Please Help!

[Tracey]

We have 3 cats. Two are kittens that are brothers. We got them from a no kill shelter, and originally went for just one more cat, but once we saw them together, we couldn't split them up.

Griffin and Azriel haven't been separated a day in their lives. Last Monday we took them to be neutered, and all was fine for awhile.

However, yesterday I noticed that there were spots of blood around the house. I right away knew that it must be an incision from the neutering, and promptly flipped up their tails.

Sure enough Griffin had a nasty and sore looking scab. Being Sunday evening, I called the vet first thing this morning, and took him in at their first opening.

We left his brother Az at home, and were gone but an hour.

Sure enough Griffin has himself an infection. The vet cleaned him up, gave us a cone and some antibiotics, and home we went.

It was suggested to us to keep Griffin in a room where he can't jump around too much, and leap on high things (he's such a monkey). And him and his best bud Azriel often wrestle, and we didn't want him to tear any further.

So when we got home, Az was scared of Griffin. I am guessing it was the cone. We quickly set up the main bathroom to suit Griffin's needs, with a variety of foods, water, a soft bed, blankets, litter box, etc. And would go to sit with him and pet him.

We decided to take Az into the bathroom, so they could see each other, since they are always together. (This was about 7 hours after coming home from the vet.) We made sure that Griffin had his cone off, so he wouldn't scare Az again.

Griffin wanted to visit with his brother and play a bit, and Az would have none of it. He spit, growled and hissed at him!!! I was so shocked and sad! They've never reacted negatively to each other!

I am hoping and praying that it may just be the smell of the antiseptic that the vet used to clean up Griff. Is this the case??? Will it pass, and how soon? I am very stressed over this. I love my cats like my children, and am already upset that Griffin isn't well, and the thought of Az no longer liking/loving his brother is tearing at me.

If it is the smell, is it best to bring Az in for visits, or leave them apart for a few days to let the scent wear off??

Please please help!

[Cleo]

It's definitely the new scents ... antiseptic, the infection ... leave the one to rest and heal for a few days. They can still sniff and explore each other under the doorway.

Once the odd smells wear off, things will be back to normal. There may be some initial hissing, just from being seperated, but it'll be okay.

I've gone through this with a few of my cats on different occassions, it all reverts back to normal.

Good luck and keep us posted on Griffin's healing.

[Traci]

Cleo is right, and I would recommend you allow them short periods of time together, as long as you supervise and to prevent them from wrestling. The more they are able to see/smell each other, the quicker they will acclimate to each other again.

Please keep an eye on Griffin's incision (check Azriel too!), and see your vet immediately if the incision is oozing blood, pus, or if the area is warm to the touch, or if Griffon is painful, has difficulty urinating or becomes lethargic and anorexic.

[Tracey]

Thank you so much! This site is such an answer to prayer, that I now have somewhere to go for advice and to find a friendly cat loving face!

We are keeping a careful eye on Griffin for sure! If it doesn't start to heal in 4 -5 days, he will get some stitches. For now they were hoping that it will heal on it's own, as the vet doesn't want to irritate the infection further with suturing it up.

[Traci]

Do you know if, during surgery, he used surgical glue or dissolvable sutures at that time? Did you see Griffin licking/biting at his incision before detecting the infection?

[Tracey]

They told me that with male cats, they do not use sutures. That it is such a small incision, that it will heal on it's own.

Az's healed very nicely. Griffin did a bit of initial licking the first day, but nothing more than a bath. We called the vet and they said that was fine, but if the licking got excessive to get a cone. He'd stopped licking, so we never got one. He likes to jump VERY high, and wrestle as I said, so I am thinking it was one of those things maybe, that opened the incision. He was fine for a week. We monitored them and it was problem free until Sun.

We just had them in for a supervised visit, and Az growled and hissed again.

Of course Griffin isn't allowed to lick himself now, so the scent of the vet is sticking on him I think.

[Traci]

Well, that first day of licking/grooming probably started the action of infection. And he may have been licking at it more than you were aware of. In any event, it's important he keeps the ecollar on to prevent this again, as the wound begins to heal. You can take the ecollar off when you are right there to supervise him, but otherwise, leave it on.

You can try taking a soft washcloth, very slightly damp, run it over Azriel's body, then run it over Griffin's body, then back on Azriel's. They will then have each other's scents.

Don't worry, this will soon pass, and is common when one of the cats has to go to the vet...it is the scents picked up at the clinic, alcohol used on skin, etc...but if your cats are generally bonded, they will forget anything happened soon enough.

[Tracey]

That is such a relief to hear! The boys are definitely not bonded with our first cat, but she tolerates them, and will play with them once in awhile.

That is terrible that the infection started there, because I called the vet and they said a bit of licking was fine. At least he has the cone on now...

[Traci]

Um, no, licking is NOT fine directly after a surgery. This is exactly HOW infection enters and exacerbates. To a lesser extent, dirt or debris could have entered (via litterbox or playing on the floor, etc), but the majority of infections like this occur because the cat licked the incision area too soon.

Unfortunately, as the incision heals, it will probably itch, making him want to lick and groom, but do not allow him to do so, the tissue needs to granulate and close completely.

[Tracey]

Thank you for your advice!

He is taking his pills very well, I leave them whole (they aren't very big) and put one in some wet food, and he laps it right up.