How to deal with a cat in heat?

malt

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And before you say 'spay her' - I already have. That's the problem. I spayed her within a week of adopting her and her 2 babies off the street, because she was pregnant at the time, and the last thing the situation needed was a second litter of kittens. But because she was pregnant it was a harder than normal spay, and the vet missed some tissue. 

So she's got no baby-making bits anymore, but her body doesn't know that, and she still goes into heat. She loudly calls for toms at all hours of the day and night (and I wake up every time she calls because I'm tuned in to her voice). One second she'll be affectionate and the next she's biting and clawing. She does nothing but sit at the windows and doors yelling for tom cats, and when they show up she makes an even bigger noise. Her milkshake is bringing all the boys to our yard, and no amount of us shouting and spraying water at them is enough to deter them. 

I'm in New Zealand, and here they won't give surgery to animals unless it's deemed 'medically necessary'. Mostly I'm happy about that, because it means things like they won't declaw cats, which is so great. But it also means I can't go and get her 'spayed' a second time to remove the leftover tissue, because she can't get pregnant, so a second spaying isn't necessary. 

So with surgery a non-option, I'm looking for some more creative answers. Are there any medications, like a kitty contraceptive pill? Or, seeing as she can't actually get pregnant, if I let her 'mate' would it assuage her throbbing biological urges? (of course if I did go this option I wouldn't just let her outside with the romeos that are hanging around the garden, I'd set her up with someone whose cat had been tested for kitty STIs and vaccinated). This is a very, uh, unique situation and it might be the sleep deprivation talking, but I'm looking for equally unique solutions. 
 

yayi

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I don't get it. If the surgery was not satisfactory, meaning there is proof of a mistake, I don't know why you can't demand your vet to rectify it. After all, it is affecting your cat's behavior and causing you stress. 
 
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malt

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Yes, but in NZ they won't give pets unnecessary surgery. There's always the chance of death with general anaesthetic and surgery, slim as it may be. Risking my cat's life for the sake of relieving some temporary stress of mine would be improper (possibly immoral?) practice. The purpose of a spay is to prevent unwanted kittens. She can no longer get pregnant. Therefore, the spay was a success. In the vets' minds, her still going into heat is more my problem than theirs or the cat's. 
 

helsic

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Oh... I have a similar situation but with my tom. He got surgery but he still have those urges! we have been 'mating' with a female cat we also have but of course there isn't conception because he no longer has his testicles. I don't know why but some cats get in heat even after surgery but is not common.

I think the idea of letting her calm her urges with a tom is a good idea, and yes if the tom is vaccinated even better! you need to protect her health!!!
 
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malt

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helsic - so nice to talk to someone else in the same situation! I'm sorry you've got the same problem though, I understand exactly how frustrating it is 
 

I know it isn't common, the vet gave me the strangest look when I brought it up. I don't know how it would happen in toms, but with female cats it's when a little bit of, I believe ovarian, tissue gets missed during the spay. They still get the hormones telling to go into heat from this residual tissue even though they can no longer get pregnant. Mama cat was around 5 weeks pregnant when I had her spayed, it was kind of an emergency, and because of that all of her reproductive organs were inflamed with blood. I don't really blame the vets because it would have been easy to miss some tissue in those circumstances, and I'm grateful they did it because I couldn't have kept her if she'd had the litter she was carrying. But that doesn't make the 3 tomcats circling our house like sharks go away. 

My next question of course, is where might I find a tomcat I know is 'clean'...? 
 

mani

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I know you're saying surgery is a 'non-option' but I'm not so sure that constantly going on heat is a good situation for your cat.. Every vet site I looked at for ovarian remnant syndrome recommended removing what was left.  Your girl is ostensibly still going through that whole process and will be desperate for a mate (as you've discovered!)  Also, from the quick research I've done, drug intervention has undesirable side effects.. Check out the treatment options from the Sydney Centre for Veterinary Education

Also, I'm not sure whether this is the case in for your girl, but it's worth checking whether she is more likely to develop uterine infections and certain cancers,  as that is the case in unspayed cats.

I'm pretty impressed with NZVA and this aspect of animal care:

http://www.nzva.org.nz/policies/surgical-alteration-natural-state-animals?destination=node/89

I'm wondering whether the NZVA is more concerned with very unnecessary operations... They do say on that site: Is there compelling evidence the prophylactic procedure will confer some benefit to the animal so once again, of course that's the decision.

I honestly think it's worth considering that you would not just be doing it just for your sake, but also really understand that you don't want to put her through surgery if it isn't needed.
 

Please don't go with the whole tomcat idea.  It's actually a pretty ghastly process for a female!
 
