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My cat is lethargic, not eating/drinking 48 hrs after spay. Serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 5 years old | 12 lbs

My cat went into surgery for a spay almost 48 hrs ago and refuses eat or drink anything. She's very lethargic and has only used the litter box once to pee. I have her on 0.18 ml of buprenorphine and 50mg of gabapentin. I fed her roughly one syringe of hill's prescription diet a/b to force feed her. If she doesn't eat/drink in the next couple hours I'm taking her to the vet regardless.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 14th, 2020

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Boo. Poor girl! While you can see a decrease in appetite and potentially drinking after a spay, her appetite should have been back to normal or close to normal by now. It's very serious she hasn't eaten or drank in 48 hours, and that suggests something is quite wrong. I would take her into a vet immediately, as she may have a post-surgical complication. I hope this helps!

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