Layla is in heat..

[drunkmike]

She is due to be spayed in the beginning of the year but she just couldn't wait and went into heat at the ripe old age of 6 months. Is this normal for it to happen at such a young age? Also is there anything special I should be doing during this process? She really is not eating much but I have been told this is completely normal. She spends the day and night roaming the house in and out of the windows howling as loud as she can and tripping us up every chance she gets by trying to rub all over us. I am hoping it goes away quick and doesn't come back before her spay appointment or we might be rescheduling it for sooner! Thanks for any tips or advise on the matter! Now off to try and get some sleep before I head into work.. hopefully she will stay asleep for a few hours!

[Cleo]

Most important thing to do while she's in heat is make sure she can't escape and get outside. She can't be spayed while in heat. Personally, I would suggest to get her in sooner to be spayed once this heat cycle is over. She's young, but one of the cats I rescued was spayed as early as 3 months. I would have never had it done THAT young but she wasn't mine at the time, I took her right afterwards. Anyway, good luck and let us know.

[slvrwhispr]

Izzy went into heat that young, too. There is NOTHING more annoying than a cat in heat. It was about a week of the most guttural, disturbing howl/meowing I have ever heard, at a volume level that seemed unnatural coming out of such a small creature. And, of course, it would peak at about 3 AM.

I do not envy you right now. Seriously though, as soon as this heat cycle is over, reschedule the spay appointment. You really don't want to have to put up with that more than once.

[drunkmike]

Surprisingly she has not shown any interest at all with going outside! Luckily there really are no cats in this community (not outdoor cats at least) so we don't have a bunch of toms outside spraying on everything! She also has not sprayed on anything herself which I was really REALLY worried about at first.. knock on wood!

[Traci]

Mike, it doesn't matter if you've not seen toms around the neighborhood. It is a natural instinct to mate, and to want to get out to do so. Some females, when this young, actually don't give us the impression they want out badly, but you cannot ever, and I mean ever, trust that they won't change their mind and behavior in an instant.

I'd reschedule the spay for sooner. For every heat cycle you allow her to endure, the more risk of mammary (and others) cancer at a later age. She'll keep going into heat every month or two until spayed.

I also strongly suggest a presurgical screen prior to the spay, which checks liver and kidney function prior to anesthesia. I realize she is more than likely healed from her upper respiratory infection by now, but you want to make sure she's in excellent health prior to anesthesia.

There really isn't much you can do when she's in heat except weather the storm so to speak. You can give her toys to keep herself occupied, and give her more attention when she seeks it, but ideally, after the heat cycle, you should consider getting her spayed.