What is the Earliest Age You Have Seen a Heat At?

piano cat

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Little Hendrietta, the kitten my dog found, is going into heat. I'm guessing by the change in her vocalizations, little chirruping sounds where normally she is a quiet little thing. And this morning I notice the little back end is being lifted and presented and the wee vulva is a bit pronounced, swollen. She doesn't want to eat. She turned five months old yesterday. The male cats are neutered but the dog is intact. Hendrietta has not been Vetted yet, no fleas, no sign of health problems so I haven't taken her in. Guess I need to make an appt., and I want to separate vaccinations from surgery. We'll see what the Vet says.
 

di and bob

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I have had them pregnant at 5 months, so first heat can come at 4. They CAN be spayed when in heat, but the vessels are swollen, so it is a bit more risky. I would make the appt. now and hopefully she will be out of heat, but she can be almost continuously in heat from now on. Just make sure the vet knows she could possibly be in heat so they can be prepared. The cats I had spayed while in heat came through fine, but I noticed the pregnant cats took longer to recover. Be ready for her to drive you crazy with the calling, and she will try real hard to escape. Bless you for helping her......PS keep that dog away from her!
 
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piano cat

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I have had them pregnant at 5 months, so first heat can come at 4. They CAN be spayed when in heat, but the vessels are swollen, so it is a bit more risky. I would make the appt. now and hopefully she will be out of heat, but she can be almost continuously in heat from now on. Just make sure the vet knows she could possibly be in heat so they can be prepared. The cats I had spayed while in heat came through fine, but I noticed the pregnant cats took longer to recover. Be ready for her to drive you crazy with the calling, and she will try real hard to escape. Bless you for helping her......PS keep that dog away from her!
Yup, what I thought. I had four kittens here, trapped with their mother at 9 days old, and they did not come into heat, were spayed at 7 months. I have had a dog and a cat spayed while in heat but as you say, preferable to wait till everything inside is back to normal.

Why keep the dog away? Very hard to do, they are best friends now. But do you think his testosterone (which at his 15 months should be tapering down now) could provoke her heat reaction?
 

di and bob

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sometimes dogs (and neutered male cats) try to mate with cats when they are in heat, just trying to avoid injury to the cat. If you don't see any of that going on, it will be fine to have them together.
I really don't think his testosterone levels would do that, I think their coming into heat at young ages has more to do with their inherited genes. My outdoor kittens were all spayed at 6 months, thank goodness none had come into heat yet. Their mother was a different story, she seemed never to go out of heat, I finally had to spay her when she was pregnant with her 3rd litter that summer!
 
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piano cat

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Back from the Vets with spay scheduled for January. Rabies vaccination done and blood work to check for disease and pre-surgery. LIttle Hendrietta pronounced healthy and cute as a button. She weighed 2.54 kg, or 5.59 lbs. BUT, nobody at the Vet's has seen a kitten younger than 6 months in heat. I am sure Hendrie is only 5 months old. There's a good difference between a 3 week old kitten and a 7 week old kitten and no way she was 7 weeks when I found her.
 

di and bob

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Well, your cat is. Like i said ive had a few females have their kittens at just over 6 months old, and I knew when they were born. I lost two of them, most likely they were too small to give birth. They were feral so i felt so helpless, i couldnt help them....
 
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piano cat

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Awww, poor wee things. :(

Yes, several Veterinary websites says as early as 4 months for heat can happen
 

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I have heard of 4 month old kittens going into heat!!! I told my mom this and Cami was spayed at 4.5 months old. Every heat cycle increases your cat’s chances of mammary cancer.

Until the vet appoitment keep her in a room with a closed door so their are 2 doors between her and the outside/a pregnancy. I would call other vets if needed and get her spayed ASAP.
 

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Yeah I had one that went into heat at 16 weeks.

And others who still hadn't gone into heat (noticeably, at least) when spayed at 8 months. So you just never know, it's an individual thing.
 
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