In heat at ~4 months old

That's why we spay most of our kittens before they go out to their new
home. Find a vet who will spay her now, unless there are actual health
concerns (and not her age).

The youngest we've seen a kitten in heat was 3 months, soon after her
adoption. At that time, we weren't insisting on "early" spay, but changed
our mind when the owner's vet refused to spay. The owner finally took the
poor kitten to our vet to be done. Generally, a kitten comes into heat
promptly at 6 months, usually the day before the spay appointment.

"Early" sterilization has been in practice for a couple of decades now in
this country. Follow-up studies have revealed no drawbacks.

Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus Cats

On Tue, 28 Dec 2004, Cheryl wrote:

Well, my Scarlett seems to be in heat. She's aggitating Shamrock
(neutered male, neutered 3 years ago) and doing the rolling on the
floor thing and her vagina looks swollen (ok, I don't know, but I can
see it now and I used to not even know where it is on a female cat).
I've had to postpone 2 spay surgeries now due to her not doing well
when the appt came up, so now it looks like we're going through a
heat. Some (including the vet) say they are probably older than I was
told, but their first pictures were taken the week of Oct 15 and they
clearly look like month old, or maybe up to 6 weeks at that time,
making them now at most 4 months old. What do you think? How unusual
is it for a 4 month old female to be in heat for the first time?
Also, vet now wants to wait a month before spaying her. I'm going to
call back tomorrow and insist on sooner, otherwise I'm going to have
a houseful of very stressed out kitties. Shamrock is not happy and
has tried to mount her repeatedly.

http://tinyurl.com/3jx97
(photos 1-6 taken the week of Oct 15)

--
Cheryl

they
clearly look like month old, or maybe up to 6 weeks at that time,
making them now at most 4 months old. What do you think? How unusual
is it for a 4 month old female to be in heat for the first time?
Also, vet now wants to wait a month before spaying her. I'm going to
call back tomorrow and insist on sooner, otherwise I'm going to have
a houseful of very stressed out kitties. Shamrock is not happy and
has tried to mount her repeatedly.

They look about 6-7 weeks in those pics. Female cats can go in heat at 5 months
of age. I'd get her spayed sooner. She may stay in heat until she gets spayed
or "gets some." She will drive you nuts howling all night long. You won't get
any heat. Spaying while in heat might cost a little more because her female
organs may be swollen. My Mimi was in heat for months as she was FLV+. I
finally found a vet who would spay her. We finally got some sleep and she got
some rest too.

On Tue, 28 Dec 2004 16:56:45 -0800, Sharon Talbert wrote:


That's why we spay most of our kittens before they go out to their new
home. Find a vet who will spay her now, unless there are actual health
concerns (and not her age).

The youngest we've seen a kitten in heat was 3 months, soon after her
adoption. At that time, we weren't insisting on "early" spay, but changed
our mind when the owner's vet refused to spay. The owner finally took the
poor kitten to our vet to be done. Generally, a kitten comes into heat
promptly at 6 months, usually the day before the spay appointment.

"Early" sterilization has been in practice for a couple of decades now in
this country. Follow-up studies have revealed no drawbacks.

Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus Cats

On Tue, 28 Dec 2004, Cheryl wrote:

Well, my Scarlett seems to be in heat. She's aggitating Shamrock
(neutered male, neutered 3 years ago) and doing the rolling on the
floor thing and her vagina looks swollen (ok, I don't know, but I can
see it now and I used to not even know where it is on a female cat).
I've had to postpone 2 spay surgeries now due to her not doing well
when the appt came up, so now it looks like we're going through a
heat. Some (including the vet) say they are probably older than I was
told, but their first pictures were taken the week of Oct 15 and they
clearly look like month old, or maybe up to 6 weeks at that time,
making them now at most 4 months old. What do you think? How unusual
is it for a 4 month old female to be in heat for the first time?
Also, vet now wants to wait a month before spaying her. I'm going to
call back tomorrow and insist on sooner, otherwise I'm going to have
a houseful of very stressed out kitties. Shamrock is not happy and
has tried to mount her repeatedly.

http://tinyurl.com/3jx97
(photos 1-6 taken the week of Oct 15)

--
Cheryl



Nature can be cruel! MLB



!.

