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Why is my cat still lethargic and unsteady after spay surgery?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 1 year and 10 months old | 7 lbs

I had 2 cats spayed earlier today, approximately 15 hours ago. One cat is back to her old self already and the other is still extremely lethargic and unsteady on her feet. Is this normal. Do different cats recover more quickly than others after anesthesia?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on June 15th, 2017

Great to hear you are choosing to spay and neuter your kitties! Some cats definitely do recover more quickly than others. This could depend on the choice of anesthetic, recovery time, other health issues, and nutrition. 15 hours is definitely a pretty long time and I would have expected a almost full recovery from any anesthetic at that point. Extremely lethargy and unsteadiness could be an indication of a post-op complication, infection, or something different entirely. If Tortilla appears to be stable to you, this isn't necessarily an emergency. However, if you think she is deteriorating, you may want to go ahead and get the emergency hospital on alert to tell them you might be coming in at some point. I would go ahead and check her gums for good color (pinkish and moist) and try to obtain a rectal temperature (over 102.5-103.0 would be considered a fever). If any of these are troubling to you, get her checked out some time soon. Also, I would flip her over and take a good look at her incision to see if it looks inflammed, red, or painful. Hope this helps!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It is completely true that cats recover at different rates following general anesthesia, just like in people. I would give it a full 24 hrs for Tortilla to improve before worrying just yet. Offer her 1/2 of her normal food amount at her next feeding and keep an eye on her. If you notice any vomiting, diarrhea, pale gums, clean and dry incision line, lack of appetite or continued lethargy then its best to have her re-examined by your vet. However, so far she sounds like she is going through a potentially normal post surgery recovery. Best wishes and take care.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 13th, 2019

    She had a major abdominal surgery, so she will be tired and sore from that as well as effects from anesthesia. I'd keep an eye on her tonight, and if she is still acting this way in the morning, have her seen by a vet. If you are very concerned about her, you can take her into an ER vet now.

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