

They're fine, of course.  I'm sure they would have called if there were any
complications, but you just have to hear those words, you know? :-)  I'm sure
you all understand. :-)

We have to get the three of them on video this weekend; Hemi with her month old
not-so-bald-anymore spot, and the two little ones with their really-bald
spots :-).  And Y, don't worry, the scar definitely won't show when Furby wears
her bikini.  Hemi skinny dips all the time (bathtub, sink, etc..) and you
can't see the scar. :-)  She doesn't usually stay still long enough to look for
it under the fur, either. I was also surprised to see the opening was so small
when she came home (and the shaved spot was so big!)

Gee, maybe if they shaved the two differently we can tell them apart :-) :-)

Thanks for all the help.  It's gonna be real quiet at home tonight, though :-(.
CJ and Penny are the big noise makers in the clan.  Hemi uses the silent and
swift approach, and Tigger just has to make one peep and we do whatever
he says :-).

Jill

    Boy, I remember when I dropped Mittens off to be declawed.  I made
    sure he had all his toys and his favority fuzzy toilet seat cover
    to remind him of home.  They were going to have him a few extra
    days as I was heading out of town.  To my surprise, when I came to
    get him all his toys were in some other kitty's cage!  Boy I was
    steaming!  But when I turned the corner to Mitten's cage he looked
    up, still groggy (and not a happy camper!)  I reached in to grab
    him and he let out this nasty meow.  I just kept talking to him and
    once he refocused his eyes his tone became a meow, meow, meow -
    like, "oh mom, it's you - you came back for me!"  He snuggled all
    the way home and wouldn't leave my side for day.  After that back
    to his old ways!  But what a great moment when I saw him again and
    he was so glad to see his mom!
    
    C.
    

Hi everyone,

I figured I'd post an update on the "CJ and Penny Get Spayed" saga.

Bill picked the two of them up this morning, and called me at work before he
left for work himself.  I knew something was out-of-the-ordinary because he
wouldn't have called from home otherwise, he would have sent mail from work!

He said "they (at the vet) didn't tell you everything on the phone when
you called yesterday".  Of course, that was enough to make my heart start
racing!  I asked if they were ok, and he said yes, so I could at least calm
down and not assume the worst.

The vet normally does the incision on the side, not the belly.  When he did
Penny, he could only get to one ovary, so he had to open her belly to get at
the other one.  It turned out there was a cyst on it, and the cyst would have
ruptured if he had taken it out the side, necessitating the belly surgery
anyway.  (I don't know how big the cyst was)

Now, this stirred up a few thoughts for me.  I wonder whether the cyst might
have played a part in her indiscriminate litterbox (or should I say carpet?)
habits.  It's hard to know.  Bill mentioned it to the vet, as well as her status
as low cat on the totem pole, and he didn't really know what to say, but thought
that perhaps the spaying (and subsequent hormone changes) might change her
habits.

Meanwhile, the vet's suggestion that she get extra peace and quiet due to the
additional surgery works well with our confining her to her "private suite",
where, by the way, she has been consistently using the box.

Gee, I was kidding in reply .18 when I suggested that they be shaved
differently!!

Jill

When I got home last night I was pretty surprised.  CJ (who had the "normal"
spay Wednesday) was curled up in a corner and wouldn't move other than lift her
head a little.  She wouldn't even purr, and she's a real purr-ball.  Bill said
she might not have moved since he brought her home, and she didn't eat or drink
even though he brought the food and water over to her.  She was like that for
the rest of the evening.  Also, her left front paw would really shake when we
touched it, perhaps from the injection?  Poor baby...

Penny (who had two incisions), on the other hand, seemed to be fine.  She was
up on the bathroom counter when I went to see her, and was very affectionate
and purry when I held her.  It was real hard letting her go so I could do what
I had to do, and let her rest.

