What to feed a sterilized cat

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If you have any reason to take your cat home and care for it yourself, you will have to follow certain guidelines. When you take your cat to the clinic for sterilization, place a towel or rag on the bottom of the carrier; the warmer the better. After surgery, the animal's body temperature may drop slightly, so the cat will need to be wrapped in something warm.

Having brought the operated animal home, for the first 24 hours you will have to watch how it recovers from anesthesia. Lay something warm on the floor and place the cat on the bedding. Please note that there should be no drafts in the room. Do not place your pet on a surface (for example, on a chair or sofa): when coming out of anesthesia, the animal may suddenly jump up on its paws and run and will certainly fall to the floor from a height.

The movements of a cat recovering from anesthesia are not coordinated. She can get up, walk a few steps and fall again, she can bury herself in a corner and move her paws helplessly. The animal is not yet adequate. Just carefully pick it up and place it back on the mat. Remove hot and sharp objects from the floor; note that there should be no threads or wires on the floor in which the cat could become entangled. Remember: she is still practically asleep and completely helpless. It is advisable for the cat to lie on its right side after sterilization (in no case on the left, so that there is no additional stress on the heart after the operation).

Cats do not close their eyes during anesthesia. Their eyes are open even during surgery. To avoid drying out the mucous membrane of the eyes, a special solution is instilled. But you will still have to close and open your cat's eyelids with your fingers every 20-30 minutes until she starts blinking on her own or until she closes her eyes. The cat's mouth will become dry, so it is advisable to moisten it with water or carefully feed the cat with a pipette, making sure that it swallows the liquid and does not choke. You need very little water, give it drop by drop.

A cat after sterilization may frighten you with its behavior. Remember: if a cat is sleeping, and then suddenly wakes up and starts running, and then just as suddenly falls; if she tries to crawl somewhere or scratches her paws on the floor, if she meows or hisses and then falls silent; If you bump into corners and walls when walking, this is normal. The animal is disoriented, that's all. However, if you think that something is wrong with your pet’s recovery from anesthesia, call the veterinarian who performed the operation.

A cat may experience involuntary urination on the first day after surgery. Make sure your animal moves on surfaces that can be easily cleaned. In addition, a cat may vomit after anesthesia. Keep a bag or pot ready. Usually, before vomiting, the cat begins to lick itself involuntarily and without stopping. Pay attention to this.

Caring for a neutered cat ends here. In about a day he will feel much better, and after 3-4 days he will calmly move around the apartment. He won't need any stitches.

Caring for a sterilized cat is much more difficult. A special blanket will be put on her, and this blanket cannot be removed until the stitches are removed, i.e. 10-14 days after sterilization. The seams will need to be treated regularly (to do this, the blanket is removed from the hind legs and put back on after treatment). There is one danger associated with this blanket: after 5-6 days the cat may think that it is already healthy, and the tailed one will again begin to try to jump onto the bedside table, windowsill, sofa, etc. It is likely that the cat will not be able to jump. It happens that the blanket gets caught on something (for example, the handles on the door of a bedside table) and the cat hangs on it. Firstly, it will not be easy to remove the cat: it will meow loudly, squirm, hiss, bite and scratch. Secondly, if this happens when no one is home, the consequences can be dire. Before removing the stitches, limit the cat's movement in the house, try to protect it from the danger described above.

Be attentive to your pet after he has undergone surgery. Follow your veterinarian's instructions and don't be afraid to call him if anything happens to your cat after spaying. Then your pet will calmly endure the postoperative period, and there will be no complications.

Dr. Biol. Science Surikova E. A.

Cat serenades and inappropriate behavior during hormonal surges cause a lot of trouble for owners. To prevent possible problems, owners decide to sterilize the cat. Unfortunately, veterinarians rarely explain the nuances of caring for a pet after sterilization, this also applies to diet correction. In this material we will tell you how to feed a sterilized cat in order to preserve its health and help it live a full and long life.

