Hi Everyone advice from Cat experts needed please!
Percy our ginger minger cat had a dental procedure today and I've been told to keep him in for 3 days. Our cats don't have a litter tray and come & go as they please. I've borrowed tray from my neighbour (cats previous owner) set it up, locked the cat flap and just had 2 hours of stressed cat trying to get out of the house!
Should I just let him out or persevere? He seems ok; eaten his tea & isn't woozy.
Thank you so much for the reply. I've given it a go and he's flaked out, thank goodness. Just kicking myself that I didn't think of it.
I've not had to deal with this situation before & am torn between head (I know what the vet said and why) and heart (distressed cat yowling & pacing desperate to get out of the house). Other cats who'ved employed us to look after them haven't had a problem with being kept in after the vet and have just got on with it.
If you are desperate you could ask your vet for medication called Clomicalm. We've used it when we had to keep our Burmese in for two weeks following an operation. It's not cheap but it meant we got some sleep and he didn't wreck the house.
On the recomended dose it turned him into a zombi but we cut it back to half a tablet a day and he was a very calm laid back cat for the remainder of his time in.
Didn't have any long term effect and he soon went back to normal when we stopped it
the once or twice i have had to keep the cat in for a few days he does calm down after a while he will use the litter tray and he will use the dogs as toys
Usually he comes home to eat and sleep and occasionally wind up the young dog, old dog was here before the cat and is the boss of the pets and cat leaves him alone most of the time
All quiet here now. Percy ate all his medicated breakfast and after annoying our other cat briefly, is back in bed. I've been using feliway but have no idea if it helps. Goodness knows how I'm going to get him back back in the carrier on Monday 😬
He's a mind reader, I only have to think about locking the cat flap, flea treatment or worming tablets and he knows!
His strategy for coping at the vet is to hide under a blanket in the carrier and move very slowly away from everyone to any suitable hiding place, poor love.
Definitely keep him in - you don’t want him getting an infection in his mouth after dental work, if he’s a hunter! I know it’s really stressful, but you need to ignore his cries to get out and he’ll eventually give up. Xx
The Feliway will work. It works over several days by effecting the cats stress levels. Make sure its plugged in near to were your kitty sleeps. If you can find a toy your pet will play with for 5 to 10 minutes that will also calm it down as cats are tuned for sudden bursts of energy then to rest for a prolonged period. Good luck and I hope the dental probkem resolves sooner than later.
Regarding getting him into the basket.Place the basket on the edge of a table so there is nowhere else for him to put his paws. Worked for a stay of mine that took 8 years to realise we were not that bad.
Hopefully everyones stress levels(especially mine as I know it makes his worse) coming down with all your advice will help tomorrow when I take Percy back for his check up.
We have had exactly the same problem. Our 13 year old cat had an infected tooth and an abscess. They removed the tooth and the abscess burst and all this gunk came out of her eye!! I really thought we had lost her. She refused to use the litter tray and was getting so stressed I let her out. She was back within minutes.
The worst part is she must have been in so much pain. She is now nearly recovered - just unfortunate that her insurance doesn't cover dental work!! but hay ho if you have animals you have to be prepared to support them. It is just so good that she is well again.
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Topic: Keeping cat indoors
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) coming down with all your advice will help tomorrow when I take Percy back for his check up. 