I woke up sometime during the night, and knew someone was in bed with us :-).
I turned on the light, since I really wanted to know what was happening, and
Hemi was the one I had heard/felt at our heads, but CJ was lying on the bed at
Bill's feet.  That was really good to see!  She was still there in the morning
when we woke up, and managed to jump down and limp to the kitchen, where she
decided she didn't feel like eating.  She did end up jumping into the planter
box (a higher jump than into bed) and curling up in the almost-empty box of
6 oz IAMS canned food.  I figured I'd call the vet when I got to work and make
sure there wasn't anything to really worry about.  I just got off the phone
now, and they want to take a look at her this afternoon....stay tuned for
the next chapter...

but at least they still love us :-)

Jill

    
    Jill - they'll probably be fine, but it's a good idea to keep a close
    eye on them for the first few days after surgery.  When we had our two
    girls (sisters) done together, it was a riot how differently the two
    reacted to their convalescence.  Jenny was very quiet and slept most of
    the time for over a week.  C.C., on the other hand, was back to her
    normal silly self almost right away, and you should have seen the state
    of her scar when we brought her back for a quick recheck after a week.
    Because of her activity level, it took a while longer for her incision
    to heal :^}
    
    Sandy

    If after surgery a cat is not behaving normally, then you should notify
    the vet.  Anesthesia should wear off within 24 hours or so, and then
    after that the cat will be moving a bit more slowly, but her other
    behavior should be the same.  She should be eating, drinking, and going
    about her daily activities.  If after the 24 hour period is up the cat
    isn't eating, then the vet should be called right away.  It is possible
    for problems to arise that you can't detect other than by a change in
    behavior.
    
    Jo

Hi everyone,

Sorry for not checking in early, but between trying to work and going to the
vet, I've been pretty busy.

Last Friday, I took CJ to the vet, since she was barely moving, and her paws
were trembling.  The vet couldn't find anything wrong with her paws or the
incision, but he took her temperature and it was just over 105, where normal
is around 101 or 102.  So, it sounded like it could be an infection, and who
would really want to move around a lot or eat if their temp was so high?  He
gave me some amoxycillin pills, and said to call back Monday morning if she
wasn't any better.

By Monday morning, she was feeling much better, but her paws were a mess!
The pads were blistered, and the toes seemed all bloody and yucky.  We started
to notice that during the weekend, and decided to call the vet back Monday.
I took her back in Monday afternoon, and he was really surprised to see her
feet like that.  He said the only thing he thought it could be was a reaction
to the high fever.  I asked if he had ever seen it before, and he said he
had seen the blistery pads about 10 years ago, and that was it (and he sees
a lot of cats).  He was able to get a better look than we could at her toes,
and it looked like there was redness between them all, but it looked a lot
"cleaner" than the day before.  He said to keep her on the amoxycillin, the
paws would heal ok by themselves, and bring her back Monday when we take
Penny in to have her sutures removed.

Both CJ and Penny seem to be doing well now, running around and acting normal.

Has anyone ever heard or seen anything like the paw situation, caused by either
fever or something else?

Jill

    Poor CJ.  Glad she seems to be feeling better.
    

    well, there's fever blisters in humans, so why not kitties, too.
    especially where the paw pads are the only spot they can sweat.

    The poor love. I'm so glad she's feeling better, Jill.
    
    
    Bonnie

    OK, Now it's my turn...
    
    Callie went to the vet to be spayed yesterday. I got her home at 7:00
    last night. The vet told me she'd be sleepy & wouldn't want to move
    much once we got home. Well I only wish that was the truth. Callie is a
    very currious, and *active* <--(understatement) cat. I laid the box on
    it's side so she wouldn't have to jump out, and she crawled out of it.
    She started to walk around, but was a bit wobbly. It was really strange
    to see a cat w/ such control & strength reduced to groggieness &
    staggering. I was worried (when am I not!?) that she might hurt
    herself, so I tried to get her to relax & calm down. This didn't work,
    she just wanted to walk around & smell everything in HER house. OK, I
    can live w/ that.
    
    As soon as Callie saw Tabitha she TRIED to run over to her. She was
    so out of control & uncoordinated. I felt so bad for her. Even worse
    when Tabitha started growling and hissing at her! I figured that it was 
    just the vet smell & that they'd clean it off together & everything
    would be fine. Nope. Callie was being fine, but Tabitha would get all 
    puffy & hiss at Callie. We decided to keep Cal in the bedroom w/ us,
    and Tabitha could roam the apartment. Tabitha was driving me nuts at 
    midnight, so I got up & opened the door. Both cats slept on the bed,
    and I didn't have to referee at all. This morning, Cal was on one side
    of a door & Tabitha on the other. I opened it & they touched noses &
    Tab backed off & hissed at Callie. 
    