Feeding in the postoperative period

Cats tolerate castration more easily and return to their previous lifestyle within 24 hours. With cats it will be a little more difficult: lethargy and drowsiness can persist for 2-3 days. A special bandage is put on the cat so that it does not lick the seam. Your task is to monitor the general condition of the pet, treat the seams and provide the most comfortable conditions.

Expert advice. If after 3-4 days the cat continues to refuse food, cannot lie on its stomach or behaves restlessly, be sure to contact your veterinarian!

After the operation, the animal may refuse to eat for a day or two; you cannot force feed it. For 3-4 days after sterilization, feed the cat soft semi-liquid food, suitable:

Ground boiled or raw eggs.
Chicken bouillon.
Low-fat fermented milk products, cottage cheese.
Baby formulas.

If you feed prepared foods, choose wet canned food labeled “for cats after surgery.” The cat should always have clean water in its bowl; there is no need to artificially water the animal.

Natural food: choosing a diet

The diet of a sterilized cat should be varied, but do not forget that this is a small domesticated cat, but still a predator, so 50% of the diet should be meat.

Natural food for cats after sterilization is:

Lean meat and poultry (can be given boiled or raw, but be thoroughly frozen beforehand).
Boiled or steamed offal (liver, kidneys, lung, etc.) - no more than 2 times a week.
Meat broths.
Boiled or steamed vegetables - these can be added to food or pureed and served as a main dish. Cats benefit from carrots, cabbage, zucchini, pumpkin, and sometimes you can give cucumber or tomatoes.
Dairy products (kefir, cottage cheese, sour cream, fermented baked milk).
Porridge (oatmeal, rice, wheat, sometimes corn).
Wheatgrass or sprouted grass for cats.

If you have free time, prepare healthy canned food for your cat. It is advisable to pre-freeze or boil offal. We pass cartilage, chicken necks, pig ears, chicken or beef liver, and heart through a meat grinder. Boil oatmeal or buckwheat without salt, mix with offal. To make the food more liquid, it can be diluted with broth. We pack it in plastic containers or additionally boil it and roll it into jars.

What should be the finished feed?

Every caring owner, before buying ready-made food for his pet, at least reads the label. In other words, cheap economy-class food simply cannot be of high quality and complete. It is best to take food marked “for sterilized cats” of at least premium class. The most common brands are Royal Canin, Proplan, Gourmet, Hills, etc.

Try to dose the portions (there are always tables with norms on the packages). If your pet is prone to gaining excess weight, you should consult a veterinarian and choose low-calorie food. It is preferable to give canned food to sterilized cats, as they contain a lot of moisture. If you give dry food, make sure there is always clean water next to the bowl. During the day, the cat should consume liquids at least twice as much as the weight of the food eaten.

“Human” food provokes obesity and metabolic disorders. You should not give cats legumes, a lot of milk, fish, or starch-containing foods, since they cause indigestion and are not absorbed by the body, and fish also provokes the development of urolithiasis.

What to feed cats after sterilization? – important nuances:

The food should be balanced and tasty: if it is high-quality ready-made food, there is no need to give the animal additional vitamins without a veterinarian’s prescription. Hypervitaminosis is no better than vitamin deficiency.
The food must be appropriate for the age of the cat; a special menu is prepared for young and old animals.
Nutrition should control her weight, prevent the development of diabetes, urolithiasis, inflammatory processes and other diseases to which sterilized cats are susceptible.
If you feed your pet natural food and want to change the diet, this should be done gradually, over the course of a month. You cannot mix industrial feed and natural food.
Many cats constantly beg for food after sterilization. Often, animals do not have a feeling of satiety: they can eat everything that is in their bowl. The result is problems with excess weight. Measure portions and, if necessary, buy lower-calorie food.

It’s easy to check whether your pet is prone to obesity: stroke her back and hips. If the bones can be felt, there is no need to worry. If they are covered in fat, the condition of the coat has deteriorated, and the pet’s behavior has changed – a diet is urgently needed.

