After an operation, your cat will need extra care to help make their recovery as smooth as possible. An operation can range from a couple of stitches to a complex surgical procedure.

©Mark Lowrie

When a cat has a surgical procedure, it will involve either sedation or a general anesthetic. Sedation is often used for a short minor procedure in a healthy animal, such as a ripped nail or a small cut; whereas a general anesthetic is used for short procedures in less healthy cats or for longer and more complex procedures such as neutering, orthopedic operations and dental work. Once under anesthetic a tube is placed down the trachea (wind pipe) to ensure no fluids enter the lungs. The veterinary team use this tube to administer oxygen and anesthetic gases and control the cat’s breathing if needed. After a sedation or anesthetic your cat may:

• Feel sick or nauseous.
• Be sleepy and lethargic.
• Vomit or have diarrhea.
• Have a sore throat or cough (anesthetic only).

Getting cats to rest can be challenging, as they don’t understand that they shouldn’t sit on top of cupboards or jump from sofa to sofa! It is advisable to set up a safe environment for them to rest in once they return home. It's important your pet remains inside whilst they recover. If you have a spare room without high furniture, this is ideal for their recovery but otherwise use the room that you feel is safest for them. It is important to limit their jumping - especially if they have stitches in place, as these can tear if your cat is too active. Once you have selected your cat's recovery room, move their litter tray, food bowl, water bowl and bed into the selected room. If they have multiple beds, you can put them all in the room. A soft, cosy environment will help your cat relax and aid their recovery. A plug-in pheromone diffuser (eg, Feliway) can help make the room calm for your cat. Keep your cat in this room for a minimum of 24-48 hours whilst they recover from sedation or anesthetic. Your pet may need to stay in this room for longer if you are unable to rest them in the house. It is important they do not cause damage to their stitches. If your pet has stitches in place they may need to rest for 10 – 14 days. Some stitches dissolve whilst others need to be removed. If your pet has had orthopedic surgery, they may need to recover in a crate to ensure they rest. The crate should be big enough to fit a bed, litter tray and their bowls. A medium dog crate is usually suitable for most cats. Many orthopedic procedures require rest for 4-8 weeks, but your veterinarian will be able to advise you on when and how much exercise your cat can have during their recovery process.

A healthy surgical wound will have no or limited discharge from the wound, 1-2 drops of clear or pink discharge is considered normal. The surgical wound may have some dried blood surrounding the wound and the stitches may be visible. This also is applicable to wounds in the gum. A wound should not:

• Be red and swollen.
• Be actively bleeding.
• Feel hot to touch.
• Have pus or yellow thick discharge.
• Be painful to a gentle touch.
• Smell foul or offensive.

After a surgical procedure, your cat may require medication. Often cats are sent home with pain relief. Pain relief is important as without it they may stop eating, they will be more likely to interfere with their wounds and prolong their recovery. Cats can be tricky to medicate and if you are struggling then it's best to discuss this with your veterinarian. It is often easiest to hide medication in a treat or food, but a liquid medication may be available if you struggle to give your cat tablets. Not all liquid painkillers need to be swallowed. For certain drugs, you may just need to just syringe the liquid into your cat's cheek (where it may be absorbed over the mucus membrane in the mouth), rather than requiring that the cat swallows it. Your veterinary team will advise you as to what is required. You can ask your veterinarian to demonstrate how to give your cat their medication. If you are struggling to give your pet their medication, speak to your veterinarian. If you miss a dose of their medication, do not give them double next time, carry on as normal from their next dose. Do not ever give your cat another animal’s medication, any home remedies or human medication.  Human medication may be toxic to cats and certain medications must not be given together. If you feel that your pet needs additional pain relief then speak to your vet and they will advise you what to do.

Cat’s hide pain very well and therefore it is important to know the common signs of pain in cats. If your cat hides, stops eating, paws or overgrooms one area of their body, sits with an arched spine, ears are pulled apart (the distance between the ear tips is increased), the eyes look partially closed or squinted, seems quiet, stops playing or showing interest in their usual favorite activities they may be painful and you should speak to your veterinarian.

Your pet may have some dressings or bandages after their surgery and these will need to be monitored. If they have a bandage from where they had a drip or IV catheter, this can be removed after a couple of hours of returning home. They may have a bit of dried blood in this area that can be cleaned off with water and cotton wool. They can also have a small bruise, which is normal - similar to what you may have after having a blood test. If you are unable to remove this bandage, contact your veterinarian immediately. This bandage is designed to apply pressure to stop bleeding where the drip has been removed and therefore if it remains in place for a long period of time, it will create swelling and be sore. If your cat has a dressing or plaster on their wound, this can usually remain in place until their first post operative check or until it falls off. It is important to keep the dressing dry and clean. If you have concerns about a dressing then call your veterinarian for advice. If your cat has a bandage in place following their surgery, your veterinarian will be able to advise you when this needs to be changed. Often this is between 2- 5 days, unless it is for an orthopedic procedure and then it may be longer. This will need to be kept clean and dry. If your cat puts their bandage in their water bowl, call your veterinarian to have their bandage changed sooner. If you notice any swelling around the bandage, if your pet seems in pain from the bandage, or you notice lots of discharge coming though the bandage then contact your veterinarian. You can buy boots to go over the bandage if your cat has a habit of putting their feet in water bowls or if they like to dig excessively in their litter tray. This will help keep the bandage clean.

You should contact your vet to book your pet in for the required post operative appointments. Post operative appointments are important to ensure the wound is healing as expected and to remove and check stitches. You should also contact your vet if your pet:

• Stops eating.
• Seems painful.
• Has an upset stomach for longer than 24 hours after their surgery.
• Has a wound that is bleeding, painful, swollen, very red or has pus leaking from it.