    I hate this. It's kind of funny cuz Tabitha is a pretty mellow cat who
    usually doesn't appreciate Callie's constant monitoring & interfering
    w/ her play. When Callie left for the vet, Tabitha was PSYCHED! She
    was running around, playing & seemed really hppy. I thought that
    eventually she'd begin to miss Callie, but she didn't seem to. I am
    begining to think that Tabitha was happier alone & doesn't like Callie.
    
    They never hiss at each other, but Sometimes Callie will be sleeping & 
    Tabitha will come tearing thru the room playing w/ a toy or something.
    Callie instantly jumps up & runs over to play too. Tabitha tells callie
    to jump in a lake, and walks away & lays down somewhere. I feel bad
    when this happens, but Callie wants to play too, and she's still a
    kitten. If Callie is being too rough (chasing & tackling) w/ Tabs, I
    just say, "CALLIE! BE NICE!" and she does. I can discipline her for 
    being too rouch, but not for wanting to play. 
    
    The do engage in grooming each other *sometimes*, so I guess they love
    each other at some level. I wonder if this is just a phase Callie is
    going thru & if having her spayed will mellow her out a bit. I also
    wonder if it's just plain kittenhood.(She's 9 mos, Tab's 1 1/2 yrs)
    
    I also have a question about the stitches. The vet said to make sure
    they stay clean & dry. I assume she meant 'free from infection',
    meaning that I should simply check & make sure the incision isn't
    puffy, red, or leaking. I don't need to clean it w/ anything, right?
    Callie has been licking her belly like crazy (not really near the
    incision, but more like on the bald skin cuz it's strange). Should I
    worry about her pulling out the stitches which I'm bringing her in for
    removal of in a week?
    
    Bonnie 

    The coming home from thre vet stuff sounds completely normal.  It seems
    to take about a day for the 'strange vet smell this must be an alien
    feline' syndrome to wear off.  I don't think you need to or should clean
    the stitches.  I called in about Sweetie's because they had told me to
    watch out for readness and puffiness, and 2-3 of them had gotten a
    little pink (about 1/16th to 1/8th inch out from the stitch) but they
    said that was normal, and I can see now that the tissue is knitting
    together well (it's been about a week).  She'll probably be fine; 
    watch out for "significant" redness or puffiness or anything that looks
    like pus, and don't let her mess with them.
    
    My guys have anesthesia from time to time to get their teeth cleaned,
    and I've now made it a practice not to pick them up until the end of
    the day, so the wobbliness is reduced.  I think they're better off
    dozing away in a cage at the vet's during that time.
    
    

    
    Re:  keeping stiches clean...

    I had two cats operated on this year - both in the stomach.  I
    didn't do anything extra to keep their stitches clean, except use
    shredded newspaper for litter for 10 days.  My vet said that the
    litter (and dust) can get in the stitches.  

    Trouble licked his belly a lot (but not directly on the stitches
    so much), and at the end of 10 days had removed most of his
    stitches, with no ill effect whatsoever.  Spike was a gentleman,
    and left his alone.

    Also, my vet said to keep the operated cat away from the others
    for a day, and then watch them, due to the "strange smell, must be
    new feline" syndrome.

    -sjb

Bonnie,

Tasha went in to get spayed this morning.  The vet said I can pick her up 
tomorrow.  I guess we can go through the recovering kitty syndrome together.

When my last cat was spayed, I was too young to remember so this is all 
pretty new to me.   Tonight, I'm going to tear apart our second bedroom and 
can set it up so that Tasha can have that room to recover.  I'm sure Heidi
(my puppy) won't understand and will want to play as soon as Tasha gets home.
Poor Heidi, she's be whimpering all day because her "little sister" is gone
and when she comes home, Tasha won't be able to be her best pal until she gets
better.

I just called the Vet,  Tasha is doing fine, no complications.  I don't know
what to expect for the next few days/week but I'm sure the vet will explain 
it to me tomorrow.

How long does it usually take for a 6 month old terrorist kitten to recover
from being spayed?   How long are her stitches going to be in?  Somebody 
mentioned something about 10 days?    What can I expect from her eating 
habits over the next few days (Tasha is normally a pig and will eat until
she gets sick if I don't monitor her carefully)?


						Lisa-Marie

    I don't remember how long Snoopy took to recover from her spay.  I have
    a terrorist dog who was DEFINITELY out of it for about twenty-four
    hours, and then seemed fine; but I tried not to let her do anything too
    athletic for a day or two.  Actually I think the first half of those
    twenty-four hours she was still under the influence of the anesthesia,
    since I brought her home about six hours after surgery.
    
