My kitten has surgery Monday?

Question

I am so nervous about my kittens surgery Monday, she hates leaving her loving home and she has to be gone for the whole night too! She is getting spayed( or as my 9 year old daughter says "get her kitty machine removed"!! You gotta love kids! My vet says she won't even know and not to worry, but I am! Unfortunately, she is also getting declawed. I do not need lectures and negative comments- this is a necessity. When we got her, my husband said on two conditions, she gets spayed and declawed. Well, I agreed with the spaying 100% but not the declawing. I got him to where he would at least consider not having it done if she did not ruin furniture and carpet and if she did not claw him. Well, she does claw furniture and carpet and is ruining it and she loves to surprise you and jump on our laps and the claws go in-OUCH. I really don't care about getting scratched even though once she made me drop dinner all over my new clothes with one of her surprises! My husband on the other hand does not like getting woke up by a claw in his skin! As far as the furniture and carpet goes, I tried spraying water and she likes it. He said she gets it done or you give her away! Now, I think about all these poor cats put to sleep with no home and I think of my kitten who has a wonderful home and is extremely happy and I think would she want to be given away with possibly the same outcome with someone else or worse( be put to sleep) or would she rather go through a few days of discomfort. My friend did it to her cat and she was fine,. running and playing after 3 days. I could get soft paws but my friend tried that and they kept falling off after like a week and the cat hated getting them put on. I thought about trimming them once a week but cats hate that and she'd have to put up with it forever. I can do that and she is free from having her paws messed with again and she gets to be in a warm, loving home for the rest of her life. I do feel bad but I've weighed the options and circumstances and this seems to be best in the long run. Now my qustion is, is there anything I need to worry about with the spaying? Do they really not even notice? And as far as declawing- for those of you that have done it, how long has recovery been for a kitten? Is there anything I need to look out for? Thank- you for all your help!

Answer 1

Hi, I was worried the first time getting my cat spayed too. There is really nothing to worry about. They know what to do.

Answer 2

Absolutely DO NOT get all four paws declawed.  The vets I work for now won't even do the back paws, and my previous vets would only do it if the client was absolutely insistent and wouldn't listen to reason (then they complained the whole time about doing it).  Having no claws leaves your cat completely defenseless except for her teeth (which means she WILL bite), and the back claws do not retract so there's a high chance of complications with the surgery.  I do wish you'd at least try the Soft Paws, instead of not bothering because someone else didn't like them. Just because they didn't work for someone else doesn't mean they wouldn't work for you.  They worked well for both my cats, and trust me, kittens do grow out of a lot of the crazy behavior and climbing/scratching.  Scratching problems can be dealt with without surgery, it just takes patience and effort.  Unless there's a medical problem, declawing is a choice, not a necessity.

A cat spay is a very routine surgery and you likely will have no problems.  Keep her quiet afterwards for at least a couple of days, and keep her from l*****g a lot at the incision area.  Your vet should give you written home-care instructions (and pain medication) when you pick her up.  

Answer 3

normally the process is harmless and it might take a few days for the cat to get used to not having its claws there. My cousin had her cats claws taken out and now her cat is fine and really playful, not to mention danger free. My uncle had the same fears as your husband so he made the vet take out the cats claws and now he even plays with the cat.

Answer 4

recover would be about i dont really knoe

Answer 5

I feel your pain at making this decision.  I had my cat nutured last year and he never noticed...he hates leaving the home too...but when I brought him home...he napped and played like normal in no time...no infections or anything...

I wanted to declaw him but chickened out after the kids said it was 'mean' but as the years passed we wished we declawed him....you should if it will keep peace between you and your husband...they don't seem to notice at all after the first week home... you just have to make sure to switch your litter from the clumping to the other one....the one you change every day...the vet will tell you the one...that way it doesn't stick to their paws and bother the site...

Good luck...she will bounce back and be fine...just let her have a safe place to just seclude herself to for a few days...she will be back to normal in no time....

Answer 6

there will be stitches in her tummy so you need to be careful.  I would put here in a room or place where no one will bother her (kids, other pets. etc...) as for the declawing, i use soft paws and i trim and both work great (if you start them young they can get used to it, only my older cat seems bothered so we just trim, as for furniture they have a special smell spray that makes animals not want to mess with it, and there are scratching posts) however i have lived with a kitten that was declawed.  the only thing i would have to worry about is excessive puss or any sort of bleeding.  try not to let her bother them too much but they probably itch.