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malt

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You don't have to convince me that surgery would be the most successful option; I know that, and I've already asked for it. I was turned away. :/ 

The vet that did the spay doesn't even believe that there is left over tissue. My own vet thinks that because she was pregnant twice, Mama cat thinks this is how she's supposed to act when she sees a tom. This is NOT just a random behavioural thing. She's a completely different animal for one week and then it stops again and she's back to normal, toms or no. The vet insists that they got everything but obviously they did not! Perhaps I'll have more luck with a different vet. It's easier to acknowledge someone else's mistake than your own! 

She doesn't have a uterus anymore, because she was pregnant when I took her in and she came back looking like a deflated balloon. So I know for sure that a) the spay took place and b) the uterus was removed. But I guess she's still at risk for anything that can go wrong with ovaries. How likely is it that something like that will happen? As you can see from those guidelines I am going to have to make a pretty convincing case for any NZ vet to be willing to open her back up. 

In the likely event that I am turned away for a second surgery, what other avenues can I go down? That prednisolone treatment looked quite hopeful - when it says permanent cessation, does that mean of that particular heat cycle or all future heat cycles too? Although after a bit of research, I'm not liking those potential side effects :/ 
 

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I suggest you offer your feline more attention and extra love. You can also use diversionary tactics, like giving her new toys. That will do it. :) 
 

helsic

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I'm having a problem with my tom now because he is going after ladies and spend 2 days outside and when he comeback he is usually injured, dirty and starving. I'm afraid he'll be caught in a car accident in those errands.

Try to keep your cat at home because when cats mate there's kind of like fighting involve and she can get hurt. If she is vaccinated I think you can let her mate with a tom from a neighbor or a friend haha, but supervised not just let her go around and get lost for days! it's happening to my cat and I'm very concerned!
 

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I know you're saying surgery is a 'non-option' but I'm not so sure that constantly going on heat is a good situation for your cat.. Every vet site I looked at for ovarian remnant syndrome recommended removing what was left.  Your girl is ostensibly still going through that whole process and will be desperate for a mate (as you've discovered!)  Also, from the quick research I've done, drug intervention has undesirable side effects.. Check out the treatment options from the Sydney Centre for Veterinary Education

Also, I'm not sure whether this is the case in for your girl, but it's worth checking whether she is more likely to develop uterine infections and certain cancers,  as that is the case in unspayed cats.

I'm pretty impressed with NZVA and this aspect of animal care:
http://www.nzva.org.nz/policies/surgical-alteration-natural-state-animals?destination=node/89
I'm wondering whether the NZVA is more concerned with very unnecessary operations... They do say on that site: Is there compelling evidence the prophylactic procedure will confer some benefit to the animal so once again, of course that's the decision.

I honestly think it's worth considering that you would not just be doing it just for your sake, but also really understand that you don't want to put her through surgery if it isn't needed. :)  

Please don't go with the whole tomcat idea.  It's actually a pretty ghastly process for a female!
:yeah: Please do not let her mate with a tomcat.
 

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Mating for female cats is not something pleasant and any other option has to be better for her health.  Also, I can not see how, unless she actually got pregnant, any hormonal changes in her body to stop her being heat would be triggered and her behaviour would not stop.  In fact it is more likely she would simply get more distressed.  

Contraceptives are available for cats and are used regularly by cat breeders in the UK to avoid queens endlessly going in to heat unless the breeder wishes her to have kittens at that time.  If you haven't done so, you could talk about trying the contraceptive treatment.  Perhaps that would give an answer as to whether the behaviour is indeed hormone related with residual tissue or as one of your vets suggested down to learned behaviour. 
 

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I have the same problem, my adopted stray cat was displaying symptoms of heat, so I took her to be spayed, they actually opened her up and phoned me mid op to tell me she had already been spayed and that mostly likely some reproductive bits/cells had been left in so she was still producing oestrogen. I was told that I could give her progesterone therapy, this would stop the heat symptoms. I decided not to as she doesn't go outside (by choice, hers not mine), so I thought I would leave her be as her calling out is not too troublesome. If she did go out I would consider it though!
 
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malt

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So the good news is I might be able to get this fixed with my vet. The bad news is I might have to threaten and/or blackmail them to get it done. 

I talked to another vet and she said that it was really dodgy that they were trying to pass this off as a behavioural thing, because that doesn't happen. It's clear they're just trying to cover their own rear ends and get out of taking responsibility. 

I'm seeing my vet on Monday (never thought I would be praying Mama would stay in heat!) and that'll be their last chance to make things right, basically. Otherwise I'm going to escalate things by going higher and higher up the chain of command. They lied to me and it's put them in a precarious position. 

I would still like to look at a chemical/hormonal fix though. Seems kinder than putting her through surgery again. The first time was for her sake, she was too weak for more kittens, and for our sake, so I could keep her. This time it would be mostly for my peace of mind and uninterrupted sleep. Although I do feel bad for how distressed and frustrated she is, and I don't let her outside when she's like this so her world gets a lot smaller. 
 

