None of my cats have ever had pain meds to go home on for spaying.  The only
time I've ever had a cat come home on pain medication was when Mushkins leg
had to be amputated for cancer.  Even then she was off the medication if 3
days.

I think you are right if they weren't so doped up they probably would have
found a place to sleep comfortable for a day or so.

I think I'd take this up with the vet the next time you see them and ask why
they are doing this now.

Celeste

When my cats were neutered/spayed, they were given an injection of a
pain killer.  I can't remember off the top of my head what it was,
maybe something like torbegesic (sp).  My male was 5 months old and my
female was 6 months old when they were done.  The thinking (and
research) nowadays is that cats do indeed feel pain.  Imagine having a
hysterectomy and no pain killer.  No thanks!

Ok, so I called my vet, and another vet in another town to get things clear
on this.
My vet, I asked, I had two male cats neutered within the last year.  One in
august 2004, the other, last week.
Q: Vishnou, from last year, has no Tolfedine injection shot appearing on the
invoice.
Kosy, my new male, had the injection...   why?
R:  They did not use it before, and they only started recently but they
aren't sure exactly when they started.... sometime last year, after summer
of course.
Q:  Females, have you always used the injection?
R:  Yes, yes, it has always been used.
Q:  Then you used it before but it did not appear on the invoice?   Because
Shiva, who I had sterilized at your clinic in '99, has no injection
appearing on the invoice.
R:  Must have been forgotten.

When I called the vet in the other town, he said he did not used
anti-inflammatory medication for sterilizing only.   He said that many
clinics do, but they(he) only used it if the operation is combined with
declawing (that hurt my stomach but I shut up)   He said some clinics use
it, others don't.  Its a matter of choice.    Tolfedine is what he uses also
when it applies.

So some vets do, some vets don't, some vets forget to include it on the
invoice....
All I can say is its hard to evaluate.   When I ask around, all who got cat
sterilized within the last years had none of the painkiller added.
Recoveries went well for all.   I saw no difference between Vishnou's
recovery and Kosy's, except that the new cats were very active when they
stepped out of the carrier, while Vishnou was calmer... but he was closer to
1 yr(at view) while the kittens are about 6-7 months old (at view also).
And the kittens spent about 6 more hours at the vet than V because I could
not get them earlier.

I don't know what to think.   If having the painkiller is best, then I will
make sure its on if there is a next time (but at 6 cats I'm feeling pretty
full now).  But to clinics and vets, please,  make the whole package,
operation and meds, stay at reasonnable prices so people, with modest
incomes, be encouraged to go on and have their pets sterilized.    Within 6
years the operation for the females has simply doubled.   Within a year it
went up 15% for males.

Elaine