For useful tips and expert opinions on feeding cats, watch the video below.

Sterilization is depriving an animal of the ability to give birth. If you decide to sterilize a cat, this almost certainly means that during the operation her internal reproductive organs will be removed - the ovaries and uterus, that is, strictly speaking, she will be castrated.

What then? Since these organs (mainly the ovaries) produced female sex hormones, which are responsible for many processes in the body, their removal will lead to various consequences.

Estrogens tend to suppress appetite. In addition, sex hormones speed up metabolism. If they stop being produced, the animal’s appetite increases, and at the same time metabolism slows down. As a result, we get a tendency towards obesity.

If we talk about how to properly feed neutered cats, then we need to proceed from this conclusion. If previously the animal had a full bowl, from which the cat ate a little at a time and did not gain excess weight, now she will eat everything and ask for more, gradually turning into a bun.

Developers of pet food have long been concerned with this problem and have created lines of food for sterilized animals: as a rule, they have lower calorie content due to their reduced fat content.

Popular and recommended brands

The range of food for neutered cats is quite diverse. But all of them can be classified into 2 large categories: premium and economy.

Royal Canin

The products of this manufacturer are well known throughout the world. It is distinguished by consistently high quality workmanship and the presence of specialized therapeutic diets.

The product line includes dry and wet food, taking into account age characteristics. For example, Sterilized 7 food is intended for cats over 7 years old. For pets prone to obesity – Satiety Weight Management.

Pro Plan Sterilized

A well-known brand from the company PURINA. Helps maintain normal weight and healthy urinary system.

Contains the patented OPTIRENAL component, which combines all essential fatty acids and vitamins. For cats over 7 years old there is a special line Sterilized 7.

Hill's

A line of premium food from a Dutch manufacturer. Often recommended by veterinarians, it contains no artificial additives.

Thanks to its unique formula, it controls mineral content, which prevents the formation of urinary stones. It also contains antioxidants that help strengthen the immune system.

Whiskas

Budget food. Characterized by low price. The series for sterilized cats includes dry food and pouches. The manufacturer recommends combining them. Use wet food for morning and evening feeding, and dry food during the day.

Changing your approach to feeding your cat

After sterilizing a pet, owners need to change their views on feeding it. First, you need to limit the amount of food you eat. It is a myth that the bowl should always be filled to the brim, and the cat itself knows how much it needs to eat. Therefore, you need to strictly adhere to the daily norm, dividing it into one or more feedings during the day.

For example, wet food should not be left in a bowl, so it must be given often and little by little. And don’t feel sorry for the little glutton if she “cries” next to an empty bowl. Once given a food reward, your cat will use the same techniques over and over again if he realizes they work.

Secondly, you need to monitor the physical condition of the animal. If the cat receives what you think is a tiny portion, but does not lose weight, then it means she has enough. If a standard portion causes weight gain, it must be reduced.

Visually it is not always possible to adequately assess the degree of fatness of an animal, so weighing is optimal. Only constant monitoring by the owners and individual adjustment of the amount of food will allow the cat to stay in shape.

Best age for sterilization

Most cats reach sexual maturity at 6-9 months. There are breeds that are able to give birth to viable kittens earlier, at 4.5-6 months.

The pet could be sterilized during this period, but such an early operation will have a negative impact on the cat, which will never grow up.

The best option is to sterilize the animal from 8 months to 1.5 years. It can be done later if the cat is healthy. But there is no need to delay. The older she is, the more difficult it is to endure estrus, during which she does not mate, and the procedure for removing the reproductive organs.

How to properly feed a cat after sterilization: changing the diet

It is necessary to reduce the calorie content of the feed. There are some rules for feeding castrated animals:

reducing the level of fat (it is desirable that their level should not exceed 10%);
maximum reduction in the amount of carbohydrates (the less the cat gets from grain and starchy foods, the better);
increasing the amount of dietary fiber (they give a feeling of fullness and at the same time stimulate the intestines).

