My cat is not drinking, wobbly, and hot after spay. Is this normal?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Boo. Poor girl! While you can see a decrease in appetite and potentially drinking after a spay, her appetite should have been back to normal or close to normal by now. It's very serious she hasn't eaten or drank in 48 hours, and that suggests something is quite wrong. I would take her into a vet immediately, as she may have a post-surgical complication. I hope this helps!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear that Zoll is having a prolonged recovery. Don't feel hesitant to call the emergency number that the clinic provided. If she was more awake I would advise that you try to get her to eat a small bit of food. That will often help them recover but don't try it unless she can hold her head up. One thing you can do is take some sweet liquid such as honey or sugar water and rub it on her gums and tongue without getting bit though. That may help her recover faster. Also get her warmed up. She might be cold and not recovering due to lower body temperature. Use care but warm her up somehow with warm dry towels or something else. Just use care and don't burn her. It is possible she has some kidney or liver problems and that the drugs are not being metabolized properly. The reversal agent (I'm assuming what that is) usually works faster in normal patients. Again I would call the emergency number. She may need more reversal agent or fluid therapy to speed up recovery. She is probably urinating because of the anesthetic drugs she was given. I'm sorry you are having a tough time with her. I hope you can contact somebody.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds as if Chloe may be having trouble with vision as well? Often times when we see patients hugging close to walls and having trouble negotiating surroundings it's either their vision is impaired or they have severe spatial perception defects (think vertigo). It is possible that anesthesia can affect balance but it is normally seen pretty soon after a surgical process and not so far out. If she is having actual weakness as a problem with ambulation (walking) this will require a more in depth exam than we can provide online. Likely she will need a neurological work up with labs and x rays to find the source or her problem. For now I think you are doing everything correctly-keep her calm and in a small contained space (like a bathroom) to make her feel more secure for the time being. It is great that she is eating and drinking and having normal bathroom habits-these are positive signs. It sounds as if you are very good kitty parents. Just let her stay close to you if it helps and hopefully you will have some more in depth answers soon. My best to all of you.

I would not worry too much at this point. Zoii has just undergone major surgery and it can take up to 48 hours for her to fully recover. She is probably still processing some of the anesthesia that is in her system. She also was probably very stressed and did not get much rest while at the vet so she is making up for that now. Just keep an eye on her tonight and if you are still not comfortable with how she is acting in the morning you can take her in for a recheck. My guess is that she was just more sensitive to the drugs used and it is taking her a bit more time to recover than some cats. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

After 3 days, the recovery from anesthesia should be gone and she should be feeling like her old self and normal. For her to not have an appetite at this point is concerning something else is going on and it is not part of the surgery recovery. I would recommend taking her to a vet for a check up. They can take her temperature and make sure she is not dehydrated. They can see if there is an infection or a virus that is making her feel bad. Continue to do broth or you can try tuna or the juice to encourage her to keep fluids in until you get her seen. I would also try to keep the other cats away from her so she can rest.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lily. She may still be feeling the effects of the anesthesia from her surgery yesterday. I recommend keeping her quiet today and allowing her to rest. Monitor her so that you can ensure that she continues to eat and drink. If she is not acting normal by tomorrow, then I would contact her veterinarian. She may be painful. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications though as these can be toxic to cats. I hope this information helps!

Occasionally they will act "off" for a day or 2 following anesthesia, and a lot of cats really hate wearing a cone. (though you should keep in on her!) The combination of everything you mention could lead to her being a bit cranky. And the walking backwards and falling over is probably from the cone. Take it off for a few minutes and watch her move around to ensure she walks normally without it. If she continues to be stumbling/clumsy/abnormal gait with the cone off, then take her to your vet for an exam. But If she is eating some (even if its less than normal), give her some space. Let her have her own isolated area... a small bathroom, laundry room, etc, with food, water, litter box, and some comfy beds and or boxes she might like. She should be acting more like herself over the next few days. If at any point she is becoming increasingly lethargic, she starts vomiting, she is completely anorexic (not eating anything at all for more than 24 hours), then take her to your vet right away. Thank you for asking PetCoach1