    After a tumor removal, Snoopy licked her skin right next to the suture;
    I had been given a sock to keep her from doing this, but I was also
    told to remove the sock and put salve on the suture twice a day for ten
    days.  I actually did two salve treatments twice before Snoopy explained to
    me that I would need the salve if we kept this up, and I left the sock off 
    after that because it was absolutely disgusting.  The vet had put it on her
    before the suture was dry, and so it stuck, and the scab always came
    off with it.  So she licked that bald spot until it oozed.  I panicked
    and brought her to the vet (because the ooze wasn't drying up because
    Snoopy kept licking it) and I got a serious scolding for taking the
    sock off her.  Snoopy expressed her opinion by biting the doctor during
    the examination.  Obviously everyone is ok now; putting a clean sock on
    her for a few days allowed time for the skin to heal and some hair to
    grow back.
    
    Lisa Dean and Snoopy

    Re: Tasha
    
    I would expect Tasha to be acting normally by 24 hours after the
    surgery, but I'd discourage her from jumping, etc.  Stitches come out
    in 10-14 days usually.  Cats seem to heal more rapidly than humans.
    

Hi, 

I've been away from my system for a few days, so I wanted to check in here.

Lisa, How's Tasha doing?

Callie popped a stitch the night before last. I called the vet & he said they
sometimes will do that, and that we should just keep an eye on it to make sure
it's not swelling, reddening, or leaking. Ihave been checking it a bazillion
times a day, and trying to keep her calm, but she's a kitten, and doesn't
realize that she could get hurt. She seems to still have a hard time climbing
up or over things. It seems like she's babying her belly muscles, because she
jumps up & down VERY slowly and carefully. Sometimes if I can catch her before
she jumps, I'll help her get up or down.

I noticed yesterday that around the area of the incision is kind of hard...
like lumpy. It's a bit swolen, so I called the doctor. He said that this is 
normal, and that we should continue to check on it. It supposedly has three
layers of stitches & SHOULD be OK. I'm a bit nervous, because it looks tender &
she still seems to be in pain. 

Last night, she was laying on me while we watched TV. I could feel her rumbling
and I just thought it was purring, but when I listened, I couldn't hear 
anything. It was like she was twinging in pain, so naturally, I called the vet
and explained what was going on. SHe obviously thought I was being silly, told
me she didn't UNDERSTAND what I meant. (she was a vet tech) She also told me 
that Callie would not be in such extreme pain that it could make her twinge,
because cats have a higher tolerance to pain than humans. I don't think this
makes sense, just because a cats tolerance is higher than ours DOES NOT mean 
that it can't be in enough pain to make it twinge. Callie's back leg was even
shaking. Sort of like they do when they stretch after waking up, only she 
wasn't stretching.

It was really bad out, and the roads were so bad that I couldn't chance 
driving ten to fifteen miles to the vet even if it was something serious!
It took me a half hour to get home yesterday when it usually takes 7 mins!
So I kept an eye on Callie, and she slept most of the evening. I checked her
out again this morning and she looked OK. We're going to the vet tomorrow
so he can check her out, and maybe see about removing the stitces if he can.
Callie is in a great mood this morning, but I just hope she doesn't over do it
and get hurt again. I'll be going home at lunch to check on her.

It's really strange, since we've had this done, Callie can absolutly not live
w/o being near, with, or ON me when ever I'm home. As soon as I sit on the 
couch, I can hear her little kitty lawn mower start..."PURRRRRrrrrrRRRRRrrrrrRR
PUUUURRRRRrrrrRRRRr" from across the room! Then she comes over & climbs on me,
settles in & gets reaaaaaaaal comfy, and stis there w/ squinted eyes, looking
at me & purring. when I have to get up, she does to. She follows me around &
comes right back when I sit back down. She's a TOTAL LOVE BUG now!

I'll check in after lunch when I see how the little critter is doing!

Bonnie 

Tasha is doing just fine.