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I wish you well with getting things sorted out for your young girl.  If she is calling it can be pretty stressful and a lot of entire female cats find it hard to maintain a healthy weight.  Hopefully if your vet does see her calling they will listen and take action without your having to be too threatening with them;  it's always better to keep a positive relationship in case you need to see them again for something.  If it is the little cat in your avatar you are talking about here she looks adorable.


Of my 2 previous cats, both female and litter sisters, one went in to her first season and was a complete nightmare, meowling constantly 24 / 7 and dragging herself around the floor on her back like she was being tortured, but with her sister you would never know she had gone through one at all.  I didn't know much about cats and their health at the time and hadn't planned to spey them but no way could I have lived with Pal going through that again.  It was painful for all concerned.  They were booked in with my vet for the first available date.
 
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mani

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@Malt I'm so glad you've had that talk with another vet as that does seem like the likely scenario.  As I said before, and Mservant reiterated, I don't think it's all about you.  Your cat is going to keep getting the 'heat' symptoms for years and it's really no fun for her.  But ultimately it's your call and I can see you're doing a good job of gathering information to make the right decision.

Let us know how you go with the vet.
 
 

evamilly

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I was also told by the vet that they could do some sort of scan with contrast to see what had been left inside her but that didn't mean that they would be able to remove it. Using contrast dye in cats is also risky and would require the cat to stay in the vet hospital for a few days! So hormones do seem the most reasonable option. Mani I do see what you mean that heat symptoms are no fun for the cat! I was also told that in theory a cat who was still producing oestrogen would be more at risk of mammary tumours (as an un spayed female would be) then he back tracked and said that prob wouldnt make any difference for my cat as she is already around six years old, so hormones now wouldn't necessarily reduce the risk!
 
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malt

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Thanks for all your support, everyone. I trust the people on this forum to guide me right and I'm glad to hear all the options I do have, and the pros and cons of each. 

I just caught her spraying on one of the throw pillows. It wasn't pee. It didn't even really smell (not that I wanted to get my face very close to her juices...) and I know females can and do spray some kind of liquid to attract males. I've seen some marks that made me suspect that she'd been doing so, but that's the first time I've caught her in the act. I was pretty furious but there's not much point in scolding her because the poor thing's not really in control of her own actions when she's in heat. :( 

My display pic is her! She's usually a little angel, she is very affectionate, very non-aggressive. She loves me a lot and she follows me around and cries when I shut a door between us. I don't like seeing her in heat because she's so frustrated. She's getting quite aggressive with the frustration, and she's having absolutely no peace. She paces, cries and paws at the windows and doors, and rolls around on the floor meowling and presenting until she exhausts herself and conks out for an hour or two. I don't want my own frustration at the situation to cloud my judgement of it, but I can tell she's not enjoying herself. 

@MServant, the thing about her struggling to maintain a good weight worries me a bit. She was basically skin and bone when I first adopted her off the street. Since then she has got to a healthy size but she's still on the slimmer end of healthy. She's quite a small cat, about the size of a 7-8 month old kitten, and weighs just over 7 lbs. She doesn't have that much spare weight to lose. 

Once again, thank you so much, everyone. Sorry about my rambling! 
 

rubysmama

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I'm seeing my vet on Monday (never thought I would be praying Mama would stay in heat!) and that'll be their last chance to make things right, basically. Otherwise I'm going to escalate things by going higher and higher up the chain of command. They lied to me and it's put them in a precarious position. 
Sorry to hear you and poor kitty are going through this.

As for your kitty still being in heat on Monday for the vet visit, in case she isn't, perhaps you should take a video of her this weekend for backup in case the vet needs proof.
 
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malt

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I have videos! Lots of videos of her calling and a couple of her presenting. It usually lasts for a week and she started on Thursday, so we should be quite comfortably in that window. Of course now that I need her to stay in heat I'm still anxious that it'll end. Normally I'm desperate for it to stop, lol. 

If on Monday the vet still won't admit that yep, they messed up - ie, she tries to pass it off as a behavioural thing again - I'm going to take her into a different vet for tests that will confirm the hormones in her blood. It'll cost a couple of hundred, which I'll resent paying, but if I do have to escalate the situation it'll be invaluable - my physical evidence against them trying to cover their rears. 
 
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rubysmama

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I really hope the vet agrees that she needs additional surgery so as not to prolong her and your misery.  

Not to freak you out, but there was a thread earlier this year about a poor female cat that had to have FOUR surgeries before all the tissue was removed!   Here's the link, if you are interested:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/279940/spayed-cat-in-heat
 
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