Expert: Jessica - 6/29/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have an eight year old female cat who is kittenless. Once she produced a litter of one kitten but it was dead. Since then no kittens. For the past one and a half year she bellows too much during mating season. In our country spaying is not generally done for cats. She is an in-door out-door cat and mates at her will. The trouble is for the first one or two days the male cats oblige. Later on She keeps crying at high pitch but no response from male cats. She gets her cycle every month and for 5 days. Why is she not satisfied? She is otherwise a healthy cat. Is there any medicine to stop her estrus cycle. She is too old for spaying. Somewhere I read about Delmadinone acetate. What is the brand name for this medicine? Where would it be available? How would I comfort her? It is very heart breaking and I am undergoing mental trauma along with her every month.Since she is under stress every month will it affect her health? Please reply

ANSWER: Hi Shyam,

I'm sorry to hear about your cat.  I understand spaying is not done in many countries, but with your concerns, perhaps you could consult a veterinarian about the procedure.  Your cat's reproductive system may have suffered damage during her first pregnancy that resulted in the stillborn kitten, and this may be the reason she cannot become pregnant any longer.  If this is true, she may be at an even greater risk for developing a deadly infection of the uterus called pyometra, which is already a big concern for unspayed cats of this age.  Spaying can help eliminate the risk of this infection.

One brand name for delmadinone acetate is Tardak.  There is a similar medication called megestrol acetate, under the brands Ovaban, Ovarid and FeralStat.  These drugs prevent cats from having estrus cycles, but they should only be used to prevent one or two cycles because they have extremely serious side effects such as diabetes and cancer if used for longer than a few months.  You should consult a veterinarian about these medications if you think it's something you may be interested in.

It's not something that I would suggest, as I recommend spaying, instead, but in cases where the cat cannot be spayed and cannot be placed on birth control, some breeders actually stimulate their cats using a thermometer, as instructed by a vet.  This gives the cat some temporary relief.  If this is something you feel you could do, I would advise bringing your cat to the vet and asking for a demonstration.

I hope your cat is feeling better soon!

Jessica



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

QUESTION: Jessica very informative and thank you very much. Upto what age female cats will have active heat cycle? Is having heat cycle regularly is injurious to  her health. Since she is eight years old can I hope that she may have less intense, less frequent cycle which may eventually vanish.
Thank you very much

Answer
Most cats will have active heat cycles until they die.  Cats don't usually reach an age when heat cycles cease, unlike human women who reach an age at which they can no longer reproduce.  Sometimes as cats get older, their heat cycles become less frequent.  Instead of having them every month, they may have them every few months.  A few cats who live to be very old may stop having heat cycles altogether, but this is not to be expected.

Having regular heat cycles may be dangerous to her health because of the disease I mentioned earlier - pyometra.  With every heat, the uterus will become a little more thickened and rigid.  As it becomes less and less flexible, it will become less able to expel bacteria.  The soft, warm, moist lining of the uterus is a great place for bacteria to grow, and bacteria are introduced into the vagina during mating.  For younger cats, this is not always a problem because their uterus is not so thickened, but for older cats who have been through so many heats, it's only a matter of time before an infection develops.  Signs of an infection may include a yellow, green or brown discharge from the vagina, tenderness to the belly, tiredness or loss of appetite, but often, none of the symptoms are noticed.  The infection is deadly unless the cat is spayed immediately.  Even though I knew the signs to look for, one of my cats died from pyometra, even though I got her treatment right away.

As you see, spaying offers a lot of health benefits for the cat, as well as emotional benefits, and this is why I support it so much.  But it must be difficult living in an area where it is not performed.  The only other advice I could offer you is to try to keep her indoors, which may be just as difficult.  Cats who are not exposed to natural sunlight tend to have fewer heats than cats who are exposed to natural sunlight every day.  Some cats who don't go outside at all will only have a heat once or twice a year.