Spayed Cat... In Heat?

yokitty

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 4, 2016
Messages
32
Purraise
10
My kitty was spayed over 2 years ago. Everything went fine, etc. etc., she was happy and healthy.

Well until two days ago. I noticed she was rolling around on the bed as if it was sprinkled with catnip or something. Okay, she’s a bit weird, no biggie. Except she kept doing it. Then she added the shrill chirp purring, and periodic yowling at nothing, and the raising her hiney in the air, and... yeah she’s in heat.

How? Was the first spay botched or incomplete or something? Why would it take two years to show up? Is there anything I can do? Is this a one-off thing? Does she need to be spayed again? I’ve never heard of this happening before, so any suggestions are really welcome.
 

Sandy Beach

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 17, 2018
Messages
92
Purraise
102
I wonder what knowledge others in this forum may have about this. I am going to comment on my assumptions only.
My guess would be that she’s not really in heat, just horny. Lol.
Mama cat was fixed years ago but occasionally army crawls with her butt in the air or try’s to put her back end in the dogs face.
We also have 2 dogs (1M/1F) that have been fixed since they were 12 & 16 weeks old and they get it on all the time....they are now 8 and 3. I assume that while sterilization slows down hormone production, the urges can still be there from time to time. Or in my dogs case, all the time.
I do know that some vets only remove the fallopian tubes vs. the uterus & Fallopian tubes. That could also be a defining factor. I’d be interested to hear what your vet thinks.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

yokitty

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 4, 2016
Messages
32
Purraise
10
She must be really horny then, because it’s been escalating for the last few days, haha.
 

Margret

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
6,497
Purraise
8,927
Location
Littleton, CO
There was a thread here, um, earlier this year?, about a cat who'd been spayed but kept going back into heat. As I recall the vet said that it appeared that part of an ovary had migrated elsewhere in the abdominal cavity during the spay (done by a different vet) and it would take exploratory surgery to find it, with no guarantee of success. It seemed to be possible to stimulate the cat with a cotton swab enough to trick her body into thinking that a pregnancy might be just around the corner, and she would go out of heat, but only temporarily. I think there was also a hormonal treatment available. I'll search for that thread and post a link if I find it again. Not sure how that one ended up playing out.

Margret
 

Margret

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
6,497
Purraise
8,927
Location
Littleton, CO
Okay, the thread that I remembered is here: Cat In Heat After Sterilization

Additionally, I found two other threads that contain information that may be useful:
Of particular interest is the information about how to make the missed ovarian tissue more visible when going back in for another spay, in the thread that I marked in red.

This is called "Ovarian Remnant Syndrome" or "ORS," by the way. You can find an article about it here: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/ovarian-remnant-syndrome-in-cats.

Margret
 

ArchyCat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 22, 2017
Messages
1,202
Purraise
1,801
Location
Texas
Sounds like a trip to the vet is due. I've heard of similar cases where a fragment of ovary was left behind. Plus at least one case of a tumor.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

yokitty

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 4, 2016
Messages
32
Purraise
10
Thank you Margret and ArchyCat for the info. This is turning into something a lot more concerning than I’d originally thought. I hate subjecting her to surgery, but from everything I saw in those links it seems it’s the best option.

Time to make an appointment with my vet. Thanks, both of you.
 

Babypaws

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
701
Purraise
771
Location
Massachusetts
I have a female that was spayed in November 2018. I have several other indoor cats, two are 5 1/2 month old males who not have been neutered yet ( have appointment in 10 days) but I’m starting to wonder because the spayed cat is gaining weight and if the spaying wasn’t completed? I haven’t noticed any of them acting like they are in heat etc. Am I being paranoid?
 

She's a witch

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 21, 2018
Messages
1,780
Purraise
2,371
Location
Europe/WA, USA
if she had a full spaying procedure, meaning both ovaries and uterus were removed, and even if something went wrong during this procedure (like the piece of either was left out causing hormonal imbalance that may in turn show heat symptoms) - it wouldn't be possible for such cat to get pregnant.
 
Last edited:

war&wisdom

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Messages
1,048
Purraise
1,298
Location
Rockville, MD
I have a female that was spayed in November 2018. I have several other indoor cats, two are 5 1/2 month old males who not have been neutered yet ( have appointment in 10 days) but I’m starting to wonder because the spayed cat is gaining weight and if the spaying wasn’t completed? I haven’t noticed any of them acting like they are in heat etc. Am I being paranoid?
It's normal for spayed cats' metabolisms to slow down a bit soon after the surgery. That's probably what's going on, but if you're concerned, then bring her in to the vet.
 

Babypaws

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
701
Purraise
771
Location
Massachusetts
I’m not sure what procedure they used when she was spayed, I had it done at a clinic. I had two of her kittens from her first litter spayed at the same time, they seem fine. It doesn’t seem like they’re gaining weight but I know cats are all different. The mommy cat isn’t very big so maybe she’s showing the weight more.
 

