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My Cat Mating or not?

post #1 of 40
9/8/09 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
Hi everyone!! I'm a bit new here but I came on because I have a very serious question and I figured this is where all the cat experts are.

OK, so it all started yesterday morning. I have a young 5 month old tabby, who usually tolerates my hugging, kissing, cuddling etc. Well, yesterday morning, she completely changed. She was rolling around in the dirt, purring and circling my ankles, and just begging to be picked up. She even insisted I give her a belly rub (so cute) and so I did and she bit my hand but insisted I keep rubbing her belly. So yeah, I did, thrilled she wanted my attention. Then I realized... could this be her first heat?!

Well, she was gone all day after that. I usually have her in the backyard with my 3 basset hounds who absolutely adore her but she does get out occasionally. I know I sound irresponsible, I have my other two female cats spayed, for some reason she isn't, and I can't get her spayed until November now, just to let everyone know. So anyways...

She was gone. I worried all day, because she was gone for hours on end. Then, last night, she returned, I was thrilled and fed her. She seemed to want nothing to do with me anymore. She tolerated my hugs as usual and trotted off, a bit disgusted. So, I was thinking, well, well, well, my little Minnie is back to normal again. But I was still worried because we have toms all over our neighborhood...

Then, last night, around midnight, I woke up to yowling. Sounded like a cat fight. I did some research and realized this might as well be my cat mating but I'm not sure. So advice please? Sorry if this was confusing, ask questions and I'll answer them
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post #2 of 40
9/8/09 at 2:48pm
Yup, I'd say this was your cat mating - at 5 months old she is too young to be having a litter. Please get her spayed ASAP.
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post #3 of 40
9/8/09 at 2:50pm
Hello and welcome. Yes she is in heat, and probably mating with Toms. It's not a good thing.

Not only will she get pregnant but she risks catching many different diseases from these other cats.

Please get your cat in to the vet for a spay right away. Call right now for an appointment! And keep her inside until it's done!
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post #4 of 40
9/8/09 at 3:32pm
Hi meminikitty,

I agree with the others- she's been in heat and may very well be pregnant. This would be a teenager pregnancy so no, not good.

You should try to find a low cost spay/ neuter program asap and tell them what happened. Maybe one of the members here could help you find one if you would tell us which area you're from?

Why were you going to wait untill november with spaying her? If its because of financial reasons then havin her spayed would be much better- raising a litter will cost you so much more then having her spayed now.

regards,

christine
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post #5 of 40
9/8/09 at 4:20pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you for replying so quickly!
I am going to bring her in when she returns to the yard as she's gone off again. :/ but I have a few quick questions if you don't mind.

If she was in heat yesterday morning, why did she suddenly not want to be cuddled? My brother said it was probably because she was sore and just being tempermental, but I think he was joking. So anyone know why?

And if she is in heat, how many times would she mate per day?

And say she got pregnant...would it hurt the fetuses if I got her spayed? The reason I couldn't get her spayed until November is that the veterinary clinics in my area were booked. But I'm going to keep calling them.

What kind of complications could Minnie have if she were to give birth?
Lastly,She's a very skinny cat, when would she start showing signs of pregnancy?

Sorry for so many questions! I've had one cat get pregnant when I was younger but she was 3 years old and we didn't notice until we saw her one day all fat. :/ But when we brought her in, she had her babies the next day.
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post #6 of 40
9/8/09 at 4:34pm
Hormones will make your cat act differently from the way she usually does. Hormones are something the body produces, and there are a lot of extra ones while she is in heat, it is what makes her want to mate.

Cats don't want to mate because they like it, they do it because it's what their body's hormones tell them to do. It actually hurts the female to mate with a male.

When a cat is spayed all her reproductive organs (sex organs) are removed. She will not have kittens. If she is pregnant the kittens will be aborted. If you have it done quickly, there is very little risk to the kitten.

The risks of a five month old kitten having kittens are very high. Her body is not even nearly fully developed. Many things could go wrong. The kittens can be deformed, or die, or cause her to die.

A cat in heat, if you let her out will continue to mate with any toms around until she is no longer in heat. It is exhausting for her, hurts her, and weakens her. Not to mention putting her at risk for any diseases any of these strange boy cats may have.

Bring her in and keep her in. Call the clinic and tell them what happened and see if you can get the spay moved to the next week or so.
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post #7 of 40
9/8/09 at 4:41pm
Thread Starter 
oh no! That would be terrible if Minnie was hurt in any possible way.. I went out to look for her but she's still not in the yard... I hope she's not mating at this moment... what have I done?! I just called the clinic again and they told me that if they were to spay Minnie now, there'd be a high risk because she's in heat and she could bleed out more? Why is this? The lady on the line was rude and wouldn't answer my questions. But she did say she could put in an appointment for September 18th... until then I'll try keeping her in when I find her.

