My cat is in heat right now for the second time and I had already had her waiting to get spayed, her appointment is for late december, is that too soon?
2006-12-17 00:19:48 · 6 answers · asked by Cara 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
You don't need to wait until she's out of heat for her to have the surgery (like with dogs.) In fact, that's very, very difficult to do with a cat. Their cycles are different than dogs (who come into heat for about 3 weeks each every 6-8 months, and bleed a lot).....cats cycle in and out of heat every few days during their breeding season (warm months, so it can be year-round in some states) until one of two things happen: they get bred, or they get spayed.
Once they start this, it's hard to catch them on the couple of days between cycles to do the surgery. Fortunately, it doesn't matter for a cat. Again, because of species differences, they don't carry the extra risk of being spayed in heat like a dog. Their tisses react differently while in heat (a dog's uterus and ovaries are more fragile and prone to tearing, while a cat's uterus actually gets firmer and less likely to tear), and there is no increased bleeding like is a huge problem in dogs undergoing the surgery while in heat. It doesn't take any longer to spay a cat in heat, and doesn't require any extra suture material.....so we don't charge any extra like we have to for dogs.
The only thing that can happen is that your cat might act hormonally a little weird for a day or two due to the sudden change in hormone levels....but that's rare, and can't hurt her in any way. Most owners don't even notice.
It's much harder to try and time a cat spay in between litters of kittens (due to the breasts being full of milk and the fact that they often get pregnant with the next litter before weaning the first)....so go ahead and get her spayed ASAP.
Your veterinarian can answer any questions you may have. If you were told on the phone that you had to wait until she was out of heat for her to be spayed, ask to speak to the DVM or a tech directly. I didn't know it until a client told me she had been told that, that our brand-new receptionist just started telling clients that on her own after overhearing a different receptionist go through it about a dog. She didn't ask, so she assumed the same thing applied to cats. It doesn't.
2006-12-17 01:45:05 · answer #1 · answered by A Veterinarian 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unlike dogs, cats can be spayed while in heat. Move that appointment up if you can. Till she's spayed make sure she can't get out anywhere. She will try to find someway out and go get herself "relieved". Make sure no males can get in. My cat actually went out down a drainpipe hole under the bathtub that we didn't even know was there before we noticed she was in heat. They're smart little critters! Good luck!
2006-12-17 00:27:43 · answer #2 · answered by ♥Pretty♥ ♥Kitty♥ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You can get her spayed right after the heat ends. It isn't a good idea to spay while she's in heat; there can be a tendency to bleed too much. Many young females will go into another heat soon after the first. so waiting too long after the first heat ends can cause another delay. If your current vet won't move the appointment for you, try calling another vet.
2006-12-17 00:48:57 · answer #3 · answered by link955 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
She will not go into heat ever again and just needs to rest, like Amanda said. Pat yourself on the back for being a responsible cat owner and spaying/neutering your cat!
2016-05-23 01:49:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats can be spayed as early as five months or even while in heat or pregnant (early pregnancy if possible). But the best time to spay is while they are not in heat because the uterus is soft and easier to ligate. If they are in heat, the uterus are thick, brittle and when being ligated it sometimes bleed easily, but ligation can still be done by just being careful during the process. During pregnancy, spaying can also be done but the babies are removed together with the uterus.. I think she can be spayed by late December as the period of receptivity (heat) in cats is about 4 to 8 days. By late December, she is not in heat anymore.
2006-12-17 01:09:47 · answer #5 · answered by Rebecca N 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
ask your vet but for our dog i think they told us about 2 months after the first heat but if your cat hasn't had one yet some vets will still do it, i think its easier for them to do it b4 they have the first heat
2006-12-17 00:25:03 · answer #6 · answered by *CiTsJuStMe* 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