Category Archives: Living with cats

How to ensure the well-being of your girlcat after spaying

ZORRO : I am quite worried this morning : Pixie is going be operated to be spayed. That make me feel nervous to know her alone at the vet : she is so little ! She left with Claire before 7:00 am, and she will back middle of the afternoon.

I don’t think that she’ll be in shape on her return, then to welcome her in the best conditions, I inquired. Here are my advice to watch her well-being from her return :

Unless the vet gives you other indications, you can feed your girlcat the evening following the operation. Don’t worry if she has no appetite this evening.
To encourage your girlcat to eat little, offer her her favorite food, or a little tuna, or a few shrimps which are digestible.
If your cat has to take post-operative medicine, they must be generally given at meal time. Don’t give them if your girlcat refuses to eat, and ask advice from your vet.
Your girlcat should start again eating the next day. Contact your vet if she still ate nothing 24 hours after the operation.
10 to 14 days are needed so that the skin heals, and at least 2 weeks so that the section is closed well : avoid letting go out your girlcat during this period. It’s necessary to avoid any “excessive” activity, and to avoid that the wound is wet or made dirty.
Your girlcat can completely resume her usual indoor routine (moderated activity and moderated game at the beginning).
You have no particular care to do except to verify that the scar remains clean and healthy.
Verify the suture every day ; check that it’s not red, doesn’t ooze or doesn’t wide. If you see one of these signs, make a control at the vet.
If the wound is made dirty by ground or excrements, you can clean it delicately with lukewarm water, slightly salt solution, or solution with very diluted Betadine. Check very attentively, because there is a big risk of infection !
Don’t let your girlcat lick her scar : she risks to infect it with the present bacteria of her mouth, or to pull the threads with her teeth.
Don’t bathe your girlcat before two weeks (from our point of view, it should be forbidden to give a bath to a poor innocent cat, that’s a human’s idea, really !)
If the threads used for the suture are not made to be reduced, it’s necessary to make them remove after 14 days by the vet.
Most of cats don’t seem to be in pain too much ; if your girlcat seems to suffer, your veterinarian can prescribe painkillers. In every case, never give human medicine to your cat !

If your girlcat doesn’t eat, doesn’t drink or drinks too much, doesn’t go to her litter box or makes black dropping, vomits, is depressed, it’s not normal : rush at the vet’s !

I believe that’s all ; now, I cross my paws so that everything goes well for Pixie !

How to feed an old cat

With the age, the physical activity of the cat decreases, and its energy needs also. An adapted food will contribute to maintain him healthy. Here are the advice of our angel Isis :

Choose delicious and easily digestible food.
Split the meals.
Unless otherwise specified by the veterinarian, favor a top-quality wet food.
Watch a contribution being enough in vitamins : C and E for the immune system and against cellular ageing, D for skin and fur(so that your cat can synthesize the vitamin D, expose him a small moment to the sun if he doesn’t go there alone), and the rest of the alphabet for his general well-being.
Watch a regular contribution of glucosamin and chondroitin to protect his articulations and his musculoskeletal system (by means of a food complement with extract of green mussel for example).
Always put some fresh water in arrangement, and watch the consumption of your old cat. Consult the veterinarian if your cat drinks more than 100 ml / kg / day, it can be due to a problem of loins.

If your old cat loses weight without visible reason, he maybe has a toothache, or bellyache, or somewhere else : go to the veterinarian !

How to help an old cat to stay clean

With the age, your cat can have some difficulty having a wash because he gained weight, because he has osteoarthritis, because he has teeth problems, or because he is sick. His hairs begin to clump, his rear and his ears begins to smell, and he can develop other diseases.

To prevent discomfort and health problems bound to the lack of hygiene, the bean of an old cat has to help him to wash if he does not manage to do it alone.

Observe your cat when he gets older : don’t wait until he’s disgusting to ask yourself if he needs help for his wash.
A daily attention is absolutely necessary.
Brush your old cat softly every day ; this brushing can be followed by a passage with a warm wet dish mop if your cat doesn’t finish to groom himself all alone.
Our angel Isis had dingleberries all year long : with round-ended scissors, Claire delicately cut the hairs of her rear to have a well cleared zone around her “rosette”. That made the veterinarian laugh when he saw this magnificent Persian cat with her rear all flat, but that allowed to avoid having every day droppings taken in fur. Trim regularly his rear, and maintain the zone clean by brushing it and by cleaning it with a wet dish mop.
Once a week, also check more attentively his eyes, his ears, his mouth, and the general state of the skin to spot the first signs of an affection which could require a veterinary treatment. Our angel Hercule adored that we clean him the auricle ! You can use a compress soaked with camomile to clean eyes which flow a little.
Once a month, clip carefully his claws.
If your old cat struggles, don’t take the risk of hurting him and ask for help the veterinarian.

A last word about baths : if your cat has already had baths regularly, why not to give him one from time to time, but should the opposite occur, especially not : it would be far too stressful for him !