Question:
I have a 2-year-old female cat. This is the first time being a pet owner. My cat is a house cat -- I never let her outside. One day, the window was open, and she got outside. The front door to our neighbor's was open, and she went in. We looked for her, and the neighbor brought her out to us. We were so glad to have her back. Everyone said maybe we should let her out more.
I'm writing because we don't know what to do when she is in heat. Is there some medicine we can give her to help her get through her feelings? She eats less and is only around the men in our house -- they keep their doors closed. She walks around making weird sounds as if she's talking. Sometimes, it lasts for weeks and comes back quickly. Other times, it's months before she goes back into heat. Is this normal?
Please send the names of your books about cats and where we can purchase them.
D.W., Washington, DC Oct 18, 2009
Answer:
Do not let your cat out again, even though some of your neighbors have suggested that you should. Once she gets a taste for the outdoors, she will want to go out all the time, and that could mean she will get lost, run over by a car, killed after eating a poisoned rat or tortured by psychotic delinquents. She is also likely to get pregnant. Go to virtually any municipal animal shelter, and see how many kittens are up for adoption every week. Shelters in the Midwest kill scores weekly because there are too few people coming to adopt them, and room must be made for more homeless kittens and adult cats. I always advise people to take away two kittens, ideally littermates, rather than adopting just one, to help alleviate this tragic situation and in the knowledge that two cats are usually happier and healthier than one living alone.
Until she is spayed, she will continue to go into heat and become irritable and frustrated. She'll want to go outside and she'll spray-mark in the house. She could also develop ovarian/uterine disease or breast cancer. Having cats spayed is a humane and responsible decision, and all concerned will be so much the better for it.
My cat-book titles are "Supercat: How to Raise the Perfect Feline Companion," "Love Is a Happy Cat," "The Healing Touch for Cats" and "Cat Body, Cat Mind." Details are posted at my Web site.
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