Spayed pregnant cat aggressive & restless: Is it phantom labor?

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

Hello, if this is a picture of how your cat looks currently, then she needs to be seen by a veterinarian. I am concerned about the fact she is not spayed, has skin lesions, & seems to have developed a significant behavioral issue. My thoughts are the possibility of an ovarian cyst or tumor that is affecting her hormones. Routine blood work may or may not reveal anything ( which is good ). so I would really think about getting her spayed. You can try the calming products like Feliway, & oral products like Solliquin, & Anxitane, but it sounds like she may be going through some pretty significant hormonal upheavals. I hope you can have her seen soon. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she just came back home I would just give her some time to readjust. Sometimes with time they go back to their typical behavior. If no improvement, I would check with your veterinarian if she is on any medications as this could be due to her reacting to a medication. If she is not on any medications and she does not improve, I would also check in with your veterinarian to make sure that she is not acting like this due to discomfort. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello, sorry to hear about Zelda. She may still be exhibiting some pain and discomfort from the surgery as it has only been a day since then. I would keep Zelda quiet and comfortable for at least 2 weeks while she recovers from her spay surgery. This kind of surgery is a big procedures that involves going deep into the abdomen to remove the ovaries and uterus. After the two weeks, if she is still acting very hostile then you may need to reset the introduction. Your other cat may also smell differently since she was at the clinic which may be causing Zelda to feel unsure. Again, giving both of them some time to recover from this surgery is likely your best option right now. You can give them both, nice comfortable bedding to sleep on and offer them plenty of quiet time so that they can rest. Keep them from jumping, running, or excessive rough play as this can lead to premature failure of the surgery site. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I'm assuming that you may be concerned that the spay caused some hormonal change that is causing her to act like this. There have actually been various reports of behavior issues after surgical procedures and the potential causes are numerous. Bella could simply be painful, or anxious due to the trauma of the procedure. Alternatively, Bella could have had a pre-existing brain condition prior to the procedure that got worse with the anesthesia, or the anesthesia could have caused a momentary lack of oxygen to the brain that caused some damage. I would be most suspicious that this is a behavior issue rather than a more serious problem within the brain. For now, I recommend giving her a little time and see if her temperament improves. It's important to not treat her any differently, or try to handle her excessively. Treat her the same as you did before the procedure and handle her on her own terms. If the behavior persists after a month, then I recommend consulting your vet for further evaluation. At this time, it does not appear to be serious, so I would not be too concerned unless she seems to be getting worse or having other health issues. I hope that helps and all is well with Bella.

All the behaviors you're describing sound normal and relaxed, even though they are a bit different than her. Going to the vet for an exam wouldn't be wrong, but since you're tight on funds anyways, and none of that sounds concerning to me, I think it's ok to wait and watch her. If she seems to be getting MORE subdued, or has a decreased appetite, a distended abdomen, or doesn't want you to touch her belly (if she'd normally allow this), then I would be concerned.

Unfortunately there is nothing specific to do to comfort her - she will show behavior changes until she is out of heat, and cats will cycle in and out of heat until they are bred. You could try something like a Feliway diffuser or other pheromone spray that might help her relax. Otherwise you should go ahead and try to schedule the spay surgery - ask your vet when they would feel most comfortable proceeding with surgery since she is currently in heat. Keep in mind that since hormones can persist for a period of time after surgery she may still show symptoms of a heat cycle for awhile.