# Question about Spaying



## SolomonFinch (Dec 22, 2012)

good evening!
our local animal shelter has limited Sunday hours, so we let our daughter visit. she adopted 2(!) adorable female kitties. policy dictates that before animals come home to new families they must be spayed or neutered.
they are coming home with us tomorrow or tuesday after their surgeries.
my question... one cat has been at the shelter awhile, has long hair and REALLY needs a bath. since we couldnt give her one before surgery (she didnt leave with us today)....how soon can we bathe her POST surgery? she had feces caked into her tail...so I know she will need bathed as soon as possible.
thanks!


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

You can give her a sponge bath, or use a wet wash cloth to get as much as you can off until the stitches heap up. I would honestly call the shelter and ask if they can bathe them or give flea baths before surgery so you don't need I worry about it.


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## SolomonFinch (Dec 22, 2012)

i hope i can catch the admin in office before the shelter transport to the hospital tomorrow... i am glad you suggested this...i am very passive and have a hard time asking anyone for anything, honest to goodness NEVER would have occurred to me to ask.
in case i am too late, how long do stitches take to heal? i havent had a kitty since i was a child myself.


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## Mandykinz2008 (Nov 27, 2012)

If they can't clean her any pet store sells pre-moistened wipes FOR cats. I've used them on my cats since they HATE baths and that way you can wipe everything other than the incision area


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

If there are feces caked into her fur, it'll generally be easier to just clip the hair.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

It generally takes about 3 weeks before the stitches as healed


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

I second what Olympia said. One of our longhaired rabbits kept getting a caked up behind, and in the long run, it was less trauma to just trim the hair up.


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## pittipuppylove (Feb 23, 2012)

I third the trimming idea. It looks a bit ugly for a couple weeks, but it can be way less stressful for the kitty and you can be sure that all of the caked in nasties are removed.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

How did everything go?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Usually 7-10 days for the incision to approximate and unless dissolving type sutures are used-the stitches are generally removed in 7-10 days. However, I would wait at least 2 weeks before you bath-since it can sometimes be a big fight. Most cats are not fun to bath...lol....be sure and clip her nails before you bath to limit her hooking her claws into your flesh. Some cats are easier than other-but most totally freak-especially when they hear running water....lol....

What I do for a couple of my long haired females that are too fat or old to clean themselves up proper-I use a medium-to-wide tooth comb and comb the fecal matter out of the fur on a regular basis and spot clean with a wash cloth and/or waterless type shampoo. I rarely if ever bath any of my cats(_I have over 30 rescue spay/neuter cats_).

Good luck and hope to see some pics of your new rescue kitties.....


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## SolomonFinch (Dec 22, 2012)

Great news- all went well. Both girls are well...they have to go back next week for "booster" shots and to make sure all is well with their spaying. 
They are fascinated by my 4 aquariums... LOL They sort of stare at the fish in my largest tank like... what sort of magic is this? (to their eyes I am sure the fish appear to be "floating".) Safety first, all lids are tight and weighted down... still air circulating. I think the tank lids are more important than the tanks now LOL
Thanks to all who answered. I did end up using wipes. I have a pic of one kitty...the other is still adjusting to our 2 dogs and is not quite camera friendly! (yet!)


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