Cats on tummy during recovery WHY?

I had my hysterectomy on 12/20 along with a hernia repair. Kept ovaries.

I have six big dogs and seven cats in addition to two human children and a husband. My daughter is almost 13 and has been doing my job of feeding and walking everyone while I recover but while my female dogs (who were “fixed”) seem to sympathize (they of course have been through this LOL) the cats, regardless of gender ALL want to sit on top of me all of the time! And the place they really all wanna be is right atop my swellybelly and then they want to do the happy feet thing with their claws. It’s nice to know they love me but can’t they love me while sitting NEXT to me instead? And they don’t even care if they have to sit on top of other cats to sit on me. Do they think they are helping? Got two on top of me and each other as I write this. I managed to at least not have them on my biggest incision, which is what hurts the most, but that leaves me with a big cat on my chest and under my chin and a big cat sitting on my lower belly and crotch. Of course it is the two biggest and furriest who want the most attention but all the cats want to be on me all of the time lately.

Oh, and a big fluffy husky dog (she is mom to four of our dogs and had her surgery earlier this year) on the bed too, laying next to/on top of my legs and a cat.
At least I don’t need a heating pad with the creatures all over me!

I hope my ridiculous situation will make someone here smile. I’m doing “ok” otherwise, eight days out. I actually drove myself to the grocery store for a few things yesterday. Needed a nap after & am a little more sore today but it was worth it to get comfort stuff I wanted and not have to hope someone else might be willing to get it for me. Nobody has been around to see if I am ok or need anything, which was a little surprising and disappointing, but my immediate family unit (hubby & kids) are doing their best to pitch in and of course there are all my crazy animals who are obsessed with me now. LOL
Anyone else wanna talk about how their pets have been treating you since you’ve been home?
Gotta love those fur babies!

I wonder how long I should wait before I try walking my dogs again? I have no problem walking at all, so long as I have a hand free to hold that one part of my belly that hurts. They are big dogs (momma Husky, daddy dog is a Dalmatian mix, year old puppies as big or bigger than their folks) but I have a retractable leash that makes controlling them fairly easy and they are sort of well behaved. Walking the dogs was my primary exercise before surgery and is something I actually like doing because it always helped me find my “zen” just being out of the house with a dog, six times in a row, several times a day. LOL I miss that special time with my dogs and my daughter does not enjoy doing it like I did. Looking forward to getting the burden off her and taking my job back!

There's a fairly simple explanation for the cats. What they're doing now is what they've wanted to do for *years*- except that usually you're running around too much. Right now you're spending more time at home and more time at home sitting, reclining and/or lying down. The cats are making the most of their chance to cuddle up, just as they've always wanted to do.

I had two cats at the time of surgery. My older one (now sadly departed) always slept with me at night. Because I had abdominal surgery, I was gone for three nights. My first night home, he waited until I was settled into bed, then climbed on top of me and sprawled out as far as he could go for maximum coverage. The message was clear: I was not allowed to go anywhere every again!

Both of my cats obviously enjoyed having me home more during recovery, and the three of us spent a lot of time together. Once I explained firmly, "No knead Mumma's belly!" - which they seemed to understand - they simply curled up in my lap (in turns, it's a narrow lap) and purred. The extra warmth felt nice and purring is supposed to be ultrasound, which is supposed to help you heal.

You also probably smell a bit odd. I noticed that my pee smelled odd and metallic for the first couple of weeks after surgery, even though I'd only been on narcotics a couple of days and ibuprofen doesn't usually have that effect. Your cats may associate your odd smell with injury and want to help. Or they may simply want to cover up the unfamiliar smell by making you smell like them instead.

If you were given a lifting limit - it's usually 10-15 lbs - this is also a pushing and pulling limit. You don't want a dog pulling on the leash unless it's a miniature Pekinese or Chihuahua. You wrote that your dogs are "sort of" well-behaved, but that sounds as if there are times when they're not. You can certainly accompany your daughter and the dogs - you should do as much walking as your body is comfortable with - but I'd suggest not risking being the one holding the leash until your doctor clears it.

Thank you. Maybe when I feel better I might just try the momma dog. She is well behaved for me and also had a rough recovery from her surgery so seems to understand better than anyone else here. The cats do certainly enjoy my lack of mobility right now! And their presence does help keep me calm.
And I bet I do smell funny, too, which explains the younger dogs sniffing me all the time, which reminds me that I was thinking about maybe showering today. Don’t know if I will do anything more than think about it though.

I have 3 kids (4, 15, and 19), a husband (who acts like my 4th kid), and a 12 year old cat, Soxs. He has been under me since I came home. He calls himself protecting me and trying to heal me. That is an animals way of helping out.

Animals are very sensitive to changes even we cannot see or feel. They can detect these changes and do the only thing they know how, comfort you.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by smc8869 I have 3 kids (4, 15, and 19), a husband (who acts like my 4th kid), and a 12 year old cat, Soxs. He has been under me since I came home. He calls himself protecting me and trying to heal me. That is an animals way of helping out. Animals are very sensitive to changes even we cannot see or feel. They can detect these changes and do the only thing they know how, comfort you.

They are really good at comforting! I’m being comforted by my fourteen year old cat, Zeke, right now. Your Soxs sounds like a great cat!

Got to love those pets! Do be careful walking dogs too soon but otherwise enjoy all the feline and canine love.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by MSV1313 They are really good at comforting! I’m being comforted by my fourteen year old cat, Zeke, right now. Your Soxs sounds like a great cat!

He is. He is Mama's baby and always knows how to make me feel better. I tell him "no claws" and he will lay down on me and purr.

I have three cats (and will soon be getting a fourth - one of my old girls died last year and somehow this tiny apartment still feels too empty. My youngest is eight; it's been a long time since we've had a baby in the house. And I just realized I've become one of those cat ladies who sounds like they're talking about children ) and two of them are very lightweight little puffballs...and one of them is at least ten pounds of solid muscle underneath the beginnings of middle-aged fat gain.

Guess which one likes to lie on top of me when I lie on my back?

After two weeks it's not too awful, but why couldn't it be the five pounder?!

We have two cats and they are pretty upset with the fact that they can't cuddle on me right now...and acting pretty needy! I'm only 3 days out so I'm hoping I can let them lay with me soon. Unfortunately, our boy is a hefty 18lbs of muscle and has a tendency to launch himself off of you when he's ready to move on.

I have one cat, a rescue that landed here on the farm when she was just a wee thing. That was over a year ago, and sadly she is no longer a wee thing. Mittens does love me though, when I came home from the hospital, she slept up in my bed nicely with me. Yesterday however, she was after a pantry moth and I happened to be sitting in her chase path. She ran across my tummy and OH my Goodness! I had to call doctor's office and get a refill on pain meds today. I shall be much more careful from this point forward.