AHHH no no no!

*fstybrat* · #1 12-30-2004, 07:13 PM

Maggie is scheduled to go in on Monday the 4th of January to be spayed... She will be 5 months old on Jan 2nd.

SHE IS IN HEAT!!!!!!!!!! NO NO NO I thought that was why they spay them between 5-6 months to catch it before they do?!?
I immediately called the vet & they said they can still spay her when in heat BUT I have always thought they couldn't?

Can you more experienced kitty people tell me the pros & cons of spaying them while they are in heat? How long does an average heat cycle last? SHe is JUST starting today (would explain why sheh was being so vocal this morning), but as of now she is not really bleeding just yet. Can I put a diaper on her is she does??

(just kidding)

Really though, I thought they didin't come into their first heat cycle until AFTER they are 6 months old??

crzy4piggers · #2 12-30-2004, 07:56 PM

They spayed Mandy while she was in heat! Thank goodness! She went in and never came out, at least until she was spayed.

RSbunny · #3 12-30-2004, 08:05 PM

Kay she has gone early but it's not impossible for her to be on heat. My boss speys animals that are in season. It's a slightly harder surgery and they lose more blood (but not heaps more) and generally their hormones go really funny (they get really really depressed) but all in all it is a fairly routine surgery and they do pick back up from it, it just takes longer.
This explains their heat cycle fairly well...if I were you I'd get her speyed, otherwise you'll be waiting a while

Cats are polyestrus, which means females can have many heat periods in each breeding season. Each heat period lasts between 5-14 days. If she is mated, the cat will usually go out of heat within 24 hours.

Click for link

Chinchilla_Girl · #4 12-30-2004, 08:06 PM

Most vets (I know mine does) charge more to spay any animal while they are in heat, but yes, they will do it. I'm not sure of the pros and cons to spaying during a heat cycle though. I'll ask tomorrow when I get into work and let you know. We spay about 3-4 cats a day...so routine! My vet will spay at 5 months with no problem but not sooner than that.
As for going into heat young...all animals are different...some come into heat sooner than others. It's not totally uncommon for a cat to come into heat at that age...

grlunderrainbow · #5 12-30-2004, 11:58 PM

Some cats come into heat early. Some blood vessels are larger while a cat is in estrus..therefore, there is a risk of more bleeding while a cat is "in heat". It's not really that much more of a risk, though..imho..Just can take a bit more and the vet will usually charge a bit more. When I was a vet tech/assistant..the vet I worked for did tons of them on cats/dogs in heat w/out a problem. Some vets prefer not too, but he was very experienced and had no problem with it. He also spays pregnant animals..but only up until a certain point. After a certain stage in pregnancy..the amount of bleeding can be great (there are alot more blood vessels swollen in pregnancy) and it can be much riskier. We did have one cat in for a spay that the owners stated had been an inside only cat and could not be pregnant. She did not feel pregnant. After opening her up though, it was found that she was in the late stages of pregnancy. She lost alot of blood and took awhile to recover. After all of the surgeries I have seen, it would not worry me to have a cat spayed that was in heat if I trusted my vet. Oh, and once cats come into heat..they continue to come into heat every few weeks until they are either bred successfully or spayed. Not enjoyable for her or you. I feel for you here..we have 3 cats that were dumped here that we are waiting to get neutered..and the female is going in and out of heat.

grlunderrainbow · #6 12-31-2004, 02:19 AM

Forgot to ad, alot of times..with dogs and cats, the owners may not know they are in heat yet...or they may just be beginning to go into heat..when they are neutered. So, it's also commonplace for a vet to discover they are in heat after they are opened up.

