Pre-Operative Owner Instructions
Quality Medical Procedures
Feline spays and neuters will be performed by an experienced, licensed veterinarian assisted by 2 veterinary technicians. Surgeries are provided on an outpatient basis, with cats being dropped off at 7:30 a.m. and discharged in the afternoon, depending on the size of the clinic and the ability of your cat to be awake from the anesthesia.
An approved, safe anesthetic protocol that includes pain medication at no additional charge will be used.
Please adhere to the following instructions:
- You must confirm your reservation. Submit your confirmation online through our website or by calling 770 455-7077 option #2 no sooner than 7 business days, but no later than 3 business days prior to the surgery date to have confirmed space. Your reservation will become a standby – with no guarantee if you do not confirm. Those with confirmed reservations will be admitted first, followed by standbys.
- General Health – If your pet shows any signs of illness (sneezing, runny nose, diarrhea, vomiting) in the days directly preceding its scheduled surgery, for the safety and health preservation of your pet as well as other animals in the clinic, please call our office to reschedule.
- Food & Water – Please take away food after 10 PM the night before surgery. Please DO NOT withhold water. This can make a cat dehydrated prior to surgery and/or exaserbate any underlying liver or kidney issues.
- Do not give any food the morning of surgery if the cats are over 3 months.
- If the patient is a kitten under 3 months of age, remove food after 10 PM the night before surgery, but give half the normal amount of food and water the morning of surgery, before 6am. - Flea treatments – The only flea treatments that are acceptable to use prior to surgery are Advantage, Frontline, and Revolution. Other flea products should be discontinued 2 weeks prior to the day of surgery.
- Collars/Flea Collars - Flea collars should never be used on cats, they contain toxic chemicals that could cause various levels of reaction in your pet, up to and including death. Any flea collars found on animals brought to CatSnip will be cut off and thrown away. If you want your cat to wear a collar, please only use a breakaway collar for cats. This will greatly reduce the risk of severe injury should the collar become caught on something.
- Heartworm Preventatives – Heartworm preventatives should be used as normal, regardless of surgery.
- Nursing Females – Please be sure that your female cat has stopped nursing (weaned) at least 2 weeks prior to the day of surgery.
- Rabies Vaccinations – If your pet is not up-to-date on it’s rabies vaccination and is 12 weeks of age or older, it is required that you have your pet vaccinated. We will administer the vaccine the day of surgery for a $10 charge.
- Arrival Time – Surgery is scheduled by appointment. Your confirmation is invalid if you have not arrived at 7:30am. You space will be given to the next person on the wait list. Please arrive at Project CatSnip mobile clinic promptly at 7:30 am, no later.
- Carriers – Please ensure the security of your carrier(s) prior to transporting your cat. Your cat MUST be in carrier approved for cats upon discharge. See “What to Expect” for additional information about appropriate carriers.
- Multiple cats MUST go home in separate carriers. If one is not provided, a cardboard carrier will be furnished for a additional charge of $5.
- Payment is required at the time your pet is checked in for surgery – NO EXCEPTIONS. No animal may be left without prepayment.
- Pick-Up Time – Once surgical procedures are completed and they have fully recovered from anesthesia, animals are discharged from the clinic the same day. Pick-up time will be announced at the time you complete your paperwork in the morning, as it changes daily depending upon the clinic count.
- Post operative instructions will be provided at the time of pick up.
- Absolutely no overnight stays are permitted.
- Late Fee – There will be an additional charge of $10 for every half hour a cat is left after the scheduled pick-up time.
Before surgery is the perfect time to get everything ready for your cat to come home for a successful recovery. Here is general post op info to help you prep, but please thoroughly ready our Post Op Instruction page as well:
Your cat will have to be confined to a small room post surgery, and use paper litter (detail on post op page). Also, your pet must be kept separated from all other animals, multiple surgical patients must recover separately. It is best to prepare the area(s) prior to pickup!
Abandoned Animal Policy -
Project CatSnip is not equipped with overnight boarding facilities. Any animal that is not picked up one hour after the scheduled pick-up time will be taken to the nearest County Animal Control. Any fines imposed by Animal Control will be the responsibility of the animal’s owner plus CatSnip charges.
PLEASE PICK UP YOUR PET FOLLOWING SURGERY ON TIME. No exceptions will be made.
Emergencies – Should any emergencies or post surgical questions arise, please call our CatSnip Medical Hotline number that is provided in our post operative instructions. We will assist you and advise you on how to best handle your pet’s medical needs.
