To start, I live in a remote place in west Africa, so expert vets are not around. Thus I consult the Internet.
We got a baby around 5 weeks, and while I'm pretty good at determining sex in a kitten, this one I wasn't sure about. Now she is 7 months and, while we call her a 'she', she is clearly showing signs of little kitty testicles, while her other parts looks female. I've done some googling and it looks like she is a hermaphrodite, having the organs of both sexes. She seems to be dominantly female but honestly I might think that just because I've been calling her my little princess her whole life.
First, does anyone have experience with a hermaphroditic cat? Any health problems?
She's now seven months and hasn't seen a vet and thus has not been spayed or neutered. I saw one gal online with a cat like this who her vet advised for neither spaying or neutering, cat was now 12 years and without any health problems; while others seem to have had both operations. Obviously that's advice that is needed from an expert vet, but as she's 7 months now and has never gone into heat (or the kind of annoying behavior that males go into when they start maturing sexually) I'm hoping I have a miracle-kitten that is essentially neuter due to hermaphroditism. Because any surgery with the vet I can get here is potentially life-threatening, and frankly I'd rather have a cat that cries and bleeds on a heat cycle than risk putting my baby under the knife, it would be great to have a naturally-neuter kitten.
Any experience out there? Any references for more information? Much appreciated!
We got a baby around 5 weeks, and while I'm pretty good at determining sex in a kitten, this one I wasn't sure about. Now she is 7 months and, while we call her a 'she', she is clearly showing signs of little kitty testicles, while her other parts looks female. I've done some googling and it looks like she is a hermaphrodite, having the organs of both sexes. She seems to be dominantly female but honestly I might think that just because I've been calling her my little princess her whole life.
First, does anyone have experience with a hermaphroditic cat? Any health problems?
She's now seven months and hasn't seen a vet and thus has not been spayed or neutered. I saw one gal online with a cat like this who her vet advised for neither spaying or neutering, cat was now 12 years and without any health problems; while others seem to have had both operations. Obviously that's advice that is needed from an expert vet, but as she's 7 months now and has never gone into heat (or the kind of annoying behavior that males go into when they start maturing sexually) I'm hoping I have a miracle-kitten that is essentially neuter due to hermaphroditism. Because any surgery with the vet I can get here is potentially life-threatening, and frankly I'd rather have a cat that cries and bleeds on a heat cycle than risk putting my baby under the knife, it would be great to have a naturally-neuter kitten.
Any experience out there? Any references for more information? Much appreciated!