Aly-you may have already done this - I know Austin is a big town, but if she's recently had surgery, have you thought of calling some of the closest vets and seeing if they know who she belongs to? I'm having trouble picturing a family or person who would go to the trouble and expense of having surgery done on their cat, only to dump her before her fur even grows back. I'm certain she's lost. But, I could be wrong, of course. Also, most of the no-kill, and alot of the regular, shelters will want ANY information you have about her, to prevent exactly what you are afraid of. They WANT to know that she scratches, so they can weed out any prospective owners who might have a problem with that. Your dog people will know what are the best shelters, and which ones to avoid, so get some references from them.