***Dena*** · #7 12-31-2004, 03:01 AM

Well I'm sure at the shelter MANY have been in heat when being spayed and so far we have only lost one and that was due to an allergic reaction to a penicillin shot not the spay. Luckily cats don't bleed like dogs do, at least I haven't come across any. Never the less they can be really annoying. For some reason when one goes into heat they all go into heat and its a chorus of cats. Then you've go the needy cats on top of it howling just for the heck of it, but I digress. I think they have all the neccessary expertise and equipment these days to be able to spay a female in heat so I wouldn't worry

DirtySouthChins · #8 12-31-2004, 05:09 AM

I really don't know the pros and cons of spaying while they are in heat either

I know we were supposed to get Bubbles and Pickles spayed last month and that didn't happen until a few days ago and Bubbles was in heat for about 7 days, it was like she wasn't going to ever come out of it, so we went ahead and had them both spayed anyway. Bubbles is fine now, she just seemed a little more grouchy than pickles and was a tad bit more swollen, but for the most part is getting back to herself again.
I agree with Dena here "I think they have all the neccessary expertise and equipment these days to be able to spay a female in heat so I wouldn't worry"
Kay all will be fine I'm sure

*fstybrat* · #9 12-31-2004, 10:24 AM

Thanks everyone! The reassurance helps!

So far she has been fairly good. She is not "yet" constantly howling, just occassionally. She acts like she HAS to be the center of attention, al trying to make her understand that her butt in our faces while we are trying to eat just is not acceptable!

I have noticed she is eating a little more though, which to my understanding is normal. ANd watching her roll around & *drag* herself across the floor is hilarious. She is still not bleeding though (not complaining here) so being that a cat is different than a dog... how much do cats bleed while in heat? I only have to deal with this until Monday, as she will be dropped off at the vet Monday morning.

grlunderrainbow · #10 12-31-2004, 11:33 AM

Cats don't bleed while they are in heat. Our female we are waiting to get spayed isn't constantly yowling either..more so at night (and we have her away from our bedroom so we can sleep) but it isn't THAT bad, luckily.

lixx · #11 12-31-2004, 12:11 PM

I'm sure she'll be fine. When I had Spagetti, she went through a heat cycle before I got her spayed and she sprayed EVERYTHING! It was awful! I threw out so many items because She would just keep getting them (things like the curtains which needed to stay out) Lost some shoes too. I just hope Maggie doesn't start doing that to you!

pihlaja · #12 01-04-2005, 08:21 AM

Gerona started going into heat when she was FOUR MONTHS OLD!

That was a nightmare! And she was a yowler, too.

Galina as going into heat every 1.5 weeks! Also, Galina went into heat two days before her scheduled surgery. They didn't charge us extra and there were no complications. Though, Galina still acted like she was in heat a few days after the surgery.

It was so funny with Galina, though ... she didn't yowl, but she'd CONSTANTLY try to molest Seamus. That's her boyfriend, you know.

(Nevermind that he's a dog.) Now that she's spayed, though, she slaps him around a good deal.

The 'happy' hormones just aren't there anymore!

*fstybrat* · #13 01-04-2005, 09:08 AM

LOL Rowan!

Maggie seemed to be coming out already when I took her in yesterday. So I believe her heat cycle lasted 4-5 days which I think is pretty average. She wasn't so much a howler either, although she certainly had her moments! You should have seen her try to molest Snoopy (my ferret)

now THAT was funny...

The vet said her surgury went very well & I'll be picking her up today after work.

natasha elise · #14 01-05-2005, 12:29 AM

Is it possible for cats to have a "pre-heat"? My mom's vet told us about this years ago. Pixel is getting spayed on the 10th, but about a week ago she started showing signs of being in heat. She was really vocal and affectionate for about 4 days, but she didn't get into the "stance" or show any other signs. I'm hoping this was a pre-heat and not the real thing, so that her risk of illness is still low. I really don't know much about it though :/
If this even exists, maybe Maggie had the same thing!

pihlaja · #15 01-05-2005, 01:04 AM

That's great knews, Kay!

Now I'm sure Maggie is going to have a whole different attitude towards the ferrets!

"This is YOUR fault! *swatslap* You should have done something when you had the chance!" At least that's Galina's attitude to her past 'boyfriend'.

Also, people who say cats 'calm down' after being fixed are sometimes LYING! Galina is MORE WILD now than she was pre-spay. Drives me bonkers.

Pre-heat?