Is my cat in heat?

wubbiebear

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Hi there. For the past two days I've noticed weird behavior from my female cat Tiger. I have no idea what her movements are, as I'm almost totally blind, but she has been really restless and moving a lot. The big thing that I'm hearing is that she meows constantly, and it's a weird, loud, creepy sound that IMO would make an awesome soundtrack for a horror flick. She's quiet now, but she has literally meowed, if that's what you want to call it, all night last night and the night before. I was really scared as she's done this before, but when I told my friend who is an avid cat lover what was going on and imitated the sound for her, she said it sounded like Tiger is in heat. I really hope that's all it is. That meowing caused me to have nightmares all night that something was happening to my babygirl.
 

pinkman

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Hi - 

How old is she, and how long have you had her? Also, is she spayed?

If she is not spayed she may definitely be in heat. Until you get her spayed please make sure to keep her in AT ALL COST. I also encourage to get her spayed A.S.A.P - Not only being in heat is very stressful on her, continuous calling can increase the chances of getting pyometra - a deadly uterine infection.
 

tulosai

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I agree completely with pinkman. Please get her spayed as soon as you can if she is not spayed.

If she is spayed or under 3.5-4 months old, she cannot be in heat and should probably see a vet to make sure something is not seriously wrong.
 
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wubbiebear

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Unfortunately I haven't been able to afford to have her spayed yet. I'm looking into trying to find someone who will do it at a reduced price because I'm on a fixed income, or at least someone who will let me make payments. She'll be 2 on May 4, and I've had her since she was 8 weeks old. I called the vet, and when I described what she was doing they immediately said it sounded like she's in heat.

Unfortunately she's spraying or peeing or whatever that fluid is, and due to having no eyesight, I'm having a hard time. Right nnow I'm keeping her in a pet carrier when I'm not here or if I think she's going a lot, but I don't want to keep her in there. How will I know when it's safe to let her out? Also, is there a way to stop the leaking?
 

cprcheetah

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How much is she leaking/discharging?  Normally cats have minimal discharge with a heat cycle, if it's a lot you might want to have her checked out by a Veterinarian, she could have a vaginal or uterine infection if she is leaking a lot.  The heat cycle in cats lasts about 3 weeks, however a lot of cats continuously cycle in and out of heat. 
 

Willowy

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Is she leaking or spraying/peeing? Leakage is a bad sign, possibly a uterine infection. That really calls for a vet. Spraying/peeing means she's advertising for males, so that won't stop until she's spayed (or goes out of heat, but usually if a female doesn't get bred on a heat cycle she'll go in again very soon).

Have you called around to all shelters, rescues, and vets in the area? Someone may know of a low-cost option. Or maybe you could borrow the money from a friend or relative. It really only gets worse the longer a cat keeps going into heat :(.
 
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wubbiebear

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I'm pretty sure she's peeing, probably trying to advertise. I have contacted an organization that will spay her for a low cost. I've actually contacted two places, and one has called me back. If everything goes all right she'll get spayed at the first of the month.
 

mycatsinthetub

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That's great news!

Odd question. How do you type on the forum and read responses if you can't see?
 
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wubbiebear

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I have a screen reader, which is software that reads what is happening on the screen out loud.
 

scubacat

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It is odd that at nearly 2 you have not heard her in heat before! Yes, they will usually be very vocal, sometimes with longer cries (which seem louder in the middle of the night!). They may be VERY affectionate...rubbing themselves on you a lot. If you pet them, they will go into a "lordosis" position with their front ends down low and their butts up, tail to the side, and usually moving their back legs. I know you can't see her, but if you went up to her and started petting her you would FEEL her hunch down like this. It does not matter if there is not another cat around, a human will do just fine. This is the mating position. After this, they start rolling around usually (even if not mated). Some spray, some do not. While they may have some bleeding/discharge, they usually lick this up right away (one early sign a cat is going into heat is if they are excessively licking their vaginal area). This can last for several days, and then if they are not mated it may restart again within days. This on and off cycle can go on for months! Though "in the wild" they are supposed to be timed to the seasons (by daylight), artificial lighting can throw this all off.

I would definitely be concerned about excessive leaking or discharge that she is not cleaning up. This may indeed be a sign of a more serious condition.

I am glad you are looking into getting her spayed! Not only will it relieve her discomfort (and yours!), but it really does reduce the risk of many health concerns, like mammary cancer. Since she will be getting spayed later, you will want to pay extra attention when giving her cuddles to feel down her belly/nipples for lumps and so on. She will have a bit of an increased risk for mammary cancer (not huge since you are getting her spayed, but increased). If you get her spayed, that will however resolve many other potential concerns with her uterus, ovaries, etc.

Our female cat is almost 3, she just got spayed yesterday. Believe me, I would have done it when she was a kitten as I have always done but we only adopted her a couple weeks ago and her former owner never had her done (and I don't think could afford it). She went into heat a couple days after we got her, and she had just started a heat cycle again when she got spayed. She was not too bad as presumably she has been through this a few times and is used to it, but I still felt so bad for her. It just does not seem like a lot of fun to be in heat! I'd give her lots of affection and a good rub down and she'd seem to feel a bit better after it. Since she was already in heat when they spayed her, she will remain in it for a few days still, too!
 
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