It should be noted that a decrease in nutritional value does not mean a decrease in feed quality. After sterilization, you need to feed your cat no less, and perhaps even more carefully. It is extremely important for her to receive high-quality sources of fat and protein, so diets in which full-fledged animal fat is replaced with vegetable oil, and meat with sources of vegetable protein, are not suitable for her in any case.

You should not be afraid after sterilization and the development of urolithiasis; there is no direct connection between these phenomena. High-quality feed, balanced in magnesium and phosphorus content, reduces the risk of developing the disease.

How to avoid obesity?

Most neutered cats suffer from obesity.

The following factors contribute to its development:

Sedentary lifestyle. The pet spends most of its time in an apartment in limited space. At the same time, the owner believes that the adult animal has long lost interest in active games.
High calorie diet. Feeding without compliance with standards, leading to overfeeding, and food from the table.
Unbalanced diet. Vitamin and mineral deficiency lead to metabolic disorders.
Hormonal disbalance. It can also cause excess weight.
Breed predisposition. Due to genetic characteristics, some breeds are prone to obesity. For example, Persian or British.

You can determine if your pet is obese by the following signs:

Saggy belly.
Complete absence of a “waist”.
The chest and spine are almost not palpable.

Be sure to read:
Cat nutrition after sterilization: what food to feed, what to exclude from the diet

If you suspect your pet is obese, you should show it to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Only a specialist will be able to correctly assess the animal’s motor activity and, based on this, calculate the amount of feed.

Prevention of the development of obesity after castration comes down mainly to strict calculation of feeding portions and stimulation of the animal’s activity. For example, you can purchase a special play complex or take your pet for walks.

How to properly feed a sterilized cat dry food

Only super premium food for sterilized animals and grain-free food with a high meat content are suitable for feeding.

The daily portion is selected based on the feeding standards recommended by the manufacturer. A table with data can always be found on the back of the package. Please understand that grain-free diets are highly digestible, so you may need to reduce the daily intake, especially if your cat has begun to gain weight.

Feeding dry food to sterilized cats with different activity levels

In apartment cats, energy expenditure can be very low, but it’s a different matter when the question arises of how to properly feed a sterilized outdoor cat. By this we mean an animal that has constant access to the street. Theoretically, the energy expenditure of such a cat will be much higher, which means the need for food will increase.

But here it is important to take into account such a moment as hunting. If a cat actively catches mice during walks, then it can almost completely satisfy its nutritional needs through its natural diet. Many domestic cats only play with their prey, losing interest in it after death or bringing it to their owners to “boast of their success.”

In this case, the owner needs to monitor the animal’s weight and independently select the optimal feeding option. If the cat gains weight on a standard portion of food, you need to give less food. If the animal runs around a lot, does not eat its prey and begins to lose weight, it may have to be given a little more food (the norm for active animals is the maximum values in the table indicated on the package).

Prohibited Products

Some foods must be permanently removed from a neutered cat's diet to avoid health problems. Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium salts pose a great danger. They can be deposited in the organs of the excretory system, which contributes to the development of urolithiasis. Fish and seafood contain large amounts of phosphorus, so such foods should not be given. Occasionally you can pamper her with a small piece of low-fat sea fish, but only if she really loves this product. For example, you can support an animal in a state of stress in this way.

The list of prohibited products also includes:

fatty varieties or parts of meat;
oatmeal and semolina;
fatty dairy products: cream, sour cream with a fat content of more than 6-10%.

There is no need to feed the animal potatoes. This vegetable has a high glycemic index. A cat does not need a high content of sugars and starch; this can quickly lead to excess weight gain. Legumes are difficult to digest, so you should not feed them to a sterilized cat either.

It is prohibited to give human products: smoked meats, sausages, fried foods, pickles and marinades. Such products contain a huge amount of fats, table salt, and spices that animals do not need. Sausages contain additives that are harmful to them and a lot of salt.

