Our foster cat Pumpkin is in her first heat. She doesn't get spayed until Dec. 7. She is driving us and the rest of the cats crazy. I've been keeping her inside the bathroom and she sits in there and literally for hours howl and carry on. When I first got her she stayed in the bathroom and was very good. When I let her out, she gets into the "position" and when I pick her up she trys to get into position while I'm holding her. I have an un-neutered male cat who is too young to be fixed and he doesn't understand whats wrong with her and thinks she is playing, but that only encourages her more. Is there anything I can do to chill her out in the meantime?? I don't want to scold her because she can't help whats going on.
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Pumpkin is going nuts!
- Thread starter jasper
- Start Date
Yikes! You may want to call the vet.
Friend of mine, her kitten went into her first heat and the vet did an emergancy spay. I'm not sure about most other vets, but from what I've heard, you're not suppose let the kitten experience the first heat, otherwise she'll continue to have heats after she's been spayed.
In anycase the friend's cat would get whiney every couple of months at 5 in the morning. My friend wound up having to keep the cat on valume for the first year after that to help relax the cat.
I don't know if others have heard this or my friend's vet was a quack.
Friend of mine, her kitten went into her first heat and the vet did an emergancy spay. I'm not sure about most other vets, but from what I've heard, you're not suppose let the kitten experience the first heat, otherwise she'll continue to have heats after she's been spayed.
In anycase the friend's cat would get whiney every couple of months at 5 in the morning. My friend wound up having to keep the cat on valume for the first year after that to help relax the cat.
I don't know if others have heard this or my friend's vet was a quack.
Lots of petting and rubbing. Its rough with the hormones going nuts like that. They need a lot of TLC during this time. Theres nothign you can do other than ride it out and hope it ends soon. Don't keep the light on in the bathroom either. The darker it is the more likely she will come out sooner. Meeka was in heat for 5 days recently (ended Thanksgiving morning). So hopefully it won't last long.
How old is your male kitten? If under three months then your fine but they can develope early...
If she is in heat by the time her spay surgery comes it would be best to postpone it. Some vets will even refuse if the animal is in heat because any false move and you could end up with severe blood loss (because the organs become engorged with blood).
Otherwise hang in there and hopefully she'll come out soon. I found Meeka liked belly rubs during this time.
How old is your male kitten? If under three months then your fine but they can develope early...
If she is in heat by the time her spay surgery comes it would be best to postpone it. Some vets will even refuse if the animal is in heat because any false move and you could end up with severe blood loss (because the organs become engorged with blood).
Otherwise hang in there and hopefully she'll come out soon. I found Meeka liked belly rubs during this time.
Its not true. Letting an animal have a heat is fine, people get paranoid because they can get easily pregnant. Its actually impossible for a cat to go into heat after its been spayed. The vet might have been reffering to the behavior of spraying, which can take time to go away after the surgery.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
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My male kitten is 3-4 months old. So far he shows no interest in her. How long does the heat last? It started Wednesday night and her appointment isnt until Wednesday the 7th? I don't want to get her spayed if it can be dangerous. She isnt interested in playing with her favorite toys and even turned down canned cat food when the rest of them ate.
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Actually, it is true to a degree. If you are not breeding the cat then you should get the cat spayed long before the first heat. Allowing a cat to go through heat without breeding her opens her up to nasty health issues that are better off not encountered. Sadly, to many people just let their cats go through heat cycles for whatever reason, but it is not good for the cat and should be prevented at all cost.
Yes, I believe I've read in several places that the chance for cancers in the reproductive organs go up exponentially if you don't spay before the first heat.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #8
I took her for her first shots two weeks ago and the vet said she wouldn't go into heat for another month or two. I had planned on getting her spayed way before then, it wasn't like I'm just letting her be in heat. She is only about 8 months old.
I agree with that...but what I meant wasn't true was that a cat can continue to go into heat after the spay surgery has been done. There are health risks involved with heat, or at least increases chances for mammary cancers, pyo other things... But there isn't a risk that a cat can continue to go through heat. I think that an effort should be made to get the spay done before heat but with the surgery coming up and only one heat I don't think its going to make a huge difference in health, the percentages are very tiny.
I didn't bring up health risks because whats done is done and waiting this period was done on teh vets discretion. No need to get worried about it now.
Looking back at my post it seems I did phrase that a little wierd.
The vet probably said that because its wintertime and they don't usually go into heat this time of year. However your girl hadn't had a heat yet and that is a very reasonable age to have her first. Meeka was 7.5 months old with her first and many cats start at 6 months. Its to bad your vet didn't have you bring her in sooner.
Your male is old enough to mature so be cautious. Most likely even if he did mature at this age he would be infertile anyway but males can mature very young.
Wow I didn't read that part the first time. I would definitely question your friends vet. Cats getting up at 5am is normal and valium is pretty extreme and should only be used in extreme circumstances or only sporadically. I used valium for my cat when we had to do a 12 hour car ride move. I don't even think they do that anymore...
Its hard to tell. Keep the house darker than usual. It could be 3 days to 2 weeks. My girl lasted for 5 days this time.
Yea either my friend is confusing what the vet said or like i said the vet is a quack.
In anycase though this cat would wake up the whole apartment at 5 am by howling. The valium didn't help the howling.
There is some natural relaxers out there that contain valium from plants...I think its Homeopath? Anyhoo, the product says that its natural enough for humans to use as well. I guess if we're ever that stressed...
I have a friend who recently adopted a stray cat, and I told him he should take her to the vet for a checkup and to have her spayed. He did get her checked out and vaccinated, but he wasn't willing to bother with spaying, because "How do I know she's going to stay with me?"
Well. I told him about indoor vs. outdoor kitties and the number of kittens who suffer or are euthanized every year, etc., but he was unmoved. And then Leah went into heat and became incredibly affectionate toward him, and when I brought up spaying again, he said, "Why would I do that? She's so much FUN this way!"
AAAUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Well. I told him about indoor vs. outdoor kitties and the number of kittens who suffer or are euthanized every year, etc., but he was unmoved. And then Leah went into heat and became incredibly affectionate toward him, and when I brought up spaying again, he said, "Why would I do that? She's so much FUN this way!"
AAAUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
OMG I know the frustration. Tell him his cat could die and maybe he'll change his mind. When they cycle without being bred it is sooo dangerous. I knwo someone that has a Siamese he allows to cycle with no intentions.... Now he wants to give her to the spca because shes started spraying. He refuses to spay her and that would fix all his problems. I'm trying to find a home for this poor cat.
My vet - who has many credentials and who I very much respect (she is a world renouned authority on cats) says it is not true that a cat who experiences one heat is in danger of more sereiousillness. Surely it is not good but if by accident, a young cat goes into heat for one time, it is not the end of the world. It is time to have her spayed though as soon ass the heat is over!!!! Many heats will of course provide many health issues!!!
I just wanted to add that your male cat actually isn't too young to neuter. My cat was spayed at 9 weeks old and the vet said that it doesn't really hurt them to get it done that early (I was not allowed to take her home until she was spayed. If I had adopted her brother, he would have been neutered too). They actually bounce back faster.