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
Well, my Scarlett seems to be in heat. She's aggitating Shamrock
(neutered male, neutered 3 years ago) and doing the rolling on the
floor thing and her vagina looks swollen (ok, I don't know, but I can
see it now and I used to not even know where it is on a female cat).
I've had to postpone 2 spay surgeries now due to her not doing well
when the appt came up, so now it looks like we're going through a
heat. Some (including the vet) say they are probably older than I was
told, but their first pictures were taken the week of Oct 15 and they
clearly look like month old, or maybe up to 6 weeks at that time,
making them now at most 4 months old. What do you think? How unusual
is it for a 4 month old female to be in heat for the first time?

I think it's entirely possible. One of the feral kittens my sister adopted
was probably only 4 months old (as guesstimated by the vet) , yet was
pregnant when she adopted her.

Cathy

Also, vet now wants to wait a month before spaying her. I'm going to
call back tomorrow and insist on sooner, otherwise I'm going to have
a houseful of very stressed out kitties. Shamrock is not happy and
has tried to mount her repeatedly.

http://tinyurl.com/3jx97
(photos 1-6 taken the week of Oct 15)

--
Cheryl

My kitten was only 4 months old when she went into heat. The vet kept
her over night, and when I brought her home the next day , she went
outside and started chasing bugs. It was like she had never had an
operation.



On Tue, 28 Dec 2004 18:46:43 -0600, Cheryl
wrote:

Well, my Scarlett seems to be in heat. She's aggitating Shamrock
(neutered male, neutered 3 years ago) and doing the rolling on the
floor thing and her vagina looks swollen (ok, I don't know, but I can
see it now and I used to not even know where it is on a female cat).
I've had to postpone 2 spay surgeries now due to her not doing well
when the appt came up, so now it looks like we're going through a
heat. Some (including the vet) say they are probably older than I was
told, but their first pictures were taken the week of Oct 15 and they
clearly look like month old, or maybe up to 6 weeks at that time,
making them now at most 4 months old. What do you think? How unusual
is it for a 4 month old female to be in heat for the first time?
Also, vet now wants to wait a month before spaying her. I'm going to
call back tomorrow and insist on sooner, otherwise I'm going to have
a houseful of very stressed out kitties. Shamrock is not happy and
has tried to mount her repeatedly.

http://tinyurl.com/3jx97
(photos 1-6 taken the week of Oct 15)

Hi Cheryl,

I don't know how much cats are like rabbits in the neutering category,
but male rabbits can impregnate a female for a few weeks after the
neuter. They are not producing any more sperm, but there are some
swimmers left in the tubing for awhile.

Rhonda


Cheryl wrote:

Thanks Sharon. Yup, I'm a believer in early age neuter, and planned
to have her done by now. A bit over a week ago she had what looked
like a mild seizure and that made us postpone her last appt, but
her brother got done then any way.

"Rhonda" wrote in message
...
Hi Cheryl,

I don't know how much cats are like rabbits in the neutering category,
but male rabbits can impregnate a female for a few weeks after the
neuter. They are not producing any more sperm, but there are some
swimmers left in the tubing for awhile.

Rhonda

I was thinking about that, too - in that after my male cat was neutered, his
pee continued to stink for another 3½ weeks. So, it obviously takes a while
for all of that testosterone to finally leave the system.

Cathy


Cheryl wrote:

Thanks Sharon. Yup, I'm a believer in early age neuter, and planned
to have her done by now. A bit over a week ago she had what looked
like a mild seizure and that made us postpone her last appt, but
her brother got done then any way.

Hi Cheryl,

Glad you're not waiting. I used to volunteer for a rabbit rescue group,
and many rabbits were surrendered because vets "forgot" to tell the
rabbit-owners to keep the male separated for a month after neuter surgery.

Hope all goes well with her surgery. She's such an early bloomer, she'll
probably want to borrow the car keys soon.