I never felt so irresponsible, I can't even find my own cat for crying out loud!
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post #8 of 40
9/8/09 at 4:45pm
Thread Starter 
What do you think are the chances of her getting pregnant?
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post #9 of 40
9/8/09 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by meminikitty View Post
What do you think are the chances of her getting pregnant?
Probably 100%.
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post #10 of 40
9/8/09 at 4:56pm
Thread Starter 
That is not good...
Anyone know how often she'll mate while she's gone from the yard?
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post #11 of 40
9/8/09 at 4:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by meminikitty View Post
That is not good...
Anyone know how often she'll mate while she's gone from the yard?
Could be every 20 mins if not more often - also it can be multiple males, not just one
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post #12 of 40
9/8/09 at 5:01pm
Thread Starter 
Really? Oh my gosh... that's crazy. But then again, I'm not even 100% sure she is even in heat. I mean, yesterday morning she was:
-Rolling in the dirt
-Purring and circling my ankles
-Insisting that I give her a belly rub
She did have her tail straight up in the air, but I think all cats do that, I forgot how she held her tail before.

And then yesterday evening--totally different, back to her regular self.
So... yeah, that's why I'm not so sure.

But then, at midnight I heard cats shrieking and yowling, but it could have been a fight. I'm just not sure. :/
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post #13 of 40
9/8/09 at 5:03pm
It sounds as though she is in heat but cats do not have to be in heat to get pregnant.
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post #14 of 40
9/8/09 at 5:05pm
Thread Starter 
I see... OK. Her being so skinny, how long would it take for her to show signs of pregnancy?
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post #15 of 40
9/8/09 at 5:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by meminikitty View Post
:I just called the clinic again and they told me that if they were to spay Minnie now, there'd be a high risk because she's in heat and she could bleed out more? Why is this? The lady on the line was rude and wouldn't answer my questions. But she did say she could put in an appointment for September 18th... until then I'll try keeping her in when I find her.
Hi,

September 18th sounds like a good idea . When a cat is in heat her reproductive organs are more supplied with blood then usuall. A cat can still be spayed when in heat- this is done frequently with ferals during trap/ neuter programs.

She shouldn`t be in heat on September 18th, so go for it!

regards,

christine
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post #16 of 40
9/8/09 at 5:24pm
Thread Starter 
Alright! Thanks!
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post #17 of 40
9/8/09 at 5:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by meminikitty View Post
Really? Oh my gosh... that's crazy. But then again, I'm not even 100% sure she is even in heat. I mean, yesterday morning she was:
-Rolling in the dirt
-Purring and circling my ankles
-Insisting that I give her a belly rub
She did have her tail straight up in the air, but I think all cats do that, I forgot how she held her tail before.

And then yesterday evening--totally different, back to her regular self.
So... yeah, that's why I'm not so sure.

But then, at midnight I heard cats shrieking and yowling, but it could have been a fight. I'm just not sure. :/
You are describing classic heat behavior and she is the right age. Trust us on this!

Quote:
Originally Posted by cjh27 View Post
Hi,

September 18th sounds like a good idea . When a cat is in heat her reproductive organs are more supplied with blood then usuall. A cat can still be spayed when in heat- this is done frequently with ferals during trap/ neuter programs.

She shouldn`t be in heat on September 18th, so go for it!

regards,

christine
I totally agree. When she comes home, keep her in and get her in for that spay on Sept 18, it's only 10 days away!
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post #18 of 40
9/8/09 at 5:33pm
Thread Starter 
Alright thanks.
This won't hurt any future kittens if she does happen to get pregnant, right? Because if she does happen to be pregnant, I do have homes available... its just her health I'm concerned about. :/
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post #19 of 40
9/8/09 at 5:48pm
Once she is spayed, there will be no kittens, ever.

And that is a good thing.

Tell your friends to go to any shelter and they will find plenty of cats and kittens waiting for good loving forever homes!
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post #20 of 40
9/8/09 at 5:53pm
At 5 months old that would be like a 10yr old having a baby, not good at all. I took in a 7 month old foster cat that ended up having a c-section because she was just not developed enough to have the kittens, she was just a baby herself. Only one kitten lived because she just didn't have enough nourishment to give them. It was extremely tramatic for the kitty and to this day she urinates on herself in a cat carrier and in the car (her owners hate crating her for the vet). I think she is still tramatized from the whole c-section ordeal. The surviving kitten is a bit off, not blind but runs into things and just not the brightest thing. He is cute enough, just strange.
I would really advise spaying her. Cats are much better off not having kittens, they don't enjoy their babies at all, it is just instinct. She would make a much better pet and her health would be much better.

