Spaying

[gnpkrupp]

My I yr. old cat that had a litter of kittens 10wks ago was spayed 3 days ago. She does not seem to be getting back to normal. She just lays with her abdomen on the ground and her paws and feet tucked up under her. She started vomitting her food and water today. Her incision looks good, the stitches are fine and there is no discharge. There is some swelling around her abdomen. Is this normal or is she having complications?

[OneFinn]

I hope someone knowledgeable responds to this post. My cat is having a similar experience. After the surgery, she seemed fine, normal. But her reaction to the kittens got more and more negative. She hisses and swats the kittens whenever they're near. She growls all the time. And she is more reclusive than I've ever seen her--hiding under chairs or in bushes most of the time.
I also worry that she might have complications, I understand that these behaviors indicate she's seeking security because she's not well. But her reaction to me is as affectionate as always. It makes me wonder if she's reacting to other *cats* differently. Possibly because of her new condition post spay?
Concerning your cat, I've found online veterinary sites helpful sometimes. Some are sponsored by genuinely caring vets, rather than just to host advertisements.

[OneFinn]

I asked around and people who know something of cats seem to say that post-spaying depression is normal. My cat's behavior seems to be due to a mood change. Your cat's vomiting problem can be an indication that something physical is wrong; but not necessarily surgery-related. I've noticed that when neighbors are doing some project that creates chemical fumes all cats suffer vomiting, and that's probably to be expected. Stress also makes a cat sensitive to food generally.
I noticed slight swelling in my cat's abdomen after surgery, but that has gone away. She still growls, but since I've heard that's kinda normal, I'm not worrying about it. I hope your cat's physical problems are only stress-related. Or environmental. But I do know that when a cat is sick, she seeks seclusion, and her posture is to curl up and sit on her paws... I hope this is helpful information.