Cat behavior changed after surgery

by Molly
(Eugene, OR)

I had my cat fixed a week ago and I see him only once a day now instead of many and his eating habits have dropped and he is losing weight, why?


Answer by kate
Hi
For some cats surgery can be quite traumatic and can upset their behavior for a little while. Also the anesthetic can make them feel a little strange for quite some time and this too can affect their eating habits etc.

i would wait another few days to see how he is, if he is still behaving differently and not eating well then call your vet for some advice he may have picked up an infection and need further treatment.

Any change in a cats behavior, eating habits or toilet habits is always a sign that the cat is not feeling themselves and should always be monitored for a short while in case they recover and if not then a trip to the vets is necessary.

best wishes Kate

Comments for Cat behavior changed after surgery

Click here to add your own comments

Changed nehavipur after teeth extraction
by: Marilyn

My 7 year old Bengal has totally changed her behaviour after what I was told by the vet as 6 teeth extraction. Now I find out 3 teeth had crowns cut off and gum sewn over. They said this was what they do normally however I feel I was told an untruth
Now she stays out all night in a hidey spot. Only comes in to eat once a day. No cuddles watching TV just runs outside
Sleeps on bed with me early.morning occassionally if I insist 😴 but then runs outside at first opportunity. Where is my cuddly. snuggle. loving ❤️ pussy-cat gone? Vet now wants to take out the roots of the 3 sewn over teeth. I don't think she should have to suffer this treatment and am unsure if she will return to her old personality??? Any help? Bengals are so close to native cats. Should I put her through another anaesthetic? Will she resume her loving nature? She has stopped pawing and scratching her gum but I believe she is still.in.pain and bewilderment
cy
10 year old cat had 7 teeth removed
by: jackie

my 10-year-old cat had 7 teeth removed 2 days ago,he is eating and using cat box fine but is afraid of me. Before he was cuddly, purring ,bonking me in head and would sleep with me, now he runs away from me. why!
Mr Tiggers tooth extraction mood change
by: ElJay

Hello all,
Concerned about my Mr Tigger who is estimated to be around 11 years old
Before having 2 teeth removed he was the most loving big Tabby fella you could ever want to cuddle with. He would just sit on your lap for hours or he acted like he liked to be carried around and held.
He was also diagnosed with pillow paws an type of autoimmune disease but it seems to be OK now. Before surgery he quit using the litter box which we would assume kidney problems.
We don’t know what kind pain meds he was given after his tooth extraction 3 weeks ago,
He is on the table in a cardboard box most of the time. The wife carries him to the bathroom sink and puts a puppy pee pad in it. He still has peed and pooped in other places around the house occasionally
He’s eating and drinking some and the wife feeds him soft cat food and friskies treats
Dental extraction
by: Shuto

Update on our Burmese who had 7 teeth extracted 3 weeks ago today ..... by yesterday afternoon she looked very sad and had given up, not interested in anything. Back to the vet (again) and I asked for her to be hospitalised and put on an IV drip vet suggested opiode pain killer .... this morning vet rang to say they were going to aneathetise her and take a better look inside her mouth. Another tooth was removed, right at the back which apparently was ok 3 weeks ago but today vet noticed a lesion and pus coming from the gum so removed the tooth - also a previous extraction had left an untidy gum which again exuded pus, that was cleaned out. She has been given a two weeks antibiotic jab plus a pain killer jab ..... it is now 6 hours after we collected her from the vet and FINGERS CROSSED she hasn't pawed at her mouth at all and has eaten at least two good meals - the first she has eaten in 3 weeks. She is Burmese and apparently they are top of the list for "Feline Orofacial Pain Syndrome" which we are hoping is not the cause of this dental pain. Will update in a couple of days.
Cats different after surgery
by: Nancy

Continuation of my previous comment regarding my cat Nitro...

A few months after his tooth surgery he developed herpes virus in both eyes, and my vet recommended I take him to an eye specialist. She prescribed pills and 2 different medicines to his eyes - they cleared up. About 3 weeks later, the herpes came back. I took him to the eye specialist for about 2 years, same treatment...

He tore out the fur on his wrists and ankles, the eye specialist suggested I take him to the allergist & prescribed "something" (buprenorphen, did I spell it correctly?) for the longer drive. Nitro was his old self - chipper, happy, when I gave him this medicine.

I didn't really think he had allergies, and I began to realize that his immune system had been compromised during that surgery and he'd NEVER be able to fight off the herpes on his own, it kept coming back every 2-3 weeks. I looked up the buprenorphen, it's a pain medicine - he'd been in pain those last years, that's why he seemed miserable. I scheduled an appointment to put him to sleep. He didn't make it to the vet, he passed away earlier the same day - poor baby...

I wish I had realized all of this sooner, I'd brought up to the eye spec. should I consider ending his life, no, she said. I regret forcing him to take all those pills, the 2 types of eye meds, no wonder he was peeing at the front door! He was trying to tell me, but I didn't hear his message.

I wish all of you the best with your fur-babies! I hope my experience helps you...
After tooth extraction
by: Shuto

Our 6 year old burmese cat, now almost 2 weeks after dental operation is a changed cat .... just about eats, drinks ok, toilet ok, knows us, knows where her bed is etc etc but she has lost her personality, walks very slowly, sleeps a lot and wanders round zombie like ..... any ideas ?? we have been back to the vet several times but nothing that helps .... she was put back on Metacan but no change so we have stopped that. Any comments will be gratefully received. Thanks
Personality change after surgery
by: Anonymous

Our 12-year-old cat had a canine tooth removed more than 2 months ago. Before surgery he was full of life, inquisitive, out-going, never fearful, similar to a 5-year-old boy.

After surgery, he is timid, reserved, unsure of himself, clingy...

I thought maybe he awoke during surgery and was terrified, but I'll never know. I've had the occasion to use a power drill for household repairs and that doesn't bother him.

My husband and I are using a lot of love, cuddling and more play than before to try to help him back to his name: Nitro.

Is there anything else you suggest?

Thank you,

Nancy

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Cat Questions.