Getting Your Cat Fixed: What to Expect

One of the most responsible decisions you can make as a pet owner is to spay or neuter your cat. Millions of unwanted cats wind up in shelters yearly, and countless more live on the streets. Spaying or neutering your cat is the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and help lower pet overpopulation. Cashua Veterinary Care in Florence, SC, offers these routine surgical procedures to ensure your cat remains healthy and happy in the future. We are here to tell you what to expect from spaying or neutering your cat.

Understanding Spaying and Neutering

Although spaying and neutering accomplish the same goal, the procedures have a couple of differences. Spaying removes the uterus and ovaries from female cats, while neutering removes the testes from male cats. Spaying also takes more time than neutering, but both operations are outpatient surgeries. Spaying and neutering prevent unwanted pregnancies, prolong your cat’s life, and improve behavior.

What to Expect During Surgery

Our vet will ask you to arrive early on the morning of your cat’s procedure for a pre-surgical exam. This exam allows our vet to prepare your cat for surgery and ensure no health complications will arise. Our vet will give your cat anesthesia and monitor its vitals during the operation. The spay or neuter surgery should only take around 20-25 minutes.

Our vet will make a tiny incision in the appropriate area to remove your cat’s reproductive organs. They will then close the incision with several layers of sutures. Your cat will spend the next few hours at our animal hospital to recover from the procedure. Once the anesthesia wears off, you can take your cat home.

What to Expect After Surgery

You must give your cat a comfortable and quiet place to rest so it can recover. Your cat will likely be lethargic and sleepy for a time. Your cat may walk more slowly, eat less than usual, and be less interested in playing or interacting as it recovers. Be sure to follow your vet’s instructions to keep your cat healthy. These instructions may include using a cone collar to prevent biting at the incision and limiting physical activity for around two weeks.

Visit Your Veterinarian in Florence, SC, for Spay or Neuter Surgery Today

Spaying and neutering prevent unwanted pregnancies while providing multiple health and behavioral benefits for your cat, so contact Cashua Veterinary Care in Florence, SC, to spay or neuter your cat today. Call us and schedule an appointment at our animal hospital at (843) 407-9020 to protect your cat’s health and well-being.