1. Watch for vomiting. If your cat vomits after eating the night you bring it home from surgery, remove the food. Try feeding a small amount of food again the next morning. If your cat vomits again, or if it has diarrhea, call your vet.[23]
2. Check the incision site each morning and night. For 7-10 days after surgery, check your cat’s incision site every morning and night. Compare its appearance to the incision site on the first day after surgery to judge how your cat is healing. Call your veterinarian if you observe any of the following:[24]
- Redness. The incision may initially be pink or light red around the edges. This redness should fade with time. If it intensifies or the incision appears dark red at any time, this could be a sign of a developing infection.
- Bruising. Some slight bruising that goes from red to purple as it heals is normal. If the bruising spreads, gets, worse or is severe, or if new bruising occurs, however, you should seek follow-up care right away.
- Swelling. Some swelling around the incision site is a normal part of healing, but if the swelling persists or worsens, you should call your veterinarian.
- Discharge. You may see a very small amount of light red discharge around the incision when you bring your cat home. This can be normal, but if the discharge persists for more than a day, the amount of discharge increases, the discharge is bloody or the discharge is green, yellow, white or foul smelling, your cat needs veterinary attention.
-Separation of the wound edges. In a male cat, the scrotal incisions will be open, but they should be small, and they should close rapidly. A female cat or a male that had abdominal surgery may or may not have visible stitches. If the cat has visible stitches, these should remain intact. If the cat does not have visible stitches, the wound edges should remain closed. If they start to separate or you notice anything, including suture material, protruding from the wound, take the cat to your veterinarian right away.
3. Check your cat’s gums. Your cat’s gums should be pale pink to red in color. When you press lightly on the gum and then let go, the color should return quickly to the area.[25] If your cat’s gums are pale or don’t return to their normal color when pressed, call your vet.[26]
4. Look for signs of pain. Cats don’t always display pain the way humans (or even dogs) do. Be on the lookout for signs of discomfort in your cat. If you see any signs of pain, your cat needs help and you should call your vet. Common signs of postoperative pain in cats include:[27]
- Persistent hiding or attempts to escape
- Depression or lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Hunched posture
- Tense abdominal muscles
- Growling
- Hissing
- Anxiety or skittishness
5. Watch for other warning signs. Make sure that your cat is recovering by keeping an eye on its behavior. Anything that doesn’t seem “normal” should go away within 24 hours of surgery. If you notice unusual behavior or symptoms in your cat, call your vet immediately. The following are signs to watch for:[28][29]
- Lethargy for more than 24 hours after surgery
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting after the first night
- Fever or chills
- Decreased appetite for more than 24-48 hours after surgery
- Failure to eat anything after 24 hours (for adult cats) or 12 hours (for kittens)
- Difficult or painful urination
- Not defecating for more than 24-48 hours after surgery
6. Contact an emergency vet. In most cases, contacting your normal veterinarian when you’re concerned will be enough to help your cat recover. However, in certain cases, you should seek emergency care for your cat. Call an emergency vet or animal hospital if you observe any of the following in your cat:
- Unconsciousness
- Unresponsiveness
- Difficulty breathing
- Signs of extreme pain
- Altered mental state (the cat does not seem to recognize you or its surroundings, or is behaving very unusually)
- Distended abdomen
- Bleeding
7. Keep any follow-up appointments. Your cat may not have skin sutures (visible stitches). However, if your cat does have sutures, your vet will need to remove them in 10-14 days after surgery.
- Even if your cat doesn’t have sutures, keep any follow-up appointments that your veterinarian recommended.
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