On this site alone there are over 300 kitten born this season, that is a lot of homeless cats that will never get a home
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post #21 of 40
9/8/09 at 6:09pm
Just me again My own cat got pregnant (Keller in my siggy) and I just couldn't bring myself to abort the babies. It was a big mistake I feel. She was very miserable pregnant and it really made her tired and grumpy. She is 3 years old and I was told she was spayed when I adopted her. She is deaf so I had to worry about whether or not she would care for her babies properly. She ended up needing a c-section...boy that was expensive She didn't enjoy the kittens, it was just more work for her. She is now recovered and getting nice and fat...and very affectionate. If I could do it again I would have had an early spay done. You can always foster a litter of kittens for a shelter, they usually bear all the costs and find them good homes that is the best!
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post #22 of 40
9/8/09 at 6:29pm
Thread Starter 
I brought in my cat. She's curled up on the couch fast asleep... no howling or anything. I am definitely spaying her, she's just too small and delicate. But I am worried about her weight... how big should she be at 5 months? She's just so small. All my other tabbies at this age were bigger and plump. :/
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post #23 of 40
9/8/09 at 8:22pm
I replied to your other thread RE her weight.

How much does she weigh? Please keep her locked inside until you get her spayed (preferably afterwards too)
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post #24 of 40
9/8/09 at 10:20pm
After she is spayed she will really fill out.
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post #25 of 40
9/9/09 at 12:56am
^She will fill out after her spay.

Good luck!
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post #26 of 40
9/9/09 at 8:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by meminikitty View Post
I brought in my cat. She's curled up on the couch fast asleep... no howling or anything. I am definitely spaying her, she's just too small and delicate. But I am worried about her weight... how big should she be at 5 months? She's just so small. All my other tabbies at this age were bigger and plump. :/
Hi,

if she's oherwise fine and healthy there shouldn't be any problems spaying her. Just remember- you can spaye hamsters, rabbits and male mice- and I'll be she weighs more than a mouse

By the way, younger cats usually recover from a spay much much faster then an older cat

Congrats on your decision, by the way. If you'd really like to have kittens one day (which I could understand) fostering can be really rewarding!

regards,

Christine
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post #27 of 40
9/9/09 at 10:14am
You need to find a vet to do an emergency spay! She cannot wait till November as she could be in serious trouble being pregnant at only 5 months old. The kittens inside are taking ALL the nutrients from her own development.

Even if she survives a pregnancy, she would need an expensive c-section to deliver, the kittens could be deformed, or they could die. She won't know what to do or how to care for them as she's a baby herself.

It would be like a 9 or 10 yr old child having a baby!

Kittens as young as 4 months old have been known to breed and get pregnant and at that age she could DIE.
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post #28 of 40
9/9/09 at 10:40am
I took in a kitten who couldn't have been over 5 months old. When her belly started to grow I knew she was way too young to be pregnant, and assumed it was caused by having been so malnourished and then eating all she wanted.
Three weeks later she gave birth to six kittens. The first was still born and horribly deformed. The next four looked normal, but died in the next four days. As we took the first two out of the box to bury them we realized they were sharing one umbilicle. Same thing with the next two. The one who survived was fine, but it was all a severe drain on the Mama.

When you asked if spaying would hurt the fetuses, did you mean would it cause them pain?
I once had to spay/abort a very pregnant rescue as her physical health would not have permitted her to birth and nurse the kittens, and the vet explained that the kittens would feel nothing, when the uterus was removed from the mother they would simply go from sleep to coma, to death, no fear or pain involved.
It was probably an easier passing than most stray cats are lucky enough to get but still a hard decision to make.

Most vets will spay a cat in heat or pregnant. It is a little more difficult, and carries a higher risk, so you may find that the cost is higher. You may need a full service vet rather than a spay clinic, but you would also need one if you allowed such a young kitten to carry the litter to term and complications arose in the delivery.
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post #29 of 40
9/9/09 at 1:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AMYSCRAZY View Post
At 5 months old that would be like a 10yr old having a baby, not good at all.
I have to agree. We took in Peaches & she was in such bad condition we didn't know she was pregnant until a week & a half before she had the kittens (WAY to late to spay). She's a good mom but it's terrible watching her weighed down with responsibilities when she should just be a kitten! I miss watching her chase crickets all over our porch and birds out the window (at least I got her running around with the laser pointer last night while the babies were sleeping).

Peaches was supposedly born March 25th, so our best guess is that she's around 5-6 months right NOW. I WISH we'd known she was pregnant, I LOVE Pink & Mango (her babies) but I would not have hesitated for a second to spay her early if I'd had the chance.
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post #30 of 40
9/9/09 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone for the great replies! After reading through this, I have decided to most definitely get my cat spayed. Last night she was shrieking and trying to get out, I suppose she wanted to mate. Once she's spayed, she won't be in heat, right? She seemed to be in torture last night but I refused to let her out. I didn't sleep all night though. So I'm thinking she'll act this way until her appointment on the 18th which will suck but it is for the best.
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