How to Care for Your Cat After Neutering or Spaying - Creating a Safe Recovery Space

Spay and neuter surgeries are routine operations, but they’re still surgeries. If you’re worried about how to care for your cat after it’s been spayed (female cat) or neutered (male cat), fear not! You’ve come to the right place. There are several things you can do to help your cat recover from its operation and get back to its healthy, happy feline self.

1. Provide a quiet, comfortable space for your cat. Your cat will probably feel nauseous and out of sorts for the first 18-24 hours after anesthesia.[1] It may also be more likely to snap at people and other animals, so providing a quiet, isolated space where your cat can rest is very important.[2]
- Make sure that you can still see your cat from its resting place. Block off any dangerous hiding spots or spots that you can’t easily access.
- Keep children and other pets away from the cat. Your cat needs to rest and recover, and this is harder to do if it’s constantly interrupted or bothered by others.

2. Keep your cat comfortable. Make sure your cat has a comfortable place to sleep. If your cat doesn’t have a regular bed, try lining a box with a soft pillow or blanket.
- If you can, put your cat's bed in an area with tile or wood floors. Cats enjoy cooling off their abdomens by stretching out on cool, solid floors, and this may help soothe the surgical site.[3]

3. Keep the lights low. Cats who have had anesthesia are usually sensitive to light. Dim the lights in your cat’s resting area, or turn them off.[4]
- If this isn’t an option, provide something like a domed bed that offers some escape from the light.

4. Provide a clean litter box and easily accessible food and water. In order to heal after surgery, cats should not jump, climb stairs, or exert themselves to reach necessities.[5]
- Don’t use regular cat litter for at least a week following surgery. It can get into the surgical incisions and cause an infection, especially in male cats. Use shredded paper or newspaper, “Yesterday’s News” litter (made with shredded paper), or uncooked long-grain rice in the litter box instead.[6]

5. Keep the cat indoors. Do not allow your cat outdoors for at least two weeks after surgery. This will help the surgical site stay clean, dry, and free of infection.[7]