# I need some general 411 on heat cycles please



## Cinnys Whinny (May 22, 2016)

We adopted a young kitten, Delilah, about a month ago. She is about 4 months old and started a heat cycle June 25. She was back to normal 6/30. We had every intention of spaying her, however it snuck up on us sooner than we thought it would.

We took her to the vet to be spayed today but her trachea collapsed when they tried to put in the ventilation tube. She is back home and on Prednisone and antibiotics. They want to try again in a few weeks. I know that going in to heat can also cause some other horrible complications when they go to spay her.

My questions are, How often do they cycle if they don't breed/become pregnant? Is it just days apart, or weeks? Is there a way to tell when they are about to cycle? Is there a way to stop the cycle so that the uterus doesn't become so fragile? 

I want to spay her as soon as she is better, but I thought if I have to wait 2 weeks anyway maybe I can just try to time it better too?

Thank you so much for any information anybody has. I have never had a cat go in to heat and I know very little about this part of a female cats life and I want to try to keep things as healthy as possible for her.


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

It's basically impossible to know - because of how old Cinny is. Unfortunately, with young animals their cycle isn't set yet. She might go into heat in 2 weeks, maybe a month. It's not really going to be as strictly regulated as it would be if she was an adult. I'd try booking the appointment for 2 weeks from now, and see how she's doing then.

As for the surgery, it has nothing to do with the uterus being 'fragile' - rather, the blood vessels are engorged with extra blood compared to when she's not in heat. So there's a higher risk of bleeding related complications (trouble with not clotting, etc). 

Some vets will still do the procedure, others won't feel comfortable, but it definitely ups the risks associated with even as common a surgery as spaying.


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## Mochas Mommy (Dec 9, 2013)

With her being so young, you cannot tell when she will go into heat again. Girls generally start becoming a lot more chatty and affectionate a day or so before calling. Affectionate being they rub against everything, if you scratch her back near the tail when she is coming into heat, she may raise her hid end and start paddling with her back legs as well. 

Some breeders have had success with supplementing their females with melatonin in order to decrease heat cycles. Might be easier to decrease her daylight and keep her in a cooler room....to simulate winter when they don't tend to cycle as much.


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