Ask the Veterinarian/Feline Question

Advertisement

Expert: - 9/19/2011


Question
Hi. My cat is 4 months old and she had her first heat a few weeks ago but her clitoris is still swollen. She also has runny watery poop that smells extreamly bad. I've changed the brand of cat litter recently but I haven't changed her food in a few months now. Do you know if this is a sign of anything, and should I get her checked out?

Answer
When a cat comes into heat they are out only for a few days then they go back into for 3 more weeks until they are bred or winter sets in.

Her vulva could be swollen for many reasons, but mostly because she is back into heat again.

You need to get her into the vets NOW and get her spayed. 4 months old is way to young to have kittens but she WILL get pregnant if she is outside for even a half hour.

Call your vet today and get her in to get spayed or at least get an appointment for her soon.

While it's not common for cats to come into heat at this age, it is more unusual that they are at 4 months and in the fall. We have seen plenty of pregnant 4 month cats and it's not a good thing.

Her food is probably causing the nasty smelling stool if you are feeding her store bought grocery store food. It is extremely low quality food and will make her stool smell because she can't digest a lot of it.
Get her on Science Diet Kitten Growth because she is still a kitten. That food will make her stool very small and hardly smell at all because it is very high quality and she will digest almost all of it. It also provides her with optimal nutrition so she won't need to eat as much. When she is a year old you can then switch her to Science Diet adult.

But please, call today and get her in for surgery. She will be a grateful cat!! You can also get the Science Diet Kitten Growth at the vets. :-)

Ask the Veterinarian

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.