# Exasperated about keeping cat quiet after spay



## Nancy_in_GA

Just brought my 6mo calico home from spaying. I'm not supposed to let her jump, run, or climb stairs for 7 days!! Put her in the bathroom and she's trying to get out under the door, clawing the rug outside with her foot extended under the door 3 inches. I just know she'll be jumping up on the toilet and the countertop soon.

I tried putting her in a large dog carrier and bringing her out where she normally stays and she's frantic bouncing from one side of the carrier to the other, digging at the grate, I'm afraid she will bloody up her nose and paws trying to get out. And all that jumping around in there seems as bad as running and climbing stairs.

The only thing that will keep her quiet is if I stay in the bathroom with her. I do not want to spend 7 days in the bathroom. What to do?


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## TJN66

The vet told me that too when I had my tortie spayed. Ha...she had a mind of her own. I just let her do what she wanted. She is the same way in a crate a flipping bouncy ball. I figure she knows what she can and can not do. I just watched for any swelling or pulled out stiches. And made sure that she wasnt cleaning the skin glue off of the suture site. (They sutured then used the glue to make the skin stick together over the sutures until they healed)

I tell the vet all the time. You can not stop a cat from jumping and playing. They told me they know but just to try and limit them. 

Hope that helps.


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## Nancy_in_GA

That helps a lot. I may do that, too. I wish I didn't have stairs in my house, or at least a door where I could block her off from them.


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## TJN66

I hear that about the door. I tried a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs..she laughed at me as she jumped over it one day after getting spayed. I took it down and she calmly walked back to the cat bed. Hmmm... silly cat thinks she's pretty smart Lol!


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## Dodgegal79

I've nevered worried, I always just let them go in the house like they usually do. It will upset them more trying to keep them in a room then letting them get settled in home. They will not jump around until they feel like it, believe me they will be sore so they arent going to hurt themselves.


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## Nancy_in_GA

I came up with a better solution. Now she's in a room with a TV where she normally sleeps so she is not so crazy, and I can at least watch her and TV and kill time. I can even sleep in there if I have to. The silly cat starts playing! She grabs the corner of a blanket and starts the kicking-with-the-back-feet routine. 

And I have another cat who I've banned to the kitchen because they always chase after each other when they're together. That one has been yelling at the kitchen door all night. If I let her out she will yell at the door where we are all night.

Please let this week pass quickly.


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## Willow101

Catnip sometimes calms them. The catnip approach has a 50-50 chance of working.

Willow101


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## Ravenlost

The only thing I've ever done after a dog or cat is spayed/neutered is keep them in the house. Usually I keep them isolated from the other dogs and cats for the first 24 hours home. Beyond that, their only restriction is to stay indoors for a few days.

She'll hurt herself more by freaking out than by jumping up on something or going up the stairs.


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## Nancy_in_GA

I've been observing this cat now for about 3 hours. She becomes extremely hyperactive, can't sit still, paces the floor. She spent 5 minutes playing with the water in her dish---batting it out all over the floor. Trying to play with everything she sees. This is definitely more active than she normally is. When she purrs it sounds like an outboard motor. Do they put a tube down their throats when they do the spaying?

I gave her the first dose of Buprenex about 11:00pm and she fell asleep. When she woke up she was like this. The last 2 cats I had spayed just wanted to sleep most of the time. The incision looks fine, but all around it is puffy. I think the vet said that was normal, no?


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## GoldenMom

It all sounds way too normal! Yep, clinics that use gas anesthesia put a tube in their trachea to deliver the gas. A little puffiness around the incision is common. Watch for redness or discharge. Good luck keeping her as quiet as possible-I *know* it's not easy!


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## redroving

Iv'e probably had about 10 cats and 5 dogs spayed and neutered and did nothing special for them. If they were outdoor animals, then they stayed outdoors. I would check their incision a few times a day and not one had any problems. If they started licking the incision I would apply bitter apple. When the 10 - 15 days were up I took the stitches out myself to save a trip back to vet. Almost all of them lived to be 12+ years old.


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## Madame

Cats don't slow down overmuch after being fixed. Just keep an eye on her. She'll rest when she eventually sleeps.


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## Nancy_in_GA

It's going pretty well now. The second day she was much quieter. I think the after-effects of the anesthesia from the surgery must have been making her hyper, and probably the pain started to kick in. I just let our other cat in the room with her for the first time. There's not enough room in there to chase around much. It's actually working out well because the older cat doesn't like too much rough house playing, and she puts the damper on it quickly. But they like to sleep together.


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## TJN66

I love calico kitties =) Can you post a pic?


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## SLM

this is day 5 of being home from her spay. She has gotten into the window once today and has been jumping to get to her area where her bed usually is even though I have moved it. As today progressed I noticed the smallest bit of blood/discharge from the incision sight. She’s barley been active during recovery so I don’t know how it happened. My vet is closed now and I emailed them and will be calling in the morning as well. Not sure what to do though. I know at some point in the night I will fall asleep for maybe an hour. What can I do to keep her absolutely quiet?


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## thesedays

This thread was started in 2008, so chances are, that cat isn't even with us any more.

If the cat is in a lot of pain, she won't be very active, so that she's active is a good sign. Keep her from licking or otherwise disturbing the incision, and she'll be fine.


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