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I was alerted to this problem in a consultation with Dr. Rick Kesler who is a nationally known feline reproductive specialist. He explained to me how the hormonal changes that accompany ovulation make the uterine environment more hospitable to infection, and therefore it is not good practice to induce ovulation using a Q-tip or other methods in order to control cats' heat cycles. Most cats with uterine disease are found to have luteal phase ovaries which indicate ovulation has recently occurred; in cats that were not bred or specifically induced to ovulate, it is thought that the ovulation occurred spontaneously (through accidental stimulation or for some other reason). Breeders' attempts to control their female cats' heat cycles by inducing ovulation is thought to be one of the reasons pyometra occurs more often in breeding cats kept in catteries than in domestic cats in general.I am afraid Dr. Fox who has a nation wide newspaper column would have to disagree with you on that one.
For a more complete understanding of feline reproduction, here is a good (although technical) article written by Dr. Susan Little which discusses the hormonal changes during the cat's heat cycle, ovulation and pregnancy, uterine disease, etc., including references.
Female Reproduction
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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