Think cat is in season!

[lostdreams]

I was wondering....my cat is around 8 months old now. I think she has gone into season for the first time, in fact she must have as i have never seen her act in this way! She looks so stressed and uncomfortable and i feel sooooo sorry for her. She's walking with her backside in the air, making noises ranging from murmers to crying and is SOOOO affectionate amongst many other things. If she IS in season, how long do i have to wait before i can get her spayed and how long will she be like this? Does the season only last a few days/weeks? I know i should have done it before now, but i havent.

[lostdreams]

Thank you Ghilly, I think i will leave her until she comes out of season and then call. This is the first time she has gone into season and as she looks stressed out anyway, i will wait a few days, i dont think she has any idea whats happening, i feel so sorry for her. I'm not worried about her getting pregnant as she never goes out, in fact she hates going out, if she does, she runs straight to the door and cries until i let her in, so i suppose its a good thing right now! hee hee
Thank you so much for the information, very informative. I appreciate it.

[Ghilly]

Cats usually stay in season anywhere from four to six or seven days.  The problem is, if they aren't bred and don't get pregnant, they will come back into season a couple of weeks later, especially this time of year.  Spring is a very popular time of year for kittens to be born because gestation takes 63 days, so if you figure 63 days from the late December/early January time frame, most spring kittens arrive in March/April.  

IF possible, you want to try to avoid having her spayed while she is in season because the blood vessels of the uterus and leading to and from the uterus are engorged with blood, and there is an increased chance of running into a bleeding problem during the surgery.  Because of this, whereas a doctor could normally do a simple spay alone, when there is an increased chance of bleeding, often they will require either a vet tech or even another doctor to be at the ready in case they need assistance, so the procedure is more costly than it would be if the cat wasn't in season.

As soon as you see her return to her normal behavior (and it will be obvious, like turning off a switch), call your vet and make an appointment for that week.  Explain that you are trying to catch her in between cycles and they will get you in ASAP.  If you don't mind paying a few extra dollars (in most cases it's $25-35 more), make the appointment and take her in now.  If you make the appointment tomorrow, chances are they won't tell you to bring her in until Monday anyway, which will give her time to finish her cycle and she'll be out of heat anyway by that point.

Ghilly

[MJIthewriter]

I tried to look it up before answering. It looks like you can get your cat spayed right now if it is convenient.