Expert: Jessica - 10/23/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi Jessica,
I think my cat is in heat.  At first I thought she was hurt, or something was wrong with her because she was waddling around the floor with her legs spread out and her tail either to the left side or the right side.  She also meows a lot when we try to pet her and such.  I googled it and found out the was in heat.  

I know nothing about this.  Is she in pain whens hes in heat? Is she stressed?  I read you have to get her spade, or if I dont want to do that, I have to do hormonal injections to calm her down?  I have never heard of that before.  Let me know what you think.
-Matt-

ANSWER: Hi Matt,

It does sound like she's in heat.  Heat, or estrus, is not painful, but it does cause physical stress due to fluctuating hormone levels.  Most cats have reduced appetite, and when allowed to go into heat repeatedly, some cats become malnourished.  They also face a high risk of developing a uterine infection, especially a type called pyometra, where pus builds in the uterus.  This is usually deadly if not treated right away.

You can prevent heat short-term with hormonal injections or pills, but these are unhealthy and should only be used for a month or two when clearly needed.  When used for longer than this, they carry a very high risk of causing diabetes and mammary tumors, sometimes cancerous.  It's best to use these only in breeding situations, where it's impossible to separate the cat from males, or where a planned breeding needs to take place.  Otherwise, I would highly recommend that you schedule an appointment to have your kitty spayed, and just keep her away from males at all costs rather than placing her on hormone therapy.

Spaying is definitely the best choice.  If you have your kitty spayed before her next heat, which should occur in about 3-4 weeks, you can greatly reduce her chances of developing mammary cancer in the future.  Spaying before the first heat is most beneficial and reduces the risks of mammary cancer phenomenally (almost 1000% compared to unspayed cats).  Spaying before the second heat helps immensely, too, and even spaying before the third heat is beneficial.  Cats who reach their forth heat have about the same risks of mammary cancer that unspayed cats have.  Spayed cats also won't be able to develop ovarian or uterine cancer, and the possibility of developing the pyometra I mentioned above is nearly impossible.

The feline spay is now a relatively minor surgery and only takes about 15 minutes.  Cats go home the same day of the surgery, and most will have their incisions closed with surgical glue, along with a few dissolvable sutures to ensure it stays closed.  Most cats feel sore for about 3 days and will take things easy, and you should be sure that your cat has a comfortable place to rest where her food and litter are easily accessible.  The vet will normally give her a pain injection just before she leaves the hospital that will last for 3 days.  This is all that most cats require, but if she seems to be in much pain, you can ask the vet if an oral pain reliever can be sent home.

Best of luck!

Jessica



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks a lot for your response Jessica.  I will decide to spay her after her 1st heat is over.  Do you know how long it lasts or how to know when it stops?  I hear I should not bring her to get spayed during her heat period.  Also what are the chances of her getting ovarian/uterine cancer if she is not spayed?  

Answer
Most heats last an average of one week (anywhere from 4-10 days can be expected).  You'll have a good idea that her heat is overwith when her behavior returns to normal.  She won't be crouching down anymore or crying all the time.  But there are no sure-fire physical signs visible to the eye.

Because the feline heat cycle can be a little unpredictable and difficult to plan around, most vets will still spay a cat if she goes into heat when she is scheduled for her spay.  Unlike dogs, cats do not bleed heavily during heat, so there is no increased bleeding risk during the surgery.  So I would encourage you to schedule her appointment and keep it, even if she enters her next heat early.

Overall, cats run the risk of developing mammary cancer at about 1 in 4000.  This is an average and takes into account all cats, spayed and unspayed, so it's difficult to say just how much an unspayed cat's risk would be increased, but it would be greater than 1 in 4000.  Although the chances may sound low, it's actually one of the most common and most deadly cancers diagnosed in cats.  Early detection and removal of any lumps will give you the best chance at a recovery, so try to feel her belly once in a while for hard, defined lumps.