I’m looking for some advice regarding my little Naïa, who’s nearly 7 months old.
Three weeks ago, I went to stay with my mum, who has an 8-month-old entire Chinchilla Persian male. I wasn't overly concerned at the time because my girl hasn't had her first heat yet—or at least, I don't think she has. She's an indoor cat, so I'm sure I would've noticed...
Here’s the issue: since I’ve been back—well, maybe 3 or 4 days after—she seems really tired. She’s purring CONSTANTLY, and I mean all the time, and she’s eating well, actually more than usual. She’s normally so playful, but now she spends almost all her time sleeping.
My question is: can she be 'pregnant' without having been in heat? Or is it possible I just missed the signs? It seems strange, but I’m starting to wonder as she doesn't seem poorly—no diarrhoea, sneezing, or anything else... I’ll likely take her to the vet, but I’d appreciate some early advice.
Thanks in advance!
Translated from French
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You know, you can't really tell if a female is in heat just by looking at her, unless you touch her near the tail and she lifts her bottom – then she's definitely in season. You should also check her nipples; if they are quite large, it means she’s pregnant... If she is, you might need to help her give birth, and afterwards, if you don’t want her to have any more, get her spayed or put her on the pill.
That's what I was thinking of doing... She seems fine today, she's running and jumping around – I'm even having to rein her in a bit so she doesn't hurt herself 🤪
I know I’m being a bit over the top, but I barely slept a wink last night because I was so worried. Mind you, the vet didn't exactly put my mind at ease regarding the post-op monitoring...
It’s the same with the bandage. I said to the receptionist: "but what if she manages to get it off tomorrow or the day after?" She told me it’s not a big deal as long as she doesn't mess with the stitches afterwards. But the instruction sheet says she shouldn't take it off for at least 8 days. Honestly, either I’m over-worrying and being paranoid, or there really is a problem. As for the cone, I’m going to wait until Monday to see if she really starts going at the bandage; poor little thing, I’d much rather spare her that...
No, that’s exactly why I think it’s so strange... I only have to go back in 10 days to have the stitches removed. And what’s more, when I went to pick her up, I didn't even see a vet; it was the receptionist who handed Naia back to me and gave me a leaflet with advice for when a female cat is spayed. When I asked, "Well, what if she’s still feeling a bit under the weather in 2 or 3 days, is that normal or should I come back?", she just said, "That won't happen..." I don’t think it's very professional; even if a spay is a routine procedure, it's still surgery at the end of the day and you’ve got to be vigilant. It’s a huge clinic, it feels like a bit of a production line, and to be honest I think I’m going to switch vets. Would you lot recommend waiting 10 days to have her looked at, or should I just change vets and book a check-up sometime this week?
No, sorry, mine haven't been spayed yet – they're booked in for Wednesday – but I reckon you could add some surgical tape just to help it stay on better :)
Tell me Angeline, do you have any tips to stop my kitty from ripping her bandage off? She won't stop licking it and no matter how many times I lift her head away, she’s back at it two minutes later...
Yes, you can definitely say kitten, and a cat reaches adulthood between 6 and 9 months, though it really depends on the cat—Maine Coons, for instance, can take up to 4 years.. ;) For example, mine is 7 months old at the end of January, but the vet told me this very morning that she hasn't reached "adult maturity" yet. ;)
