By Rachael O'ConnorShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA cat owner took their pet to be spayed, but hours later learned the vet had made a serious mistake.
The owner, who posts to Reddit under the username u/lildirtfoot, shared the major predicament to r/cats on November 23, where they said the "vet seriously messed up and I don't know what to do."
They explained this was their first time owning a cat, and when it was time for the feline to be spayed, took it to the vet where they "ran test[s] and did the whole nine yards," and told lildirtfoot the cat was a girl.
But when they returned to pick up the cat after it was spayed, the vet announced they had "some news."
The cat had been incorrectly sexed: he was male, not female, and the veterinarians only realized when they cut into his side and didn't find any ovaries. The animal medics then realized the cat is actually male, and neutered him instead.
Lildirtfoot said they were told "I should be happy because it's a cheaper surgery, but now my cat is all chopped up and very swollen and HE won’t do anything but sleep and snuggle which is cute but I’m scared he is hurting very bad."
They added, alongside a photo of their tabby cat: "I want to know what to do in this situation, the vet did something terribly wrong and their excuse was that his butt was too fluffy and that they are just humans who make mistakes."
Loading reddit content...
Reddit users were horrified, flooding the post with 11,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments, as one wrote: "Good grief. Your kitty won't have to heal as much inside as he would have if he had the other surgery. You're going to need a different vet now because this one is incompetent."
Another urged them to report the vet to the veterinary board and to leave an online review, as "mistaking a cat's gender happens when they're kittens, sure. But not when you're actually going to cut them open...It might have been a mistake and not have been malpractice, but they do need to have some form of consequence."
Another agreed: "I work at a spay/neuter clinic and this absolutely should not have happened. Definitely leave some sort of review or report, and find a new vet. Hope your kitty heals well!"
Getty Images / Guillermo Spelucin RuncimanThe user had admitted being worried their pet wasn't moving around much, but in the photo had a special harness on to stop him from licking at his wounds. After several commenters suggested removing the harness to help him move more easily, they added an update: "I removed the cat suit for some supervised grooming time and he got much more spunky!"
They added that while he was "swollen on his spay scar," it didn't appear to be infected, and they reported the vet to "the proper agencies."
Reacting to the massive support on their post, they wrote, they said they had found it "soothing," thanking everyone "for all of the supportive comments."
Recovery can be different when it comes to being spayed or neutered. Male cats are usually fully healed between 5 to 7 days after a simple neuter, and while incisions heal quickly, the pet should wear a cone for several days to avoid licking the area, according to a vet-reviewed report from PetMD.
Spaying can be more invasive, and a cat may be sent home with additional pain medication and anti-inflammatories. Many cats bounce back quickly, but should be watched for the first 24 hours. Some bruising around the incision is normal, but excessive bruising or discharge should lead to a vet call. The cat's activity should be limited for two weeks, to avoid reopening the wound.
Newsweek has contacted u/lildirtfoot via Reddit for comment on this story.
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
LifeOne Question on X Was Viewed Over 700M Times—Then the Account Got Suspended3 min read
Family & ParentingPregnant Bridesmaid Decides To ‘Guest Swap’ Husband, Shock at What Follows4 min read
PetsShelter Dog Enjoying Day Out Has Saddest Reaction When Realizing He’s Back3 min read
PetsTears at What Senior Dog Still Tries to Do After Losing Vision to Diabetes3 min read
LifeDog Gets ‘Social Anxiety’ When Meeting Puppy, His Reaction Goes Viral3 min read
Home & GardenWoman Has a Plan To Give Room ‘Old’ Aesthetic—Then It Goes Horribly Wrong3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsSarah Beckstrom, Andrew Wolfe Identified as National Guard Shooting Victims7 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Trump, Biden and the Real Record of Afghan Vetting5 min read
NewsWinter Storm Map Shows Areas Possibly Getting Hit for Thanksgiving3 min read
National Guard Shooting Suspect Worked With CIA, Director Says4 min read
WorldUkraine War Live Updates—Russia Praises Trump ‘Realism’, Putin Promises Allies New Weapons2 min read
PoliticsJD Vance’s Chances of Being 2028 GOP Nominee Plunging: Polls5 min readTrending
New York8 Million Inflation Refund Checks Sent Out Ahead of Thanksgiving4 min read
WeatherWinter Storm Warning As 20 Inches of Snow To Hit: ‘Life-Threatening’4 min read
Live BlogThanksgiving Winter Storm Live Tracker, 2,000 Flights Delayed, Up To 3 ft Of Snow Expected1 min read
DogsAfter 2 Days at Daycare, German Shepherd’s Return Goes Viral: ‘Never Again’3 min read
Live BlogDC Shooting: Two Shot National Guard Members and Suspect Pictured—Live Updates2 min readOpinion
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Anti-Thanksgiving Edition3 min read
OpinionHow to Remain Grounded and Thankful Amid the Chaos5 min read
OpinionThis Thanksgiving, Affordability Isn’t Just About the Turkey. It’s Everyday, Every Bill, Every Choice | Opinion4 min read
OpinionINTERPOL Must Not Elect One of Its Chief Abusers As Its Next President | Opinion4 min read
OpinionWhy We Care About Turkey Costs | Opinion5 min read
