Retired queen and my first experience of "in heat". AND LAST!!

[Captain Janeway]

I just adopted a 5 year old retired queen and won't be able to have her spayed until a Staphylococcus chromogenes and Pantoea sp. skin infection on her belly is cleared. And this can't come a moment too soon! I've always managed to have my kittens spayed or neutered at the earliest age possible, and adopted another 5 year old who came already spayed. When I got my first kitten, a female, the breeder warned me that if I don't get her spayed asap she would startle you awake by jumping on your bed screaming. I took that advice to heart, but now I know what she meant. This is my first time experiencing a cat in heat and I am shocked and amazed at the intensity of her desire to mate. My other two cats are concerned also. My 2 year old female is curious and runs to see what's wrong when she starts her yowling. The 4 year old boy pretty much is bored with it all.

She will be spayed as soon as it is confirmed that the staph infection is clear as the vet does not want to open her up if there is a chance of introducing Staph into the wound, no matter how careful they prepare the site. The question is whether I will survive the wait. Please, please, please let be thid be the first and only time I have to go through this! It makes me wonder how anyone other than a breeder could live with an intact female. Surprising how many unwanted litters are born, though I can see someone kicking her out to escape her odd behavior and yowling and "screaming".

She came into heat on Friday (3-4 days ago). Can anyone tell me how long this will last? And how long will the reprieve last until the next one starts?

[cats4ever]

I found an article that should give you all the answers.
I hope that your kitty's infection will be under control soon, otherwise you will have a cat in heat for quite a while!

Good luck!

https://catappy.com/cats-in-heat-how-long-does-it-last

[Captain Janeway]

Thanks so much for the link. That was by far the best, concise article explaining a cat's heat cycle. Yikes. So this could last 7-15 days, with only one to three weeks reprieve. From what I've read, it's better and less complicated to do the spay when not in heat. This may work out. She got her Cefovecin (Convenia) shot on 5/21. It's active for 2 weeks. She will be examined in 3 weeks (6/11). I wonder if my vet will want to do another scraping and send it to the lab to confirm if the infection has cleared. If so, I'll schedule the spay as soon as results come in. If her heat lasts 15 days, then there is a chance it will work with her out of heat by her checkup. Well, things will work out one way or the other. I just hate to see her in such agony, as well as my discomfort, and the confusion of my other cats. As I said, I can't imagine anyone other than a breeder keeping an intact female as a pet that is serious about not letting her get pregnant. And as for breeders, especially with multiple females, that's a lot to endure.

[cats4ever]

Our clinic does in-heat spays routinely, because lots of clients panic when their pet is in heat. I guess they realize then that puppies and kittens are a real possibility.
We never had any problems with those spays, we just charge an extra fee.

[Captain Janeway]

Day 7. Thanks for talking me off the ledge. Panic. Yes, I've got a bit of that, along with shock and awe. Great to know that she can be spayed at the first possible moment, no matter her "condition." As I've watched this extreme mating behavior unfold, I'm still amazed at the intensity. This maybe is another question for another thread, but my question is: can you think of any other species that puts the female in such a frantically intensity of desire to be mated and for such a long period (7-15 days)? It's really easy to understand how almost every unspayed female as early as for months old would NOT have kittens. And we know the math.

[Karen]

Day 7. Thanks for talking me off the ledge. Panic. Yes, I've got a bit of that, along with shock and awe. Great to know that she can be spayed at the first possible moment, no matter her "condition." As I've watched this extreme mating behavior unfold, I'm still amazed at the intensity. This maybe is another question for another thread, but my question is: can you think of any other species that puts the female in such a frantically intensity of desire to be mated and for such a long period (7-15 days)? It's really easy to understand how almost every unspayed female as early as for months old would NOT have kittens. And we know the math.

Hang in there, you can get through this!