My weekend was spent watching the little terrorist.  Saturday, I got up
much to early  for a weekend morning and picked up Tasha.  The vet told me
to try and keep her  quiet for the next two weeks (HA!) and to give her
shredded newspaper in her litterbox instead of litter.   No problem.  I
put Tasha in the kennel and carried it to the car.  Once in the car, Tasha
started screaming her head off.  She was sounding more like a cougar than
a little itty bitty kitty.  Her paws were shooting out of every hole
possible in the crate.  Finally, we get home (me with a headache) and  I
take her inside.  I left her in the crate for about 10 minutes while Heidi
calmed down and did all her sniffing, then I opened the door.  Once out,
Heidi ran up to the kitty and licked poor Tasha's face to death.  This was
something that Tasha was not psyched about but put up with.  Afterwards,
she cleaned her face thoroughly!

Next, Dave and I cleaned out her litterboxes and shredded paper and fed
the  little terrorist (who ate like a pig).  Of course, while we were
doing the litterbox  stuff, Tasha saw fit to climb the curtains (so much
for her remaining quiet -- I guess she was feeling better already).  Then
she went to attack the  dog and start up a major wrestling match.  Of
course, I had to separate the 2 of  them because I didn't want either one
of them to accidentally rip out the  kitty's stitches.   

Within 1/2 hour, Tasha had climbed the curtains, attacked  the dog, jumped
on the counters and took a nice size bite out of the apple pie  that was
there, ate like a pig, and literally ran all around the house.  It's not a 
easy task to keep her quiet.  Finally, a brilliant idea occured to me and
I  carried her up to the bedroom, opened the curtains fully to let all the
sunlight  possible in, and put her on the water bed.  After rubbing
against me for 20  minutes, she finally settled down and slept for the rest
of the day (until no  more sun was left).  She's been acting like she
never had an operation and like she doesn't have any stitches.  She's got
way to much energy and I can't get her to stay quiet!   I check her
stitches several times a day.  They are all in tact, no redness, no
swelling, nothing.   She doesn't appear to be in any pain and is still the
same loveable terrorist except that now she's about four times as loveable
as before.

The only real problem I have/had is that Tasha didn't like the shredded 
newspaper in the litter box and preferred to use something else.  I solved
this  by lightly dusting the litter box with real litter so that she'd
smell it and go  there.  So far, it's worked.  

Yesterday morning, I had to lock both animals from the bathroom (because
Tasha can't  go for a shower for 2 weeks).  Somehow, they managed to get
the door open and  inside.  As I was shaving my legs, somehthing reached
in and grabbed my toes, I  screamed real loud not realizing Tasha had
gotten in and was now playing with my  toes.  I scared both animals who
raced out of the bathroom, jumped up on the bed  where Dave was still
sleeping and burrowed under the covers and practically  chased him from
the bed (he wasn't fully prepared for cold noses and wet paws).   

		The terrorist strikes again!   


Bonnie --> Keep us informed at how Callie is doing!   Somehow, it doesn't
	seem fair that Callie seems to be hurting and Tasha doesn't.
	And give her an extra scratch under the chin tonight, from me.



						Lisa-Marie

    I think it is key to note that all females do react differently
    after this operation...in my recent cases...my Poco came home
    and layed around for two days and ate very little, My little
    Chloe was lazy for almost one full week...and ate...but not
    much, and my Abby came home on the same night and was a total
    terror and ate me out of house and home!!!   
    
    My suggestion is just to keep your eyes open to any signs of
    infection or not eating....and don't worry to much if the little
    one is running around yet. Some just take longer to recover.
    
    Sandy

    Poor Callie;  I'm glad she'll get checked out.  Sweetie did that leg
    twitching thing off and on the first few days, but then it disappeared.
    

    You're all so wonderful! Thanks for the reassurance! Karen--->I'm glad
    that SOMEONE knows what I'm talking about w/ the leg twitching thing.
    
    Lisa--->I'll give her that chin scratching for you! She'll appreciate
    it! I did go home at lunch & check out her tum-tum (and catch the first
    half of one of my soaps! ;*)) and she looks just fine. She seemed
    particularly frisky, which is good. I can't believe how much more
    loveable she's become since the surgery!!
    
    Sandy--->I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that
    different females react differently. I just figured that Callie the 
    crazy critter would be one of those who makes out like Tasha the
    Terrorist, and she'd be just fine. Oh well, I'll just have to give her 
    extra hugs & kisses & she should be fine real soon!
    
    Thanks, and I'm glad to know that Tasha fared so well!
    
    Bonnie                                    

    Niniane did the leg twitching thing too - I just figured the
    stitches were too tight.
    
