Unspayed cat eating food for neutered cats

@Fox

Just a quick thought from my side: on a forum like this, it’s much more helpful to know whether we’re talking to a man or a woman (you’re male, got it), their age, whether they have any pets – and if so, how many and what species – and which country the poster is based in (due to differences in local laws). This isn't confidential information; it’s just practical so we know exactly who we’re taking the time and effort to reply to, especially when those responses end up being quite long.

I'm not entirely sure, but I might not be right – mind you, I’m not necessarily wrong either, don’t you think? 🤷

Rightly or wrongly...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GCTuXHW5vl4

If I type "age of a cat's first heat" into Google, the first result says:

"Female cats typically come into season in the spring and autumn, and this period can last from a few days to several weeks. Usually, cats have their first heat at around 6 months old; however, some can have them as early as 4 months."

Oh, look at that – for them, 6 months is the rule and 4 months is the exception?! Let's see what the following links say…:

- "The first season occurs between 4 and 12 months of age."

- "A female cat reaches puberty at around 7 months on average."

- "In cats, the first heat occurs between 6 and 9 months."

- "The average age for the first season is between 6 and 10 months."

- "Heat cycles appear for the first time at around 6 months old."

- "Heat cycles begin between 6 and 9 months of age."

It looks like the entire internet – except for you – knows absolutely nothing about cats! And yet, Google displays the most credible sites first.

Or maybe you're just wrong, and 6 months is indeed the norm while 4 months is the exception, not the other way around…

Maybe you've only ever owned Siamese or Burmese cats, if you think it's the opposite? (see my reply to @Blue Cat)

I feed the strays even more in the winter than in the summer – in winter they have as much as they can eat, wet food and dry food – and yet the females I feed are still in a 'sexual rest' period from September to January. It’s a matter of climate and daylight hours; it has nothing to do with access to resources.

No: stray cats do not have litters from November to February.

Have you even read the link I gave you? Apparently not… Or do you also reckon that the scientists and researchers specialising in cats are idiots who know nothing and just talk rubbish?

I’m happy for us not to fall out, but I’m not moving on without giving you an answer.

I didn’t bump this thread just to insult the posters, not at all.

If there were fewer aggressive people who are desperate to be right even when they’re wrong, sparking pointless, time-wasting arguments, I’d probably post a bit more often.

I have absolutely no desire to shout or bang my fist on the table. As for the insults, I’ll admit a few choice words came to mind while reading your post, but it takes a lot more than that for me to actually start insulting someone.

Where did I say I was the only one? I know perfectly well I’m not, and thank goodness for that!

Sorry, I’m replying to this thread again—I know it'll bump the post, but that's not my intention and I'm definitely not trying to start an argument. I just remembered something that didn't quite sit right with me.

When we talk about the seasonality of animals being in heat, our first instinct is to think about the climate—winter temperatures, the cold, wind, snow...

And on the flip side, when people say that indoor cats no longer have seasonal heat cycles but instead are in heat almost constantly, we assume it’s because it’s warm indoors. The logic being that we’ve altered their natural cycle by providing them with constant comfort—but that’s actually not true! Or at least, it’s not the right conclusion to draw.

Actually, it’s not a matter of climate, temperature, or day length changing the breeding season; it’s essentially and solely down to access to resources. By feeding cats all year round, we’ve caused the breeding season to pretty much disappear. This also applies to stray cats (who live off human activity, which is different from truly feral cats)—they no longer have a specific season and you get winter litters. Sadly, this often ends badly for the kittens and frequently for the mum as well (basically, she might make it through her first or second winter, but the more winters she sees, the tougher it gets...).

So there we go 😎