Spaying #Kitten Paddington by Karen Rose Smith

When we took in a pregnant stray last summer, we had no idea what experiences we'd have. Halo delivered three beautiful kittens. We found forever homes for two of them--Mason and Tia-- and kept her first-born tortie, Paddington. Paddy is full of sweetness and curiosity. At seven months she went into heat. I called the vet who said to make an appointment for a month later since she could be in heat that long. However, Paddy was in heat and calling for three days from the end of February until the week before her spaying appointment the second week in April. Our vet told us to go ahead with the appointment since that could keep happening.

Paddy waiting for a feline visitor

Paddy had to fast from 10 p.m. until my husband took her to the vet at 8:30 the following morning. I tried to keep busy and became more anxious as we waited for the vet to call. They called about 2:30 and said she was waking up and we could come to get her. When we arrived, she was definitely awake. They had used "glue" for the skin over her incision and stitches. The stitches would disintegrate on their own. We had instructions to give her a pill (Onsior--a new kind of NSAID for feline pain relief) for three nights to help relieve any discomfort. We were also to apply a warm compress twice a day for five days.

Paddy resting following surgery

 Paddy had received an inhalant for her anesthesia. She was not afraid of our touch and seemed to have no ill effects from being handled before, during and after surgery which is a testament to our veterinarian and her staff at PAWS in Hanover. She was still our sweet, curious Paddy when she came home.

Paddy receiving comfort from Halo

We have three other inside cats, one who is Paddy's mom, Halo. The vet tech advised us to keep Paddy separated from Halo that night. We didn't want her mom washing her incision.  My hubby slept in my office with Paddy to make sure she was okay while I took care of the rest of the furry crew. We were supposed to keep Paddy separated from the others and curb her activity for seven to ten days. We let Halo come into the office the day after surgery and that worked out well. She comforted Paddy and stayed close. The third day, we brought our three-year-old Zoie in to visit. Zoie and Paddy are buddies. That also went well. After a few hours we let Zoie out of the office.








 By the fourth day, Paddy was bored and getting into trouble, so we knew it was time to let her into the rest of the house with the others. Other than getting into a few tiffs with our fourteen-year-old, London, Paddy is doing wonderfully.

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USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 87th novel will be released in 2015.

Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens. And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.

Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below. 

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