Silent Heat?

[CatEars]

First time cat owner. My female, apparently not fixed, 9 month old cat is acting slightly off. She’s never had a heat cycle before and is typically a playful yet very loyal, obedient cat.

Recently though, she’s been sleeping more and has recently taken up door dashing. This has been happening for around 3 days now.

Her other behaviors are perfectly normal. She eats, plays, drinks, and uses her litter box as she normally does.

My cat hasn’t had a heat cycle at all. I’ve had her since she was 6 weeks and have yet to experience anything. I honestly thought she was fixed until someone told me that she wasn’t.

I read that I shouldn’t get a cat fixed while they’re in heat, but how can I know if she is in heat? Is more than normal sleeping and door dashing normal for cats with silent heat cycles?

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Willowy]

They usually can't be fixed until 8 weeks at the youngest. Was there a reason you thought she was already fixed?

This is definitely the right time.of year for her to go into heat, so she probably will be in heat soon if she isn't already.

Has she succeeded in any of her door dashing attempts? Cats can get pregnant very easily so if she's been out of your sight for even 5 minutes there's a good chance she's already been mated.

Some vets prefer to wait until they're out of active heat, other vets don't care. Give your vet a call to make a spay appointment and ask them what they prefer.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

And mention to your vet that if she is in heat, it is silent heat, and you're not certain of how to tell. He can advise you.

 

[susanm9006]

If she isn’t in heat she will be soon so best to get her spay scheduled. Sometimes the signs of the first heat are so mild and the heat so short that you don’t even recognize it. But she can still get pregnant so don’t delay. Let the Vet know she may have already been in heat. If I recall they charge a bit more if that is the case.

A few signs of a cat in heat are increased need for petting and attention, crouching low and kneading with their back feet, sometimes raising their rump, long frequent meows in a normally quiet cat, and trying to get outdoors.