    I had Mips and Belle done at the same time.  Belle did fine.
    Mips had all her stitches ripped out in two days.  Took her
    back, they put her under again and stitched her up with
    steel sutures.  By the time Mips went back to have her
    stitches out, she had two left.  Vet said he'd never seen a
    cat pull out steel sutures....leave it to Mips!
    
    Mary-Michael

I just want to fill everyone in on the final chapter (I hope) of my spay
story.

I took CJ and Penny to the vet Monday.  He removed Penny's tummy sutures, and
pronounced CJ's paws as good as new, minus a little missing fur that will grow
back.  He still doesn't know what caused her fever and paw problems, but wants
to be careful when she gets her next year's rabies vaccine, as that was also
given at the time of spaying, and therefore may have caused a reaction.

When we put the kitties back in their carry box, he commented how sweet they
were :-), and I made a comment about them growing bigger, too.  He said they
wouldn't grow much (or any?) bigger than they are now (at 6 1/2 months)!  I
was shocked!  I guess after Tigger, who's probably 13 or 15 pounds, I didn't
think we'd end up with 2-3 permanent kittens!! :-)

All recovering kitties are back to their old tricks.  I bought them a small
(almost my height :-)) 3-tier Arubacat tree at the Boxboro show, and they love
it.  The top perch is at a perfect height for me to face-snuggle with a kitty
who is lying there :-) and it is just so cute to look at the tree and see a
kitty curled up on each perch.  Tigger hasn't wanted to have anything to do with
it (yet...)

Thanks for the assurances and caring,
Jill

    Hi Jill,
    
    I have a hard time believing your kittens won't grow much bigger.  My
    mom's cat Bandit is now 15 pounds, and huge, but all this hugeness took
    place in the last two years and he is almost 5 now!  My kittens are 6
    months old and I'm hardpressed to believe they will never get over 5
    and a half pounds (which is what they are now).  But wouldn't it be
    nice!!!!!!!!  They are so darn cute when they are small!  
    
    Anyway, I'm glad to see that CJ's paws are doing well now.  It's always
    such a relief when they are finally healthy again!
    
    Nancy

    I wouldn't count on your kittens not growing any bigger than they are
    now.  Even though they are spayed now, their growth hormones continue
    until adulthood.  They may be small boned cats, and therefore stay
    small, but at 6 months old they aren't finished yet.
    
    Jo

I am getting ready to take Chief in to get neutered in a few weeks since he
will be about 7 months old.  I have read many stories about what the females
need/do after the operation.  What about males?  Are there any special things
that I need to be aware of.  I am hopefully getting it done right before 
Thanksgiving so that I can be around all the time.  My husband is afraid that
after the operation he (Chief) will no longer have his playful and boyish
qualities.  I keep ensuring him that Chief will be the same cat.  Has anyone
seen differences in personalities in their males after neutering?  Anything
else I should be aware of?  Should I only keep him indoors afterwards, and for
how long?

			Thanks for all the answers beforehand
				One Worried Mother.

    From one worried mom to another...  :-)
    
    Don't worry!  I took in a stray recently, an 8 mos old male, and the
    first thing I did was neuter him.  Though his hiney was a bit sore for
    a few days, he recovered nicely and in much quicker time than my three
    females when they were spayed.
    
    As for liveliness, well, if mine is any indication of all the other
    males out there....  suffice it to say that the four of them still play
    touch-tag across my apartment, with little Cyrano leading the pack!  He
    is rambunctious, wild, impossible, stubborn, crafty, belligerant, and
    adorable.  Not a thing has changed about him!  Not ONE THING!
    
    So don't worry....little Chief will still be a little Chief when he
    returns!
    
    :-)
    
    Nancy and her Gang-of-Four  (Zuzu, Bear, Suki, and Cyrano)

    I've got 8 males, all neutered, and yes, there is a personaliy change.
    They are less agressive, they stop spraying and their urine doesn't
    smell up the house. They also seem to get more affectionate. Most
    remained just as playful as before neutering, but personally I think
    that the cat getting "lazy" upon neutering is just because the cat is a
    bit older and more mature (sort of like a human the way you slow down
    as you reach adulthood and beyond).
    
    Deb

Thanks Nancy and Jo for the feedback regarding the kittens getting bigger.  I
couldn't imagine them staying this small, but could understand them getting just
a little bigger (perhaps that's what the vet meant).  I decided I would weigh
and measure them now and see what happens in a month or two...will let you know!

