I am so not happy about this...

[cyan_blue]

So tomorrow we take Preia to the vet to be spayed.

It's in her contract that we have to. Siberian cat breeders like to be the only Siberian cat breeders in their neighborhoods, so they include in the adoption contract a clause that the cat must be spayed by age 6 months, or else the breeder gets to repossess the cat. And due to my allergies, Siberians are really the kind of cat I need to have. So, over a barrel on that one.

And really, we'd have probably needed to spay her anyway, it's supposed to be healthier that way.

But Preia has been raised tenderly and lovingly, and has never for a day been separated from people who loved her.

And tomorrow I have to bring her to the vet's. And likely they are perfectly nice vets. But they won't be *her* people, and she'll be wondering why Emmett and I have left her in this place that isn't her home, with strangers who aren't her people, who put her in a *cage* and stick needles in her and remove parts of her body.

And I wonder if she will forgive us, or ever trust us as much again. She'll probably forgive us. But I hate to break our little one's trust, even for as little as eight hours.

Comments

[puzzld1.livejournal.com]

*hug* Fortunately, kitties seem to have relatively short memories for stuff like this. When I had to take Jethro to get fixed (he was adopted from the SPCA and it was part of the deal-besides which, I didn't want him out making more strays), he more seemed relieved to see me again than angry or mistrustful. He also has had life-long denial about being neutered-he still gets it on indiscriminately with neighborhood cats of both genders-I guess he's bi and poly too, as well as a top. Marquesa, who was my cat before him was female and a much more sensitive soul also took the whole thing in stride.


Unfortunately, vet visits happen many times in the life of a kitty, and at least once a year, they involve shots. When they get older, sometimes overnighters in cages become necessary. Like with human children, sometimes we have to have things done to them that seem really mean,but are for their own good, and it's heartbreaking. But with both, we are entrusted with responsibility for their health care and sometimes *ouch* that means being the "bad guy" for their better benefit.

Trust your bond with her. Do not think of it as violating her trust. Think of it as taking on the burden of a decision she does not have the capacity to make for herself that is ultimately fo her future benefit. Hope that helps.

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

> he more seemed relieved to see me again than angry or mistrustful

This is good to know.

> Like with human children, sometimes we have to have things done to
> them that seem really mean,but are for their own good, and it's
> heartbreaking.

I know. I just wish we could explain to her why we are doing this and that we are coming back in several hours for her.

Geri

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

*hugs* offered...

I know this can be scary, and frustrating, and stressful. Luckily, it will also be over soon. And kitties *do* tend to have a fairly short memory for this sort of thing, and I've never encountered one that's held a grudge against their owners.

If this is a vet you trust, she should be fine. She'll be with people who care for her, and who love animals and want her to have the best possible experience she can. And it *is* in her best interest - completely aside from the pregnancy issue, you're protecting her from breast cancer, uterine cancer, and a few other serious diseases.

I'll be thinking about her today, and I wish I could be there to take care of her...

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Thanks... I totally wish it were you spaying her too! We don't know this vet; Preia's just 5 months old and hasn't been to a vet since we got her at age 3 months, and that was 60 miles away. We chose the nearest one, this small town's veterinary hospital. Should be reputable, but one never knows til one tries it.

I know that probably in a week it will be a distant memory for her. I just don't like the thought of her wondering today if we will ever come back for her. To make matters worse, she's had separation anxiety lately... she runs to the door and meows, upset, whenever we go to leave. She's been doing that since a friend visited for a week and then left; she bonded pretty well with our friend during that time.

Thanks for writing,
Geri

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Quick question if it's ok - is it normal for cats to be a bit smelly a couple of days after the spaying procedure? I think she smells a bit like litterbox, Emmett thinks she smells a bit like "female." I know she's been cleaning herself, so I don't think it's that she hasn't the energy to clean.

Thanks,
Geri

[eleanor.livejournal.com]

I do know how you feel. I've been throug it with every one of the six cats I've had, and today I'm beside myself that I'll be away for the weekend, causing Morgan and the cats worry, stress, and lonliness. And they get to stay home with a friend of mine they know.

But really, aside from the contract, you are doing the right thing. She will lead a longer and healthier life, and she will love you just as much.

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

> But really, aside from the contract, you are doing the right thing. She will > lead a longer and healthier life, and she will love you just as much.

I know, I've never heard of a cat hating its owner forever post-spaying. I just don't want her to wonder even for a second whether we are coming back.

Hugs, and enjoy Arisia!
Geri

[melebeth]

The kitten boo, who I only had briefly, didn't seem too traumatized by her spay visit this week. She was much more affectionate when she came home, and her tummy seemed cold where they had shaved it, but she settled right back into her kitty routine. I think what upset her the most was the fact that I couldn't feed her for 12 hours before she went it. I'm sure Preia will be fine and very happy to come home, she's obviously got great parents who love her and she can't fail to recognize that. Cats are good at picking up on the love and forgetting the brief insults to their feline dignity.

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Oddly, the food removal didn't faze her... she noticed it, sniffed around where her food bowl was supposed to be, but didn't seem bothered otherwise.

How long did Kitten-boo take to recover fully?

Geri

[melebeth]

Except for the cold tummy she was back to normal by the time I picked her up - at my vet they keep the cats overnight to watch them while the anaesthesia wore off. She came home, drank a huge amount of water, and other than the excess of affection (not a bad thing) was back to her normal self. She actually, oddly enough, seemed happier. She started grooming in front of me (she wouldn't do that before) and was much more of a lap kitty. Other than trying to pick at her stiches a few times - she stopped after she got told not to twice - and being confused by the lack of fur on her tummy she really seemed fine by the day after.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

You are *so* empathic, you know that?

I would draw you a picture of Preia with Bast, but I've drawn several of them for friends whose cats died, enough that I'm getting superstitious. So I will just have to draw you something else. :)

Good luck, Preia!
And good luck, blue-eyed lady. :)
A.

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Awww... thanks! We would love a Preia-with-something-else drawing! :-) And you're right, my empathy-meter is working on serious double-time today (let's see if I can keep that up through my afternoon client appointment, now.)

Thanks for the good luck wishes!

Hugs,
Geri

[catling.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, it's a fairly routine procedure and sounds like a good, trusted vet. And yes she will forgive you. Most kitties are just relieved to be back with their human and happy to be home again.

She'll probably be kind of disoriented and out of it right after, and may spend a few days or a week sleeping lots (how do you tell with a cat, considering how much they normally sleep?), perhaps even being a little clingy to reassure herself that you're not going to send her away again soon. But she'll recover and be fine.

In a small percentage of cats they do seem to blame the human for their distress and can be standoffish and grumpy for a few days, but for some reason in my experience that has always been with male cats, and regardless, they do get over it.