In the time I’ve spent with my cat Ma Tuan, there is a special experience that I will never forget, and that is Ma Tuan’s sterilization process. This is not only an important stage in Ma Tuan’s cat life but also makes me deeply understand the responsibility and concern as a cat owner.
Ma Tuan is a lovely cat. Since its birth, those two small testicles have accompanied it. However, when it reached seven months old, we had to face a reality: it was time for it to part with the testicles that had been with it for so long. Looking at Ma Tuan, my heart was filled with reluctance, but I also understood that this was for its health.
The night before taking Ma Tuan to the pet hospital for the sterilization operation, I hardly closed my eyes. Thinking that Ma Tuan would go through the pain of the operation the next day, I was full of worry. As a result, when taking a photo together in the hospital the next day, I looked haggard with dark circles under my eyes. Considering that the castration operation for male cats is relatively short and choosing general anesthesia by respiration requires complex operations such as intubation, after careful consideration, I finally chose intramuscular anesthesia. The moment the needle was injected, Ma Tuan fell asleep instantly. In just 10 minutes, the operation was successfully completed.
After the operation, Ma Tuan was wrapped in a blanket and in a semi-awake state. To my surprise, Ma Tuan’s constitution is really strange. Maybe it has a good tolerance to the anesthetic, and it woke up directly 10 minutes after the operation, even faster than my other cat that was anesthetized by respiration. I felt a little relieved for its quick awakening, but also felt sorry for it because waking up quickly means the anesthetic wears off quickly, and the pain may come earlier. After observing for another 10 minutes and making sure there was nothing wrong with Ma Tuan, I wrapped it warmly and took it home.
After returning home, Ma Tuan put on an Elizabethan collar (the “donut”). What I didn’t expect was that it didn’t seem to have any discomfort. Four hours after the sterilization, it could eat, drink, and sleep as usual, as if nothing had happened. Looking at the way it lay on the floor with its two hind hooves spread apart, I felt uncomfortable just looking at it, but it didn’t seem to feel the pain.
In the following five days, Ma Tuan recovered very well. Although there were some small episodes during this period, such as it fighting with the other cat in the house, the black cat Chunjuan, and falling down when trying to jump onto the table and hitting its testicles directly. But the recovery ability of small animals is really remarkable. Ma Tuan’s wound didn’t open, and there was no strange fluid flowing out. Watching Ma Tuan gradually regain its former vitality, the stone in my heart finally dropped. Both cats in the house were very worry-free during the sterilization process and were very obedient, saving me a lot of trouble.
Thinking back to when Ma Tuan was a kitten, at about three months old, it was already very chubby and extremely cute. During the particularly cold period at the beginning of autumn, I made a small piece of clothing for it, but it didn’t like it, and its resistant appearance was as if it was crying. It also particularly liked to sleep behind the door. To prevent it from catching a cold, I placed a small carpet for it. Now that it has grown up, it can no longer fit behind the door.
Now, every day when I see Ma Tuan and the other cat in the house eating enthusiastically side by side on the tea table, my heart is filled with happiness. Surrounded by these lovely cat masters, this feeling is really wonderful. Although Ma Tuan’s sterilization journey made me experience worry and distress, seeing it living a healthy and happy life now, everything is worth it. I cherish every moment spent with them and hope to always accompany them and witness more of their growth and happy moments.
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