Expert: Jessica - 2/15/2010

Question
Hello i have a female cat that usually always goes into heat for about a week every year.Well this year she is turning 10 years old and its been over a year sinse she went in heat i remember she went in heat last year around january and she didnt go into heat again yet.Is it possible that female cats goes out of heat once they reach a certain age or is she just waiting until spring time please let me know if you can.I know i read somewhere before that female cats go in heat until the day they die but im not sure.And some places said that they do something like menopause like human women.Please let me know what you think about this thank you so so much i really appreciate it god bless

Answer
Hi Lynn.  Cats really don't go through any menopause.  Most cats do continue to go into heat until they die, but as they get older, they tend to go into heat less frequently than when they were younger.  If your cat only went into heat once a year, there's no telling how often she'll go into heat as she's getting up in age.  But chances are she will still go into heat once in a while.

At her age, she is at extremely high risk for a disease called pyometra.  This is an infection where the uterus fills with pus.  Older cats are at increased risk for it because their uteruses become thickened and less pliable, and unable to expell bacteria.  The infection is life-threatening.  Despite knowing all the symptoms to look for, I lost a Siamese to it a few years ago.  So even if it seems like your cat is never going to go into heat again, it would be a great idea to have her spayed.  Spaying eliminates the risk of this infection almost 100%.

Best wishes!

Jessica