Helping a kitten in heat

[callista]

I'm cat-sitting for some friends while they search for an apartment. Their kitten is staying at my place and integrated with my cats in only four days. (She's a junior diplomat, that one.)

Zuzu is a small, slender tabby and white DSH; her owners haven't yet had the 9-month-old kitten spayed, though they intend to do so as soon as they can. She went into heat a few days after I started caring for her. Her owners left her at my house and have visited her twice since then, and when I asked, they told me her first heat had been nearly silent--she'd just become a little more cuddly.

Well, now she's in heat good and proper, yowling and sticking her butt in the air, uncomfortable and constantly looking for something. Her appetite is off--she doesn't eat much, though she drinks enough water. I don't know if she knows she's looking for a tomcat, but she's definitely uncomfortable. She rolls around on the ground, rubbing against everything; she can't settle into a lap because she just reflexively goes into the "I want to mate" pose whenever anybody touches her. She seems confused and lost more than anything else, though she can be nicely distracted by a laser toy for a little while.

And, yes, I am keeping all windows and doors firmly shut. I have no doubt she would claw her way through a window screen if there were a tom on the other side.

I'm compiling a list of low-cost spay/neuter places here, since they're new to the area. Other than that... Is there anything I can do to help this kitten? She's in heat, she obviously hates it, and there's not much we can do but just wait it out and get her spayed as soon as possible.

I thought I'd ask here because you guys are breeding cats and obviously do need to deal with cats in heat. I've never really done it, myself, because I just always had female cats spayed before they had a chance to really start cycling. But is there anything you can do to make heat cycles a little easier on a kitten? She will start eating properly again when it ends, won't she?

 

[StefanZ]

 She will start eating properly again when it ends, won't she?

Yes, this  non eating is one of the factors heats, and especielly  often recurring / long heats, do takes a toll on them.

Nay, there arent no fire sure methods.   In Europe is the Pill used sometimes. Its no good long term solutions, but works OK  to buy time. 

But the Pill isnt used in USA.

Some breeders have got themselves a male whom was neutered as adult, and  who knows what to do and how to do it.   And thus, helps females in need.

There may be also other tricks, but I dont want to write it in the open.

So, most people do as you.  Close all windows and doors with double locks, try to find something to play with, and otherwise,

a)  have something on their ears to shut out the yellings

b)  are setting up a face of a saint, and patiently endure through this week.

 

[GemsGem]

I agree with StefanZ it best to just let it run it's course unfortunately
Normally only lasts about a week although it will seem like its lasting forever. Especially when she is shouting her head off in the middle of the night. :lol3:

Most breeders do use a ( ex stud ) neutered male that still remembers what to do. That will take the female out of heat quicker and stop them coming back into heat so quickly again.

Most females normally come back into heat again every 2-4 weeks. Let's hope this little girl goes on the slightly longer side of that.

Oh and yeah she will start eating properly again when she stops calling and generally return to her normal self. That is until it starts all over again.

 

[callista]

Yeah, I don't have any ex-studs available, unfortunately. Well, it's good to know it's normal for a cat in heat not to eat very much. She's happily accepted bits of cheese and kitty treats, and licked the juice off her food, so she's not fasting entirely, but... man, I am SO glad humans don't go into heat like cats do, and I will never feel bad about spaying a cat ever again, no matter how motherly she seems. If a kitty of mine ever really loves kittens, I'll foster 'em.