Sterilization is not to blame

Sterilization is the right way to prolong a pet’s life and improve its quality. But health largely depends on proper feeding. No matter how “cute” a plump cat may look, we should not forget that this is an obese animal that is at risk of developing diabetes, problems with joints, heart, kidneys, liver, and is unable to lead an active lifestyle and play.

It is not the food or the operation itself that is to blame for obesity - the responsibility lies primarily with the owners, so it is better not to neglect the advice of veterinarians on how to properly feed a sterilized cat.

Feed your cat correctly after castration, and you will not notice any changes in her character and complexion. She will be as active, playful and healthy as before.

For those people who have decided to have their cat sterilized, the first question that arises is how to care for the cat after sterilization? This operation in the case of a cat is much more complicated than with a cat, so you should approach the procedure with all responsibility and ensure good care for the cat after sterilization. In the first few hours after the operation, your purr will especially need your attention. So you will need to provide your cat with care and support.

Caring for a cat after sterilization at home in the first hours

In general, the cat’s behavior after sterilization will remain the same and is absolutely familiar to you. All the instincts and habits of the cat will be preserved, including the desire for motherhood. The only thing that will disappear is the opportunity to become pregnant, and, accordingly, to produce offspring. This, in fact, is what cat sterilization and post-operative care is designed for, we will look at it below.

Caring for an animal in this condition requires special attention and care on the part of the owner. Under no circumstances should a cat be left alone until it recovers from the effects of anesthesia and begins to move consciously without outside intervention.

The cat wakes up after about 3-6 hours. This largely depends on the drug, its dose and the characteristics of your pet’s body. On how to care for a cat after sterilization surgery, it is best to consult a veterinarian and get the most complete information that will take into account the characteristics of your cat.

After the operation, the animal should be protected from additional stress on the heart, so the cat should be placed on its right side. A cat's sleepy appearance and general lethargy after surgery is normal and this condition usually goes away quite quickly. Most cats return to their normal lifestyle the next day.

If after sterilization the cat remains the same lethargic for a long time, then you should not delay the time. It is better to consult a doctor immediately. In addition, if the veterinarian suggests leaving the cat under medical supervision for the first time, then it is better to agree.

Caring for a cat after sterilization at home involves a number of details. You should know that at first the animal will not even be able to blink on its own, which can cause the mucous membrane of its eyes to dry out. So even with this you will have to help, carefully closing and opening the cat’s eyelids with your fingers every half hour until the cat begins to blink.

After waking up, the cat should be given some water. Don't expect her to start drinking on her own - use a dropper to pour a couple of drops of liquid into her mouth. In addition, under no circumstances leave a bowl of water near the animal, because it may well fall asleep with its muzzle in it.

How to care for a suture after sterilizing a cat?

The postoperative suture requires no less attention than the general condition of the animal. Antiseptic ointments or liquids should be used for treatment. Chlorhexidine has a significant healing effect. Do not overdo the treatment if there is no redness or swelling around the seam. A small bulge may appear in its area, caused by the proliferation of granulation tissue. This in itself is not a cause for concern and the lump will resolve on its own within a few weeks after surgery. The behavior of a cat after sterilization surgery cannot be clearly predicted.

Some are completely indifferent to it, others, on the contrary, try with all their might to comb it or lick it. One of the important tips is to use a special blanket to prevent bacteria from the animal’s tongue and claws from getting onto the seam. The design is a simple fabric jumpsuit with drawstrings that can be put on and taken off without any problems. The fabric used is light and natural to make the animal comfortable. Do not under any circumstances overtighten the ties, otherwise this may impede the access of air to the seam, as a result of which it may even fester.

The most suitable age of an animal for such an operation is from six months to a year. Among other things, it is recommended to prepare two blankets: one your cat will wear, while the second can be washed. Make sure that there is nothing on the blanket that could cling to furniture or other objects.