Jill

    RE:  5033.43
    
    Onyx recently went in for neutering.  He is the first male in my kitty
    family so I didn't know what to expect.  Aside from the normal after
    anesthesia groggies which cleared up by the next morning, I don't see a 
    notable difference in how he acted before and how he acts now.  He's 
    still just as playful and over-active as he was.  He's also just as 
    loveable...well, maybe more loveable.
    
    The vet suggested I use shredded newspaper in his litterbox for a week
    after the surgery.  Since I really couldn't confine him to his own room
    for a week and I have 3 other cats that are very picky about their
    litter (and with Jo's reassurance it was okay), I only used the
    shredded paper (in all the boxes) the first night.  I replaced the
    paper with clean litter the next day and changed it again in a couple
    of days and he did not suffer any ill effects.
    
    Onyx is an indoor cat so I didn't have to worry about not letting him
    out, but, I think the vet might recommend that you leave him inside
    for a about 1 week.
                 
    Jan

Quick question.

	I know that I am not to feed Chief after 10 the night before, but I
dont remember about giving him water.  Should I also remove his water dish
(not that he uses it, the sink, the toilet, or any other vessel of water is
prefered!).

						Sandy

    My vet says no food from 7 p.m. the night before (i.e., remove his food
    dish and any other food he could get to) and no water from 7 a.m. the
    next morning (i.e., remove his water dish, put the cover on the toilet,
    no glasses of water in the sink, etc.)  This is for surgery that starts
    around 9 or 10 a.m.
    

    
    And my vet said no food after 6:00 and no water after 8:00 the night
    before surgery.  But Bonnie Hussian says she let her babies have water
    (right Bonnie?) and there were no problems at all!
    
    I guess it depends on the cat....one of mine chose to throw up, not
    before or during surgery, but the next day!  Great!  Lots of fun
    cleaning Science Diet off the white carpet!  Yuck!
    
    Nancy

    The no food and water thing is to prevent the cats from vomiting while
    under anesthesia.  If they vomit while they are anesthetized they could
    aspirate it into their lungs and suffocate.  I would follow my vet's
    instructions to a tee on this one folks.
    
    Also, a male cat still has viable sperm for a short time after the
    surgery.  If you have whole females in the house, or if the cat is an
    outdoor cat, check with your vet to find out how long you should keep
    him separated or confined after the surgery to prevent unwanted
    litters.
    
    Jo

    I agree w/ Jo, but it's just that there are ways (that I can't control)
    in which my cats WILL get water if their water is taken away from them.
    One of them is a faucet which doesn't really leak, but if you touch it,
    the water will drip. I see Callie drinking from it all the time (even
    when her water is as fresh as a daisy). The other way is thru a leak in
    the ceiling which is being repaired presently. I have had to rig up a 
    dishwater pan up ontop of my kitchen cabinet for the last month while
    the roofers worked on the roof. Callie doesn't go up ther, but she can
    if she really wants to, and I didn't want her going up there to drink
    dirty water. So I just left their water dish out the night before
    Callie's surgery. It was a tough call, but since Callie doesn't really
    drink much water at night, I decided that this would be best.
    
    I'm ducking now! ;*)
    
    Bonnie

    Well Chief had his surgery today and the vet called to say that he 
    is doing fine.  The poor boy.  He was shedding so much this morning
    from fright.  He just hates cars!  I also brought a sample in to get
    tested since he is very soft and I worry a lot.
    	The vet assistant mentioned that they dont stitch up the male cats
    but just leave it open for the air to dry the skin shut, and that I
    should use the paper for 7-10 days for liter.
    	I am so happy that all went well.  I pick him up tommorow morning.
    I am actually looking forward to a full nights sleep.  The first one
    in months.
    

    Glad to hear Chief is doing well.
    
    Karen
    

    Yeah! Chief!
    Bon

    Its Sunday and my "boy" is back to normal.  He is going outside again,
    and last night I gave him back his regular liter since he is doing so
    well.  He did not like the shredded newsprint at all!  He would just
    meow at the liter box saying "I have to go, but where is the stuff I
    normally go in?"  Finally when he could no longer hold it in he would
    use it.  My husband was a bit upset when Chief did not purr like he
    usually does, the first day home, but our purr-face is back to purring,
    getting into things we dont want him in, wrestling with my husband
    (who thinks he is a dog), and waking us up first thing in the morning.