Excessive Meowing: Cat in heat

rotobay

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I took in a pregnant stray who now has 8 week old kittens. The vet doesn't want to spay her until the kittens are all weaned (12 weeks). BUT the mama cat is in HEAT again and won't stop meowing!!

Obviously we have to keep her inside for the next month....but she walks around the house day and night meowing VERY loudly and CONSTANTLY. Is there anything we can do to make her stop? I've barely slept in several nights since she is SO LOUD.

Also, this is my first experience with an intact cat.....how long will this heat cycle last if she doesn't mate? Its been 3 days so far of non stop meowing and calling. How long will this go on????
 

larke

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Til it's over? Awful predicament! Talk to the vet again though - find out for sure if it's really necessary to wait that long.
 

howtoholdacat

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Let your vet know what she's doing. He or she may feel differently. If not, get a second opinion. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to stop her until her cycle is over or she's spayed.
 

goldenkitty45

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Some vets will spay mom sooner - I'd check with some other vets in your area. Cat heat cycles can last 2-3 weeks with on/off crying.

One reason I won't go back to breeding is cats in heat (DH hates it) and having to keep a stud male cause where I am, there would be no close breeders with males of my breed
 

gayef

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This may or may not work, but you can try keeping her and her kittens in a cool, dimly-lit room. Cats experience estrus based upon temperature and hours of daylight, so if you can artificially reduce both of those things, the chances are that she may calm down somewhat.

Estrus normally lasts between a week to ten days, given the individual.

Your vet has a good reason not to spay until the kittens are older. Most cats will nurse their kittens until 10 to 12 weeks. If she were spayed now, removing the ovaries, the mechanism for producing the hormone responsible for milk production is removed along with them. The milk dries up very soon thereafter (individual results may vary). The benefits of allowing kittens to nurse until Momma pushes them away are many and it pays in the long-term to allow it. You will have much better adjusted kittens and their Momma has the added benefit of not grieving them so badly if she is no longer nursing them.

Best of luck with your girl. I had two female Siamese cats in heat at the same time last year and thought I was going to go crazy(er). *smile*
 

mews2much

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I have a Cat that can not be fixed and she is half Siamese. They are loud. I wish I knew what age they stop going in Heat. All my other Cats were fixed. Coco is 16 and she is loud. One good thing is she dosent go in Heat very often anymore. She only went in heat three times last year. My Vet told me when Meeko had a Litten to wait until teh Kittens were 12 weeks to have her fixed. Coco lasts about a week when she is in Heat. The Vet ofered me another Cat that can not be fixed because I do not let mine get Preg but I do not have a House yet.
 

danits_24

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Hey,

You can consult your vet, maybe he can prescribe your cat a medicine to help her go through the heat time until she will be sterilized.
 
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rotobay

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Originally Posted by gayef

This may or may not work, but you can try keeping her and her kittens in a cool, dimly-lit room. Cats experience estrus based upon temperature and hours of daylight, so if you can artificially reduce both of those things, the chances are that she may calm down somewhat.
Oh this is interesting. We started having a heat wave last week and on Friday she started the calling. I'll give your suggestion a try and see if it works. I wish I knew that before and maybe I could have prevented the heat cycle.

Funny thing is that she goes from room to room calling out....like a tomcat is going to pop out of one of our closets or something. She's even nuzzling up to the dog...


Estrus normally lasts between a week to ten days, given the individual.

Your vet has a good reason not to spay until the kittens are older. Most cats will nurse their kittens until 10 to 12 weeks. If she were spayed now, removing the ovaries, the mechanism for producing the hormone responsible for milk production is removed along with them. The milk dries up very soon thereafter (individual results may vary). The benefits of allowing kittens to nurse until Momma pushes them away are many and it pays in the long-term to allow it. You will have much better adjusted kittens and their Momma has the added benefit of not grieving them so badly if she is no longer nursing them.

Best of luck with your girl. I had two female Siamese cats in heat at the same time last year and thought I was going to go crazy(er). *smile*
Yep, this is exactly what my vet said. I hope I can get thru her cycle without losing my mind.
 
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rotobay

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Originally Posted by danits_24

Hey,

You can consult your vet, maybe he can prescribe your cat a medicine to help her go through the heat time until she will be sterilized.
I called the vet and guess what he recommended......EAR PLUGS!!!

He said anything they give her to halt her cycle will also stop her milk production.

I honestly can't believe she hasn't lost her voice by now. She calls out NON-STOP.
 

gayef

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Originally Posted by danits_24

Hey,

You can consult your vet, maybe he can prescribe your cat a medicine to help her go through the heat time until she will be sterilized.
While I can certainly understand the thought behind this idea, the fact is that a nursing queen shouldn't be given any kind of medicine which could potentially be transferred to the kittens via the milk.
 

laura hoffman

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My cat had 5 kittens in March and, at 7 weeks of age, they were eating and drinking, using the litter box and hardly nursing so I found homes for them.  I had to surrender 2 of them to the shelter and was told that they would be spayed/neutered shortly.  She's now in heat again, only 4 days after her kittens left her.  When my first cat had a dead baby in the birth canal, the vet spayed her immediately and she was still able to nurse the remaining 5 kittens.  
 

talkingpeanut

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My cat had 5 kittens in March and, at 7 weeks of age, they were eating and drinking, using the litter box and hardly nursing so I found homes for them.  I had to surrender 2 of them to the shelter and was told that they would be spayed/neutered shortly.  She's now in heat again, only 4 days after her kittens left her.  When my first cat had a dead baby in the birth canal, the vet spayed her immediately and she was still able to nurse the remaining 5 kittens.  
For future reference, kittens continue to learn cat manners from their moms until they are 10-12 weeks old. They should stay with mom for at least that long.

Your mama cat can be spayed any time now. She can get pregnant again any time, and without going into heat.
 

mgjw

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I have been where you are and its exhausting for you (and presumably the poor kitty - who when I don't want to kill her for screeching I always feel sorry for) My vet told me to get a cotton bud and gently pop it inside the cat - its quite as easy as it sounds but the cat is quite willing (strange i know) it simulates mating and can take the cat out of heat - be very gentle!
 

talkingpeanut

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I have been where you are and its exhausting for you (and presumably the poor kitty - who when I don't want to kill her for screeching I always feel sorry for) My vet told me to get a cotton bud and gently pop it inside the cat - its quite as easy as it sounds but the cat is quite willing (strange i know) it simulates mating and can take the cat out of heat - be very gentle!
This is not advisable unless a vet has recommended that you do this and shown you how.  It would be very easy to hurt your cat badly.

Can I ask why you haven't had your cat spayed?
 
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