Pos-Ops

Males can be released the day after surgery – they are given a 48h-effect antibiotic during the procedure. Females have to take antibiotics for 5 extra days, so they are released a little later. They are kept in carriers lined with newspaper and the medicine is mixed with canned food every day – more food is only given after the available one is eaten. The newspaper is changed daily to keep the carriers clean and fresh water is always available. When tame, the cats can be kept in a room with a litter box and a comfortable place to sleep in. Female cats and dogs can then be released without needing extra veterinary attention – one has to ask the vets to do self-absorbing stitches and not resort to collars.

Some care is needed when changing the cat litter to prevent the feline from escaping. The carrier door should be opened with care and as little as possible, the old newspaper taken out and the new one placed on top of the cat – she will move to get above the newspaper. Cats usually don’t try to escape, they just keep themselves to the back of the carrier, but it is best to attempt this in a confined room, so if she escapes, she is still safe from harm and is easier to re-capture.

Post-operatory procedures are easy to perform and don’t take much of the caretaker’s time or space.