Cat who shows no sign of heat

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
I have a 1 year old female cat I adoted in December last year. She's a Russian blue x DSH and basically looks like a tux with blue coat
But I am so worried about her because even though she's 1 year now she hasn't shown any signs of heat until now.
She's skinny and rarely gain on weight and seem to have stopped growing altogether
Her body is only 30cm and her weight is 2.9kg
I was expecting to breed her but seem like there's no way she could have kittens because she's so skinny and show disinterest in male cats
I don't know why my cat is so different from other female cats which from other people's testimony can get into heat at only 5 months
Can anyone suggest to me what might be wrong with my cat?
 

gilmargl

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 12, 2013
Messages
1,855
Purraise
4,817
Location
Germany, NRW
You will have to take her to a vet to get the correct answer to your question. Cats are not robots. Many women are infertile for numerous reasons and cats are no different. My vet told me that some female cats never come on heat so cannot breed. Apart from medical reasons for her being infertile, you will perhaps have to answer some uncomfortable questions:
How old was she when you got her? Was she from a reliable breeder? She is small, so did they sell you a small adult cat, telling you she was a kitten? Could she have been neutered beforehand? Is she simply stressed out from being introduced to fertile toms when she has no interest, only fear? Some breeds (such as BSH) mature later than others so you may just have to be patient.

But, do see a vet to get her checked out properly. I hope for her sake that she is healthy even if she can't have kittens. Good luck!
 

Norachan

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
32,668
Purraise
32,854
Location
Mount Fuji, Japan
Is there any reason why you want to breed her? If she's a Russian blue crossed with another cat she's not a pure bred and her kittens won't have any pedigree. Not that there is anything wrong with non-pedigree cats, moggies make wonderful pets, but there's not exactly a shortage of cats and kittens in the world.

I suggest you get her spayed rather than trying to breed from her. If she's underweight and failing to thrive she's not going to be able to have healthy kittens. Your vet will be able to give her a full health check before she's spayed, so they will be able to tell you why she isn't growing.

Breeding Cats: What Cat Owners Need to Know – TheCatSite Articles

Why You Should Spay And Neuter Your Cats – TheCatSite Articles

Spaying And Neutering – What To Ask Before The Surgery – TheCatSite Articles
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
You will have to take her to a vet to get the correct answer to your question. Cats are not robots. Many women are infertile fo
How old was she when you got her? Was she from a reliable breeder? She is small, so did they sell you a small adult cat, telling you she was a kitten? Could she have been neutered beforehand? Is she simply stressed out from being introduced to fertile toms when she has no interest, only fear? Some breeds (such as BSH) mature later than others so you may just have to be patient
I adopted her from an owner who got accidental litter from his Russian blue and she was tiny 8 weeks old kitten when I adopted her. She was never neutered
From my memory I think her mother was bigger and stouter then what she looks now. Don't know what father looked like but assume that he was a stray?
But I don't think it's because of her infertility because her mother was fertile and hence she and 3 brothers of her were born from the same litter(?)
Could it be due to inadequate nutrition?
Although I always leave out plenty of dry food during the day she doesn't eat much
Only thing she loves to eat in the world are boiled chicken legs and wet pouches treats so I give her quarter cup of boiled chicken every morning and treats from time to time
My question is can cat who only weigh 3kg and 30cm long body (by this I mean leangth from her butt to base of her neck not counting head) ever give birth? Were there any case of similar cat giving birth to healthy kitten? Will she grow any bigger? If so how should I feed her? What's typical diet of healthy strong looking female cat?
Also one other thing I'm concerned about is that she gets aggressive easily these days
She growls easily at me and other cats so easily when as a kitten she rarely did so
 

dkb817

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 29, 2013
Messages
230
Purraise
175
S skrumtuoscatlayd -

First off, the mother cat not being infertile has nothing to do with your cat's fertility. Just like with people, no two are the same. It could stem from inadequate nutrition, but since none of us know her history prior to coming to you, we have no way of saying WHAT is causing her lack of heat. That's why we suggest you take her to the vet to get her healthy before you worry about turning her into a brood sow.

Sorry if that sounds aggressive, but you need to focus on your cat's health first and foremost before you worry about her ability to breed; Even if she went into heat now and you bred her straight away, she doesn't sound like she's in optimal health for a healthy pregnancy.
 

posiepurrs

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
2,696
Purraise
6,231
Location
Western Massachusetts, USA
A vet visit is in order first. She does not sound healthy enough to be bred (apart from the fact that there are to many moggies without homes now). Since she was only 8 weeks when you got her that could help explain the aggressiveness now - she was to young. They learn manners from mother and littermates during the time together. My advice (not that you want it) would be to spay her and if you want to breed, find a REPUTABLE breeder to mentor you. Cats can also have silent heats, but if she was born this time last year it could affect the timing of her heats. Cats generally stop cycling in colder climates during the shorter days of winter.
 

gilmargl

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 12, 2013
Messages
1,855
Purraise
4,817
Location
Germany, NRW
An animal (or plant) under stress from lack of nutrition usually matures early to ensure that the species survives! My black, ex-stray Katie is probably 30 cm long by your definition and still weighs less than 3 kg. She was found in a feral colony 5 years ago - pregnant. She unfortunately killed her 3 kittens within 5 days of their birth, I was unable to save them. At the time she weighed under 2 kg and was estimated to be 9 months old. She has since been neutered and, although shy, is much friendlier and would probably be a good mother now that she is older, fitter and more relaxed.

Perhaps you should concentrate on getting your cat fitter and more relaxed before thinking about breeding her. Another reason for infertility and deformities is inbreeding. Who knows who her forefathers were.

I won't comment on her diet apart from saying that wet cat food is better than dry. Boiled chicken is fine once in a while but cats need taurine, which is an important component of manufactured cat food.
 

Norachan

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
32,668
Purraise
32,854
Location
Mount Fuji, Japan
My question is can cat who only weigh 3kg and 30cm long body (by this I mean leangth from her butt to base of her neck not counting head) ever give birth? Were there any case of similar cat giving birth to healthy kitten? Will she grow any bigger? If so how should I feed her? What's typical diet of healthy strong looking female cat?
Yes, she may be able to give birth but it's not a good idea to let her get pregnant if you suspect she has some underlying health condition. You should not allow a cat to have kittens unless you are a registered breeder, breeding pedigree cats with the help of a mentor. There are too many unwanted kittens in the world. Thousands are euthanized every year because homes can't be found for all of them. Your country has a huge problem with feral cats killing native wildlife. You really don't need to be adding any more kittens to that situation.

No, she probably won't grow any bigger, but a healthy diet could help her fill out more.

Cats should be fed a diet that is high in protein, low in carbohydrate. Canned food is generally better than dry food. Dry food and boiled chicken is unlikely to be giving her all the nutrients she needs.

FeLV and FIV are common causes of feline infertility. A cat that never enters her first heat cycle may have chromosomal abnormalities, hermaphroditism, or have abnormal uterine or ovarian development.

Really, you need to have her examined by a vet. Please take a look at the articles I posted above and consider getting her spayed.
 
Top