Babypaws

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
701
Purraise
771
Location
Massachusetts
I Have 2 males and a female who seems like she is in heat, although she doesn’t put her butt up in the air. I’m keeping them separate until the males are neutered next week but I’m wondering if the males will still spray even though the female isn’t in the same room. I’ve never had indoor male cats before so I don’t know their reactions
 

talkingpeanut

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 12, 2015
Messages
11,793
Purraise
3,600
Can you have the female spayed at the same time? If not, I would actually have her done first. The males will still be fertile for up to a month, so they would still need to be separated after their neuters.
 

Babypaws

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
701
Purraise
771
Location
Massachusetts
Can you have the female spayed at the same time? If not, I would actually have her done first. The males will still be fertile for up to a month, so they would still need to be separated after their neuters.
OMG, you’re kidding about males still being fertile for a month after?
I’m getting them neutered at a clinic because I can’t afford the vet prices. I called the clinic (mobile unit) and asked if they could spay my female on the same day. Unfortunately they can only do a certain numbers of cats because of space issues but they said they would find out but I won’t know for sure til next week.
 

GalaxyGirl

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 26, 2018
Messages
236
Purraise
178
I have a female that was spayed in November 2018. I have several other indoor cats, two are 5 1/2 month old males who not have been neutered yet ( have appointment in 10 days) but I’m starting to wonder because the spayed cat is gaining weight and if the spaying wasn’t completed? I haven’t noticed any of them acting like they are in heat etc. Am I being paranoid?
Fixing a cat drops their metabolic rate by 26-33% while at the same time can increase hunger.

Think You Have a Fat Cat? The Ten Things You Need to Know

Effects of neutering on bodyweight, metabolic rate and glucose tolerance of domestic cats. - PubMed - NCBI

https://www.avma.org/News/Journals/Collections/Documents/ajvr_65_12_1708.pdf
 

talkingpeanut

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 12, 2015
Messages
11,793
Purraise
3,600
If they can only do a certain number of cats that day and not all three, I would have the female done first. Good luck!

OMG, you’re kidding about males still being fertile for a month after?
I’m getting them neutered at a clinic because I can’t afford the vet prices. I called the clinic (mobile unit) and asked if they could spay my female on the same day. Unfortunately they can only do a certain numbers of cats because of space issues but they said they would find out but I won’t know for sure til next week.
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
Are you talking about the female you had spayed but seems like she's still in heat, or is there another female who's never been spayed? If it's the one who was already spayed, she can't get pregnant (unless there was some crazy mistake where they forgot to do her altogether). Usually when a spayed cat goes into heat again, it's because just a tiny bit of ovarian tissue got missed. So she still has enough hormones to go into heat but all the important bits are gone so she can't actually get pregnant.

You can call the clinic to see if their vet can have a poke around to see if they can find the missed ovarian tissue. But they need to know that it's not a normal spay procedure.

And, yes, males can still be fertile for a while after neutering, because of sneaky sperm hiding in the tubes. At their age they may not be fertile yet anyway, but better safe than sorry.
 

Babypaws

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
701
Purraise
771
Location
Massachusetts
I was talking about the female that was suppose to be spayed in November. Since I had it done at a clinic that goes to different towns in a mobile unit I’m thinking they might have done a shortcut, maybe not removing her tubes and ovaries (to save $)
At the same time I had two other females spayed and they don’t seem to be gaining weight. I’m wondering if the procedure to spay a cat that’s had two litters already is different than one on a cat who never had kittens.

Are you talking about the female you had spayed but seems like she's still in heat, or is there another female who's never been spayed? If it's the one who was already spayed, she can't get pregnant (unless there was some crazy mistake where they forgot to do her altogether). Usually when a spayed cat goes into heat again, it's because just a tiny bit of ovarian tissue got missed. So she still has enough hormones to go into heat but all the important bits are gone so she can't actually get pregnant.

You can call the clinic to see if their vet can have a poke around to see if they can find the missed ovarian tissue. But they need to know that it's not a normal spay procedure.

And, yes, males can still be fertile for a while after neutering, because of sneaky sperm hiding in the tubes. At their age they may not be fertile yet anyway, but better safe than sorry.
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
Most US vets are only trained on the usual method. I think the weight gain is just from sitting around eating too much :D.
 

She's a witch

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 21, 2018
Messages
1,780
Purraise
2,371
Location
Europe/WA, USA
I would first check by ultrasound if she was actually spayed or not, if you suspect she might have been left out for some reason. If she has been spayed (and even if not “fully”), there is probably no point of opening her again unless she is having nasty side effects (I know a cat that went really aggressive attacking everyone because some tissue was left out causing hormonal imbalances). Even if she continues to be in heat despite being spayed, that will not end up with her being pregnant. Finding a little piece of the tissue is a difficult surgery and requires a really skilled vet.
 
Top