Heat cycles and spaying (paradox, please help1)

[tncheshire]

Hello,

Just FYI, We live in the U.S., in Florida to be exact, so some of the matters about social services will be different in other parts of the world.

In April of 2016 I 'fostered' a lovely blue Himalayan cat who had been found on the streets. She was a small, round, loving ball of fluff, which was explained in about a week when she gave birth to four kittens.

After the kits were weaned (Harvest, as I called her, was a fine mother) I adopted-out Harvest and two of the kittens. I kept one that was tiny and another. The tiny one, 'Gizmo', grew into a fine tiny long haired black cat with green eyes. Her sister, Sinatra, is a bluff coloured Persian type with shorter hair, stripes and blue eyes.

Then I became ill and was in hospital for a few months, which led to my being on disability. I missed any opportunity to spay either cat in their first year.

Well, while Gizmo barely goes into heat at all, Sinatra seems to always be in heat. That is, she is in heat every 2 and a half weeks at the minimum. I've counted, because I have had to cancel 4 low cost spay appointments because she can't stay out of heat long enough to make the appointments.

We live on the 15th floor of a condo building and the kits have only been out once, to get their shots. There is no chance of Sinatra getting pregnant. I've run out of chances with the local low cost spay program (too many misses) and spaying regular price is as much as my lease (about $500). Vets don't want to spay a cat in heat.

I wonder: Is she in heat so often because her mother likely came from a cattery? Is it risky to not spay her? How dangerous is it to spay a cat that is in heat? She doesn't seem at all uncomfortable but it's a little annoying to the humans. I don't want to risk her health by going to the SPCA, which has a very bad reputation.

Please advise!

[booktigger]

It is riskier as the blood vessels are more engorged, but every heat puts her more at risk of infection (can't for the life of me remember the proper name!) and cancer. I've had cats spayed in heat for their benefit. It is odd they have such contrasting cycles, maybe spay Gizmo first to see if it helps Sinatra?

[fjm]

Cats will come into heat ever more frequently in a hormonal frenzy to mate and reproduce. Two cats living together can lead to one coming into heat and not the other - you may well find that her sister starts to call once Sinatra is spayed. I would talk to your vet, or to your local animal welfare organisation, and explain the problem you have. You may be able to work out a date that is as safe as it is possible to be.

The biggest health risk from not spaying is pregnancy, but it sounds as if that is extremely unlikely. Do watch any open doors or windows, though, as she may squeeze out of the tiniest gap. The other risk is pyometra, infection of the uterus, and you need to be aware of the symptoms if you decide against spaying her. In dogs the life time risk has been asessed as high as 20%, although the incidence is probably lower in cats. If she should develop a pyo it is a life-threatening medical emergency, and will require rapid, aggressive treatment and an emergency spay - far more expensive and traumatic than an elective one.

It is actually safer to spay during the early stages of pregnancy than during a heat, but that is perhaps too extreme a solution.

[Sniper1]

I have had several cats spayed during heat for the same reason and never any problems have also dealt with numerous feral colonies as TNR where some females were probably in heat and no issues there either personally I would rather risk spay than leave her unspayed and in constant cycle I totally disagree with that

[tncheshire]

Thank you all very much! I'm late getting back to this post, as I haven't been very well this week. My apologies.

As there is an associated health risk with not spaying, I will try to find a local vet that will spay her while she is in heat. (As we live on the 15th floor, there is no chance she will slip out).

My cat rescuer friends take a dim view of the SPCA, so I will call around before I resort to that. Since this is an international forum I suppose it's useless to ask for references but I live in Hollywood, Florida, should anyone have advise about a provider. Broward County has a discounted spay and neuter program (available via certificate) but we have missed 4 appointments, as I mentioned. I'll try to work just more out of them...once I find a provider.