Mary Allen
After surgery, a cat needs care and attention. To ensure that the wound heals well and the patient recovers as soon as possible, a number of things must be observed.
The day of the surgery is over and the worst of the excitement and stress – at least for the cat owner – seems to be over. After serious injuries, operations with extensive follow-up treatment, or intensive care, it is almost always better for the cat to remain in inpatient treatment in the clinic. Even if it feels bad to know that the cat is in a hospital box – this way, continuous monitoring is possible and the therapy can be adjusted at any time if necessary. But once things improve and further care at home is possible, most cats feel much better and recover faster in their familiar surroundings at home. But the next few weeks can be more strenuous than expected. The better you prepare yourself and the cat for this situation, the easier home care will be.
After a break in their daily routine, whether it’s for a short trip to the vet or a longer stay at the clinic, cats try to get back to their normal routines as soon as possible. After anesthesia, a 24-hour house arrest should still be provided.
Is it You?
Cat fur absorbs foreign smells very quickly. This can mean that the patient is simply no longer recognized by the partner cat after her return home. In a multi-cat household, it is therefore important that the cat returning home smells “normal” again as soon as possible. This process will be accelerated if you match the Returner with a previously used one
blanket rubs off. The first encounter should take place at a usually fixed item on the agenda, such as feeding, and under close observation. Only when the cats have greeted each other in a friendly way is the homecoming taken in again. If the cats hiss or growl, they should stay apart for a while.
After surgery, injury, or other painful illnesses, the cat should definitely be given painkillers – even if their suffering may not seem obvious. As a simple rule of thumb, whatever hurts a human hurts the cat too – they just show it differently or try to hide their condition. The previously common practice of doing without pain medication – so that the cat does not move too much – is outdated. It causes unnecessary suffering and interferes with the healing process.
Get Used to Body or Neck Brace
Ideally, the cat has already learned to have pills or liquid medication administered. This can be practiced long before the worst comes to the worst with small treats in the form of tablet dummies or tasty liquid snacks. Otherwise, the owners have little choice but to hide the medication in the feed.
Most surgeons consistently insist that the cat wear a neck brace at all times until at least suture removal (10 to 12 days). Apart from a few particularly critical surgical wounds (eyes and ears as well as penile amputations), cats usually leave their wounds alone – as long as the wound is okay, i.e. free of pain, inflammation, and infection. If the cat is too interested in a wound, it is advisable to take a closer look and not just use a neck brace to prevent it.
Even if the cat appears desperate in the first few hours and everyday life is initially difficult with a neck brace, the protection must be there. Within just a few days, the cat has gotten used to its new format and gets along well with it. Unfortunately, the curfew also applies to cats here. However, cats feel most affected by the lack of opportunity for grooming.
Alternatives to the ruff are bodysuits or silicone claw caps that are glued to the claws of the hind paws. Both can – with less disruption – prevent the cat from licking or scratching a wound just as well as a neck brace.
If an operation is planned for a long time, the cat can be familiarized with the neck brace or wearing a bodysuit a few weeks in advance, so that it is already familiar with this feeling and is not overwhelmed by everything that is affecting it. For kittens, wearing bodysuits, small paw bandages or a neck brace is a fun adventure game that is part of the learning program at the cat kindergarten. Once experienced in a funny context, these experiences are familiar and lose a little of their fright.
Bed Rest to Heal
Cats are sometimes ordered to rest in a cage after an operation because bones, tendons, and ligaments need a certain amount of rest to heal even after they have been stabilized with plates, screws, or a so-called external fixator. When resting in a cage, the cat’s movement is limited by a very small space, for example, a large folding dog box (and not by a lack of pain medication). It’s amazing how quickly even active cats come to terms with their box rest and then voluntarily return to this living space again and again later.
The interior of a living box should contain all the important resources: a soft, cuddly limited lying area, which may also be slightly raised (20 to 40 centimeters), food and water, a litter box, and a scratching opportunity (e.g. made of cardboard) for stretching, reacting and Scratch. Of course, friendly cats are allowed to visit the sick in these boxes if the patient likes it.
Taking a cat into home care – whether it’s after a simple spay or with an external fixator – is always exciting. What needs to be done, what medication should the cat receive, how often and when is the next check-up appointment? The best way to get all this information is in writing, including a telephone contact who is available for emergencies or normal inquiries. In this exceptional emotional situation, the owner can concentrate on what the cat needs most: loving attention.