A cat in heat drives me mad indeed

[flutterby]

OMG! I haven't had a cat in heat before. Well, I have but it's just these two.

I found a place that offers a voucher to low-income families to get your cat fixed for $10. So, I could get both of them spayed for $20, as opposed to $70 each at the vet or even $55 each at the humane society. But, you know how it goes...you're so busy putting out the day to day fires that it gets put off and filling out the paperwork and getting proof of assistance just wasn't high on the priority list. Until now.

Chloe went into heat first and she's not bad. She chirps and drives Hydro crazy. He gets really annoyed and growls at her. He's fixed - not interested. But she just kinda chirped and rolled around on the floor.

But, last night Isa went into heat and she hasn't stopped yowling since. At least Chloe would chill for a few hours.

There's no chance of them getting pregnant because all of mine are fixed and they don't go outside.

I know she's miserable and I feel bad for her. But, I'm miserable too!

I used to be able to tune stuff out. My first job was at a very busy vet practice and I had to tune out the animals back in the kennel, the dot matrix printers, the phones, the animals in the lobby....I got really good at it. But, my sensory issues are so amped that I can't and I'm going crazy.

Is there anything I can do to make her more comfortable...and less yowly?

 

[Star*]

I can think of few things that can set sensory off WORSE than a cat in heat. I'm thinking a few days at the vets. Sorry. She's miserable and unless she mates? She's going to make EVERYONE miserable. EVERYONE.

 

[GoingNorth]

Cats are reflex ovulators. They don't actually ovulate until they've been stimulated by the act of mating. (Male cats have to barbs on their "organ" to provide this stimulation).

There is a way to mimic this, but it's not for the faint of heart and carries the risk of being bitten once the eggs are released (that hurts, actually--heat cycles are VERY tough on the feline as well as the owner.

If you want to PM me, I can tell you how to do this, but I don't really advise it unless you have had a vet show you how to do it.

Wait until she comes out of heat and get both of them spayed. Repeated heat cycles without mating can literally cause life threatening illnesses in cats.

 

[flutterby]

Star, I did work at a vet clinic.

GN - Thanks for the offer, but I would be afraid to try that type of...procedure...for fear of hurting her.

As soon as the voucher comes, they are getting spayed. I just don't have the money the vet or humane society charges. I was planning on having it, but since easy child hasn't been paying rent...... That's the only reason they aren't spayed already.

 

[GoingNorth]

flutterby. I learned of it while working for a vet, and was shown how to do it. I did do it on a couple of my "girls" because while THEY wanted to have two/three litters a year, it wasn't good for them at all.

I know of catteries that keep a vasectomized tomcat for just this purpose. Gets the girls out of heat and there's no risk of pregnancy.

I'm glad you can get the vouchers. I was figuring you could as my small town of 8K people has low-income spay neuter available (I mean neutering the cats, not the people)

One other thing to watch for is false pregnancies, though those are more common in dogs.

Cheer up, though. I lived in an ancient house that had the heat registers on the floor as opposed to in the walls.

One of my girls used to go upstairs and howl down the register. The noise came out, much amplified, right next to the sofa. OMG!

 

[gcvmom]

How about some kitty benedryl to help her go nighty-night?

 

[Star*]

No flutter I meant take HER to be kenneled AT the vets.

 

[TerryJ2]

Wow. Yow. The things I learn on this board!

Oh, Star!