Answer 7

There is nothing to worry about trust me. Both of my cats have been spayed/neutered and declawed. It is for the better, unless you want your kitten tearing up your furniture! Everything will be fine, this is a standard procedure for most cats and kittens, so don't worry. :) Also, as for recovery, there isn't much to recover from.  

Answer 8

i see that you like your cay very mush and would  do everithing for it...don't worry the cat will be just fine and it will not notice because she never experience it before right?(shes still a kitten) . ask  the vetone more time  just so that he can assure you that the cat will be fine

don't worry

my best wishes to you and the kitten

Answer 9

Nope you dont need to look out for anything

Answer 10

Usually most Vets will recomend just the front 2 for declaw. This is the ones they use on the furnature. Also it would leave a little defense incase they ever got outside by mistake. Your kitty will be fine, maybe a little tender for a day or two, but after that they will be back to normal. You will need to not use kitty litter for about 1 week. Our vet suggested torn up shredded newspaper for litter. after wards you can go back to litter again. Some people say it is mean to declaw, but it as also mean to get rid of them later because they won't stop scratching the furniture. I was a littie "iffy" about it too, but wouldnt change my mind now, I'd make the same decision.

Answer 11

dear pet owner,

i am a vet in san antonio, tx, and spaying your female cat is the right thing to do.  it is typically a very standard operation in removing the ovaries and the uterus, it is rare that a problem occurs.  a very standard type of anesthesia is used, and the stitches are removed in two weeks.  keep your pet inside and she will be fine.

you can have pre-operative blood work run first, always a good idea.

a spay with the declaw is a bit of a longer procedure, and the toes can be either sutured or surgically glued.  i will do the spay first, and somtimes just use some gas anesthesia additionally for the declaw so we do not have to put the pet down to deeply.  but it is best for a vet to use what anesthesia they are familar with, as with surgery, most problems occure with the anesthesia, not necessarly the surgical

procedure.

with a declaw, and i assume just the front, cats in my experiance tend to bite more to defend themselves, they know thier claws are gone.

the pet must always be inside or out only with you for safety, an extra second or two lost getting up a tree could mean getting caught by a dog.  usually the front only removed is sufficiant, but for total protection of the furniture, you can do all four.  we do 95 percent of just the front only, and i would try to do only that.

lastly, you could consider making her an inside outside pet, but cats outside even if only for the day are at some risk from cars, other cats, dogs, etc, unless you are isolated.  and even if in for the night only, they may very well go after the furniture.

if you would like to contact me directly, "[e-mail]"

good luck, dr. becker

Answer 12

I've had my cat fixed before.  He thought he had done something wrong but after 4 days he was back to himself.  Yes, they do notice but there's no need to worry.  Your cat will be fine.  The cats paws will be sore for a day or two and she may not want to walk around much but that's normal.  Also, if it doesn't eat much for a couple days that's ok.  Your cat is trying to recover from surgery so not eating regularly for a day or two is also normal.  if you do notice anything unusual about you cats behavior call your vet and ask.  When you take him in ask your vet if there's anything specific you should watch out for.  when you get her back give her plenty of attention and treats , like fish, and do anything you can think of to make her comfortable again.  that way she'll forgive you quickly.  =)    

Answer 13

i promise shell be fine becouse ive had dogs and cats nuetard and spayed.shell be fine. theyll come back home they may be sore but theyll be good as new in about 2 weeks!

Answer 14

Hi,I can answer your question about the spaying part: what you have heard is correct,they usually don`t have any problem with getting over the surgery.But if you notice anything that concerns you-don`t hesitate to call your vet,okay? I,too, am having my furry baby declawed,and it also is the first time for me.So I am just as anxious as you are,I hope it turns out well for you.Good Luck!P.S.Make sure you just have the front paws done,okay.

Answer 15

Your cat will be fine.  I have had all mine declawed and spayed and they get through it.  It will be a day before they feel ok...but all cats want is peace and quiet and somewhere safe to be.  Don't allow anyone near her until she is ready.  Meaning keep the kids away from the cat for few days.

Dogs have a harder time than cats...cats rebound very quickly.  Make sure there are plenty of boxes for her hide in...they feel safe that way.

they are find...you are worrying about nothing.  The earlier you get this done the better it is for them...so you are doing great.

No lectures here on declawing...as long as you leave them INSIDE and not make them an outside cat.    If they are inside they don't need anything but back claws...and they don't damage anything.  It is the front ones that do the damage.

Answer 16

Aww i felt the same way when my kitty had to go for surgery, but he had a HUGE surgery so i was even more afraid than what you are now. All i did was not think about him being gone and the time flew by.