In addition, if possible, you should minimize the cat's movements until the sutures are removed. In general, the healing process does not take much time: the wound heals on about the third day, and on the tenth, maximum twelfth, the veterinarian will remove the stitches. If special absorbable threads were used, then a repeat visit to remove them will not be required.

Check your cat's body temperature regularly. Under the influence of anesthesia, it usually decreases by a couple of degrees, which is why the animal trembles and feels chills. Your paws will also feel colder than usual. You can help your cat by covering it with a warm towel or placing it on a heating pad. Heat lamps can also come in handy. Do not place the animal on elevated surfaces such as sofas or chairs to avoid injury.

Having woken up from anesthesia, a cat can jump up and run, not yet particularly oriented in space, which is why a fall will be inevitable. Remember that in the first ten to twelve hours your pet will be practically helpless. In addition, there may be significant lethargy, disorientation and unsteadiness of gait. Sometimes a cat will simply bump into furniture and fall, sluggishly moving its paws.

Wires, threads, and any sharp or dangerous objects should be removed from the floor. It is very important for the cat to remain at rest after the procedure, so you should temporarily protect it from active games, especially with children. If your pet tries to get up and go somewhere, try to carefully return her to the equipped bed, try to calm her down. A clean tray should be placed in the room.

Cat nutrition after sterilization

The behavior of a cat after sterilization on the second day is usually characterized by loss of appetite along with a general inhibition of reaction. She should be fed easily digestible food one day after the operation, and given water after three hours. In addition, the cat may refuse to eat at all, which in itself is quite normal. There is no need to force feed her at all. In addition, it is not recommended to change your diet suddenly after surgery. The transition to special nutrition should be carried out gradually without haste.

The important point is not so much what exactly to feed, but how to maintain the normal state of the animal’s figure. Due to reduced energy expenditure, the cat may develop a tendency towards obesity. Therefore, you should adjust your pet’s diet accordingly.

Among other things, you should not give your cat food 12 hours before surgery so that it can more easily tolerate the effects of anesthesia. Today there is a sufficient range of food specifically for sterilized cats. If you use natural food, then you should reduce the volume of the daily portion. Fish should be given once a week, not more often, and best of all boiled, low-fat. The daily portion of food should be reduced by ten to twenty percent, while not forgetting about active games.

A pet’s illness is often not particularly life-threatening if help is provided in a timely and qualified manner. Unfortunately, some illnesses cannot be treated only with medication; cats have to undergo surgery. In addition, every responsible owner will not allow animals to reproduce spontaneously, which is why many cats go through the process of sterilization or castration. Postoperative care contains many nuances, but the main question is how to properly feed the cat after surgery.

Let's start with safety precautions, which must be followed regardless of the circumstances. Whether your cat is recovering from a dental cleaning or recovering from abdominal surgery, she will experience toxicity until she fully recovers from anesthesia.

All drugs for anesthesia are, roughly speaking, drugs that lead to muscle relaxation and temporary cessation of the sensitivity of certain areas of the brain. Often, while under the influence of anesthesia, a cat hallucinates, sees pictures, hears sounds or senses something that is not there. All these oddities can prompt your pet to take unexpected actions. Unfortunately, many owners have learned from their own experience that a cat can cause serious injury to itself after anesthesia.

To avoid obvious risks, you should do the following:

Do not leave your cat unattended until it has completely recovered from anesthesia! It is necessary! If you need to leave for a short time, your pet should be locked in a carrier. To make it more convenient while the cat is sleeping, do not take it out of the carrier, but simply remove the lid.
Place the carrier with the cat on the floor to prevent the pet from falling. Falling from a height is dangerous because the impact causes the cat to tense up and the seams may come apart.
Close all windows and vents - yes, some cats very quickly “drop in” from the windows of multi-story buildings if they imagine something.
Immediately after surgery, put an Elizabethan collar or blanket on your cat (as recommended by your doctor). You may not even notice your cat has woken up, but owners have learned that cats' sharp teeth can remove stitches in seconds.

