TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats
TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats
The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook Food Adult cats can be fed three or four hours after full anesthetic withdrawal. Start out feeding about half the normal amount in case their stomachs are upset from the anesthesia. The next morning, full portions can be given. Water should be provided as needed. Sometimes the cats’ mouths become dry from the anesthesia and at first they’ll drink more than usual. Kittens may need to eat sooner than three or four hours, depending on their age. Ask your veterinarian how long you should wait. Emergencies Symptoms which indicate the need for emergency veterinary care following the surgery include (1) pools of blood or (2) prolonged unconsciousness. Drops of blood around the scrotum for males or the spay incision for females are normal, as is urine tinged with blood for the first day or two. A pool of blood, even an 1/8 th of a cup, requires immediate attention. Another cause for emergency intervention is if the cat is still fully unconscious a couple of hours after the surgery. 83
13. Return to the Colony The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook Length of recovery period Practices vary widely among TNR groups and programs on how long the cats should be confined post-neutering before being returned to their territory. On one extreme, there is at least one large program that releases the cats as soon as they have fully withdrawn from the anesthesia, within hours of the surgery. On the other extreme, other groups recommend recovery periods of up to five to seven days. Then there is everything inbetween – 24 hours for all cats, 24 hours just for males, 48 hours for all cats, etc. Further complicating the matter, every TNR program will in good faith claim their protocol works and is safe. There are a few reasons for the competing guidelines. Providing recovery time requires a holding space, which does make the TNR process more difficult. If the cats are let go right away, then a trapper can catch them the day before surgery, keep them in the back of the van overnight, bring them to the clinic in the morning and let them go in the afternoon. Streamlining the TNR process in this way probably means more cats get neutered, but probably also means more cats die from post-surgical complications that go undetected. On the other hand, being overly cautious and confining the cats for too long also has its down sides. First, for the cat, confinement is stressful. Once their wounds are fairly well healed and they’re alert, it’s healthier for them to be back in their own environment than stuck in a trap or cage. Second, requiring caretakers to find holding spaces for a week post-neutering can be too much of a deterrent to performing TNR. At Neighborhood Cats, we balance the need for a reasonable post-surgery recovery period to ensure the cats’ health and the need to keep the TNR process simplified to ensure caretaker participation by recommending 48 hours recovery time for both males and females. If circumstances require, male cats can be released after only 24 hours, but 48 is preferred. With female cats, because the surgery is more invasive, 72 hours is acceptable if the caretaker is willing to hold them the extra day. Beyond 72 hours, we hold cats only if their condition requires, either because they’re ill or for some reason still not fully recovered. It can be a tough call sometimes whether a cat should be held longer. Often caretakers wait until the cats are eating well, but some cats are so stressed by captivity that they’re fine but won’t eat and sometimes won’t even defecate. If the cat appears otherwise fully alert, but is not eating, it could be better to let them go. No cat should be released without veterinary consultation if there are any serious lingering health issues. The need to consult a veterinarian can also be a matter of judgment. For example, if a cat develops a mild cold while confined, as evidenced by a 84
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The <strong>Neighborhood</strong> <strong>Cats</strong> <strong>TNR</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong><br />
Food<br />
Adult cats can be fed three or four hours after full anesthetic withdrawal. Start out<br />
feeding about half the normal amount in case their stomachs are upset from the<br />
anesthesia. The next morning, full portions can be given. Water should be provided as<br />
needed. Sometimes the cats’ mouths become dry from the anesthesia and at first they’ll<br />
drink more than usual. Kittens may need to eat sooner than three or four hours,<br />
depending on their age. Ask your veterinarian how long you should wait.<br />
Emergencies<br />
Symptoms which indicate the need for emergency veterinary care following the<br />
surgery include (1) pools of blood or (2) prolonged unconsciousness. Drops of blood<br />
around the scrotum for males or the spay incision for females are normal, as is urine<br />
tinged with blood for the first day or two. A pool of blood, even an 1/8 th of a cup,<br />
requires immediate attention. Another cause for emergency intervention is if the cat is<br />
still fully unconscious a couple of hours after the surgery.<br />
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