Ethel’s THIRD Spay: Feline Ovarian Remnant Syndrome

I knew it was coming, yet it still ‘snuck’ up on me. Friday night, Ethel was very restless, she could not sleep, and therefore I did not get much sleep either. Though I was slightly suspicious, she was not really ‘crying’, so I wondered if she might have a tummy ache or something. Eventually, she did settle down on my pillow for what was left of the night (Lucy commands the foot of the bed.)

Saturday morning, the minute I opened my eyes, Ethel was at the patio door crying to go out. Since she much prefers the great outdoors to the catbox, I let them out much earlier in the day than I usually do.

I am telling you, Ethel had not cleared the patio rail before she started ‘yowling’. And it was not more than 10 minutes later that the abandoned and recently NUETERED ‘cat with no name’ was ready, willing and apparently able!

(As an aside, let me warn everyone AGAINST the low fee Spay and Neuter Clinics! Find the money to go to a private vet and you probably will not have to go through this! But I was broke, a babe in the woods, and really had no knowledge of all this...)

I spent all weekend listening to the ‘love cat couple’ screaming sweet nothings back and forth through the patio screen. Poor perturbed Lucy just kind of watched from a distance trying to figure it all out. I am so glad that I have been taking Prednisone for 3 weeks now, otherwise I don’t know how I would have gotten through this physically!

Last March, when Ethel went into estrus, it only lasted 4 days. A third spay was postponed because they needed her to be in full estrus to find the offending ovarian tissue in her belly. So here it was, she started estrus on a Friday night! I was frantic, wondering if I could get her to the vet before it ended; I did not want to go though another 6 months watching and waiting!

I set my alarm, got up early this morning, turned the coffee on, and was sitting beside the phone watching the minutes until I could call the vet’s office.

Then there were LOTS more fun complications! The vet who was going to do her third spay was not available till September 20th! Add to that all the financial arrangements that had been made 6 months ago were now moot, and I had to ‘reconnect’ there also.

Almost in tears, and with only half a cup of coffee swallowed (and with Ethel and the ‘cat with no name professing their ador LOUDLY through the patio door, I called the agency that was ‘financing’ Ethel’s third spay. Things got done immediately! She found another vet who was willing to do the surgery, TODAY but I had to have her there before noon!

I knew that Ethel had not eaten, and I had not seen her drink, so I picked up the food and water, through her in a carrier (boy was she ticked!), and started looking for transportation for her. The one ‘cat’ volunteer I know had just put his car in the shop an hour earlier. Yellow Cab would not take an animal (even caged), without a person (and not having a folding wheelchair I could not go). Then someone gave me the phone number for a ‘pet ambulance’, which I think is a great idea, but the cost was $200 one way!

Desperate to get her there and get this problem finally, completely over, before her estrus passed, I went out on the sidewalk, hair still uncombed, phone in hand, looking for neighbors. There was none to be seen, it was mid-morning. Next, I headed for the Cove’s office. I was hoping to get one of the maintenance workers to take her for cash.

Finally, I lucked out! One of the employees had an adult daughter, who also lived here, and she not only had a car, but was willing and available to take Ethel in now, and pick her up for me tomorrow – it only cost me $40 cash! (Exactly why one should always keep a small amount of ‘mad money’ available at all times. Not that $40 is a ‘small amount’ to me; it would buy a lot of bread, milk, and cat food!)

I called the vet’s office to make sure that she had arrived (she had), filled out the ‘paperwork’ over the phone, and they got Ethel’s records faxed from the out-of-town vet’s office. I arranged for them to keep her tonight, to make sure she was OK, as I do not have a car or person to do anything tonight if she had a problem. I completed all this with a sigh of relief.

It seemed I had no sooner poured another cup of coffee when the vet phoned. The procedure was complete, he had found ovarian tissue on the right side of her belly, and she was doing fine (other than trying to chew up everyone, she does get a little ‘testy’ when given anesthetics.)

I had an exhausting and worried weekend but maybe, just maybe, Ethel will not need to be spayed again! Ethel will be home tomorrow, sore, maybe still ticked off, with a belly full of dissolving stitches, but hopefully with her libido turned off for good! (Me? Hey, I am going to bed as soon as I post this!)

BTW, if you have had a cat that has had to be spayed more than once, raise your hand!