Note! Even if the cat has undergone a standard, simple operation, all sterility measures must be observed during the rehabilitation period!

After castration of the cat, make sure that he does not remove the collar and that the tray filler is clean. After sterilizing your cat, stock up on several blankets so that you can change them as needed.

On the first day after surgery, the cat will not be able to regulate its temperature, so it is important to keep it warm. Make sure that the carrier is not in a draft. If paws feel cool, use a heating pad. Woolen fabric or special thermal blankets help preserve body heat. If the cat is constantly losing temperature, it is placed on a heating pad with a temperature of 38–39.5°, covered with a light piece of wool and foil.

Important! While the cat is sleeping, it needs to be turned from one side to the other every 1.5–2 hours, this stimulates blood circulation and reduces the risk of developing edema.

Please note that the residual effect of anesthesia may last a day or more. Delayed intoxication also happens, especially if the cat has liver problems or. You need to keep watch over your pet for at least a day, so you need to ask someone for help in advance. The cat will sleep, but not deeply, she will hear most of the sounds, so it is important not to fuss. Even if you are worried, speak in a confident tone and remain as calm as possible. You need to understand that the cat is in pain and scared, and your confidence will support it. If your pet tries to raise its head or stand up, immediately indicate your presence with your voice. Perhaps the cat does not want to go anywhere, and its attempts to move are associated with a feeling of loneliness and fear.

Important! If the animal has a large stitch on its body, for example, after surgery to remove a tumor, strictly follow the doctor's instructions for changing the bandages. A stale bandage can cause the wound to become infected and cause itching, which encourages the cat to make unnecessary movements.

About a day after the operation, you will be faced with a very important question - what to feed and whether it is possible to feed the patient. Please note that if the veterinarian has indicated that you cannot feed the cat, this recommendation must be strictly followed. For example, after intestinal surgery, even a small amount of food will cause damage to the suture or inflammation. Hunger weakens the body, so to maintain it, the cat is given IVs with vitamin complexes and buffer solutions.

What to feed your pet afterwards?

After surgery, a neutered pet's hormonal levels change. The animal becomes less active, is less likely to be exposed to stress, and prefers to lead a measured lifestyle. The daily caloric intake for sterilized cats is significantly lower than for animals before surgery. If the owner leaves the animal’s diet the same, very soon the cat will gain excess weight and become obese (this is especially true for the British and Persian), which will negatively affect his well-being. What changes to the menu can a pet expect after sterilization?

The first hours after surgery

The cat’s diet needs to be thought out in advance; if you have never experienced the rehabilitation of animals after surgery, it is better to consult a veterinarian. Don't worry if your cat refuses to eat or has a very poor appetite. After operations, it is more
important to dock
.

Have you ever been under anesthesia? If so, then you probably remember that terrible feeling of dry mouth, so strong that the only thing you can think about is water. As luck would have it, there is no saliva in my mouth. This is postoperative dehydration; it always develops to a greater or lesser extent. The cat experiences very similar feelings, so prepare clean water, a dropper and a spoon in advance. The pet may have the strength to lap from a spoon, but if not, the mouth needs to be moistened with a pipette or finger. It is important not to pour in a lot of water, but just moisten it so that the cat can swallow without discomfort.

Note! If the cat has just woken up and is trying to walk, it is better to support it with a towel or light scarf.

It is quite natural that your pet's legs will get tangled and he will fall. Move the tray in advance closer to the carrier, if the cat is conscious, even in a state of intoxication she will tolerate it, but will not go to the toilet under herself.

How to understand that the food has been chosen correctly

If after surgery the cat’s diet consists only of natural food, it will not receive the required amount of nutrients. Therefore, you need to use a balanced feed containing vitamins and minerals.

The fact that the food is suitable is indicated by:

a good appetite;
regular bowel movements, absence of constipation and indigestion;
well-groomed, shiny coat;
no loss of shreds;
good health.