Why is my spayed cat growling and meowing with toys after her spay?

Hello, and thank you for your question. Does Lucy seem like she is stressed and asking you for something, such as more food or water, or wanting you to clean her litter box? If she seems like she is losing weight, it may be worth taking her to the vet to check for a medical problem. If she is not losing weight, then I would just check for anything that she may be missing in her environment, and keep an eye on her for a few more days. Monitor her food intake closely, and take her to the vet if her appetite is low or she is losing weight, or any vomiting or diarrhea occurs. I hope this helps, and that Lucy is feeling well!

All the behaviors you're describing sound normal and relaxed, even though they are a bit different than her. Going to the vet for an exam wouldn't be wrong, but since you're tight on funds anyways, and none of that sounds concerning to me, I think it's ok to wait and watch her. If she seems to be getting MORE subdued, or has a decreased appetite, a distended abdomen, or doesn't want you to touch her belly (if she'd normally allow this), then I would be concerned.

I'm assuming that you may be concerned that the spay caused some hormonal change that is causing her to act like this. There have actually been various reports of behavior issues after surgical procedures and the potential causes are numerous. Bella could simply be painful, or anxious due to the trauma of the procedure. Alternatively, Bella could have had a pre-existing brain condition prior to the procedure that got worse with the anesthesia, or the anesthesia could have caused a momentary lack of oxygen to the brain that caused some damage. I would be most suspicious that this is a behavior issue rather than a more serious problem within the brain. For now, I recommend giving her a little time and see if her temperament improves. It's important to not treat her any differently, or try to handle her excessively. Treat her the same as you did before the procedure and handle her on her own terms. If the behavior persists after a month, then I recommend consulting your vet for further evaluation. At this time, it does not appear to be serious, so I would not be too concerned unless she seems to be getting worse or having other health issues. I hope that helps and all is well with Bella.

It is difficult to determine if Khloe's vocalizing is behavior or medically related. Sometimes cat will vocalize like this as a form of communication and behavior. Other times it can mean they are trying to tell you that they are sick or in pain. I would recommend that you look at her closely for the next several hours. Does she seem in pain, does she have normal energy, is she interacting with you? If all of these are yes - that is great and of less concern. Does she have any vomiting or diarrhea, is her appetite OK and is she drinking normal amounts of water. If the answers to this are that she is having a normal appetite and water consumption without any vomiting or diarrhea this is also a very good sign. If that is the case, i would recommend to monitor her at home and continue to watch all of these things very closely. It may be that she is trying to tell you something but it is not at all medically urgent. Please let us know if we can be of any further help. Best of luck to Khloe.

It sounds as though Sam has a behavioral problem with aggression. If you have not tried the Feliway products yet, I would recommend doing so. These are pheremone products that are supposed to help calm cats down. I would make sure that she has plenty of environmental enrichment (toys, scratch posts, etc.). If these do not help, I would recommend discussing anti-anxiety medications with your veterinarian. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. I recommend asking her veterinarian for a prescription sedative. If she does not calm down, she runs the risk of damaging her incision site and experiencing surgical complications. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she just came back home I would just give her some time to readjust. Sometimes with time they go back to their typical behavior. If no improvement, I would check with your veterinarian if she is on any medications as this could be due to her reacting to a medication. If she is not on any medications and she does not improve, I would also check in with your veterinarian to make sure that she is not acting like this due to discomfort. Good luck and have a great day!