"And I looked around at all the eyes on the ground as the TV entertained itself"
We got Levi to the vet on Friday, to get him neutered. And he came home the very same day, with red eyes, smaller balls and was limping slightly. We put a makeshift Elizabethan collar around his neck, so he couldn't lick the stitches away and cause complications. He was also made to starve, so that he wouldn't have trouble passing motion. And so he was starving. To prepare for the op, he couldn't have any access to food or water from 12PM onwards, and when he got home, he still couldn't eat much. We could only mix in a little bit of tuna in his water bowl. It was kind of heart breaking because he was so desperate for food that he nibbled on my fingers and sniffed and meowed for food.
He finally had to go to his litter box and I was watching him to make sure he doesn't jump about or anything after that. But after he was done, he shot out of his litter box and ran and ran and meowed madly. He evaded our attempts to catch him. My dad finally caught him and he was CRYING. He was in so much pain and couldn't do anything about it because he had that collar on and cannot lick the area. Our hearts collectively broke. My dad subsequently hugged him tight and we pet him and I hand-fed him more of that mixture of tuna and water because the collar meant that the couldn't eat on his own.
After calming him down, he walked around for a bit, unsteadily because the lower half of his body was still coping with the effects of anaesthesia. He was walking on the age of the table, and his leg kept slipping over the edge because he was so unsteady.
Finally he settled down to sleep and he slept and slept. I woke up at 6AM to feed him. At that point of time, instructions were that he was able to eat as per normal, so he ate ravenously. The rest of the day, he was not his usual boisterous self. He was weak and tired and didn't want to play. He hates it when I tickle his lower belly, but there was no reaction when I did that. Normally he'll try to swat my hand away, but he did nothing. He slept on the couch for the first time. He hates the couch surface. So yeah, we were a little bit worried. We'd read that cats can change in terms of personality after being neutered. We didn't want him to change at all.
This morning when I woke up, he was jumping, running about again and meowing happily. He was eating as per normal, running after my legs, imploring me to chase him(we have a "you're it!" ritual) and puts his toy bear at my feet so that I could kick it for him to chase.
Needless to say, we're very happy he's back to normal.
He finally had to go to his litter box and I was watching him to make sure he doesn't jump about or anything after that. But after he was done, he shot out of his litter box and ran and ran and meowed madly. He evaded our attempts to catch him. My dad finally caught him and he was CRYING. He was in so much pain and couldn't do anything about it because he had that collar on and cannot lick the area. Our hearts collectively broke. My dad subsequently hugged him tight and we pet him and I hand-fed him more of that mixture of tuna and water because the collar meant that the couldn't eat on his own.
After calming him down, he walked around for a bit, unsteadily because the lower half of his body was still coping with the effects of anaesthesia. He was walking on the age of the table, and his leg kept slipping over the edge because he was so unsteady.
Finally he settled down to sleep and he slept and slept. I woke up at 6AM to feed him. At that point of time, instructions were that he was able to eat as per normal, so he ate ravenously. The rest of the day, he was not his usual boisterous self. He was weak and tired and didn't want to play. He hates it when I tickle his lower belly, but there was no reaction when I did that. Normally he'll try to swat my hand away, but he did nothing. He slept on the couch for the first time. He hates the couch surface. So yeah, we were a little bit worried. We'd read that cats can change in terms of personality after being neutered. We didn't want him to change at all.
This morning when I woke up, he was jumping, running about again and meowing happily. He was eating as per normal, running after my legs, imploring me to chase him(we have a "you're it!" ritual) and puts his toy bear at my feet so that I could kick it for him to chase.
Needless to say, we're very happy he's back to normal.