Rhonda


Cheryl wrote:

On Tue 28 Dec 2004 09:13:37p, Rhonda wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
):


don't know how much cats are like rabbits in the neutering
category,
but male rabbits can impregnate a female for a few weeks after
the neuter. They are not producing any more sperm, but there are
some swimmers left in the tubing for awhile.


I asked the vet tech about that and she said it wasn't possible. I
know I've read the same things. I have to wonder how true it is, or
which is right. In any case, I'm not going to wait it out a month
before her spay.

in article , Cheryl at
wrote on 12/28/04 7:18 PM:

On Tue 28 Dec 2004 07:56:45p, Sharon Talbert wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
(news:Pine.A41.4.61b.0412281649360.154620@homer05. u.washington.edu)
:

That's why we spay most of our kittens before they go out to
their new home. Find a vet who will spay her now, unless there
are actual health concerns (and not her age).

The youngest we've seen a kitten in heat was 3 months, soon
after her adoption. At that time, we weren't insisting on
"early" spay, but changed our mind when the owner's vet refused
to spay. The owner finally took the poor kitten to our vet to
be done. Generally, a kitten comes into heat promptly at 6
months, usually the day before the spay appointment.

"Early" sterilization has been in practice for a couple of
decades now in this country. Follow-up studies have revealed no
drawbacks.

Thanks Sharon. Yup, I'm a believer in early age neuter, and planned
to have her done by now. A bit over a week ago she had what looked
like a mild seizure and that made us postpone her last appt, but
her brother got done then any way. Thank goodness. I hope I don't
have to have another vet do it. I like our vet, and I've never had
to have a cat neutered so I didn't know what her beliefs are until
now. A month! I'm stunned! We'll all be insane by then! lol I'm
going to call her back tomorrow and insist since Scarlett is doing
much better and her eyes are all clear, no more seizure episodes,
and she's gaining weight again.

Cheryl, I almost wonder if that episode is somehow related with going into
heat!

in article , Cathy Friedmann at
wrote on 12/28/04 8:30 PM:


"Rhonda" wrote in message
...
Hi Cheryl,

I don't know how much cats are like rabbits in the neutering category,
but male rabbits can impregnate a female for a few weeks after the
neuter. They are not producing any more sperm, but there are some
swimmers left in the tubing for awhile.

Rhonda

I was thinking about that, too - in that after my male cat was neutered, his
pee continued to stink for another 3½ weeks. So, it obviously takes a while
for all of that testosterone to finally leave the system.

Cathy

My mom has a 2+ y.o. male who is intact (he does not go out and there is
only another neutered male in the house. She is afraid to get him fixed
partly because she is afraid they will find an ID chip (they won't, he was
quite young when she found him and she put up posters everywhere and walked
around the neighborhood asking about him and no one knew him) and partly
because her cat Amigo died about the time she should have gotten Petrus
fixed and I think she is afraid something will happen. Will get her there
eventually) but he does not smell "tomish". He is a littlish cat, but VERY
long legged and skinny (naturally so) has DEFINITELY some kind of oriental
in him. His body type is like the skinny orientals, but his face is pretty
and not super skinny. He probably doesn't weigh more than 8 or 9 lbs but it
is all sinewy muscle. He climbs like a monkey and his toes I call monkey
toes because they are so long. He can walk across the shower curtain rod. He
scales the bathroom cupboard like a CGI figure. It's really astounding. Here
is a pic:
"http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kchuplis/detail?.dir=f77a&.dnm=aaeb.jpg&.src=
ph"

"http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kchuplis/detail?.dir=298a&.dnm=4b21.jpg&.src=
ph"


You can see how loooong his front toes are. They look like fingers.

anyhoo. Petrus the wonder cat just is not smelly nor does he seem to have
any marking habits. He is SUPER lovey dovey with everyone and would be lost
without his pal Tycho.

"http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kchuplis/detail?.dir=298a&.dnm=d244.jpg&.src=
ph"

Are orientals not as virile as other breeds or take longer to mature? (His
equipment LOOKS plenty mature.)