Question:
hello.. i need some help making a decision.
mischa is my first female cat. before her, i'd had neutered male cats. there was no option with them, as i was living with my parents and they prefer outdoor cats.
mischa is approaching two years old, and has *NEVER* set foot outside. and until now i've seen no reason to get her 'fixed'. but she recently went in to heat for what i think was the first time.
so basically, what i want to know is..
does going into heat hurt her? because i have no problem with her behaviour whatsoever. she's just extra cuddley and does that weird thing with her tail. lol but if she were in pain or anything, i'd make the vet appointment tomorrow.
i'm a responsible cat owner, she's spoiled rotten and is up to date with all her shots etc... but because she'll never see the light of day, i always thought the surgery would be cruel and unnecessary. it's not as simple a procedure as with a male, so the risk of complications goes up.
what are the pros and cons for spayed/natural cats? without the unwanted kittens argument, because it's not relevant.
thankyou!
Answer:
Welcome to the forum
The first thing I would suggest is to be very careful that your kitty does not get out. Females in heat will do anything to find a male -- even those who have never been interested in getting out will try while in heat, and you know what will happen next if she succeeds.
Here is some info on the health implications from Little Big Cat --
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=spayingandneutering
Quote: Spayed females are not susceptible to life-threatening uterine infections and reproductive tract cancers, mastitis, ovarian cysts, miscarriages and delivery complications. All these can be expensive to treat, and dangerous to your animal's health. Spaying at a young age also significantly decreases the risk of developing malignant breast cancer.
Also try doing a search of this forum for additional info.
Spaying is a healthier choice for your cat's long-term health. If your cat is in good overall health, the procedure is routine and should not cause any problems.
Owned by Pepper and Pumpkin RIP Snickers 8/22/00 -- 11/28/06
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

Answer:
thankyou so much. the knot in my stomach untangled a little. lol
*off to research some more*
Answer:
She's not in any pain, but she will be frustrated. She will also begin trying anything she can to get outside while she is in heat.
Spaying is riskier than neutering, but still a routine procedure. It's never fun to have to force your cat to undergo something like that (I don't even like making them get shots, so that should tell you something - but they do need them), however.
There are, however, a few reasons aside from the kittens argument that I personally consider very important.
- Prevention of tumours and infections of the uterus and ovaries (such as pyometra, where it can be very hard to detect until it is too late).
- Greatly decrease the risk of mammary tumours (best if spayed before their first heat, but even if you miss that particular boat the risk is still lowered immensely).
- Both of the former are common in older female cats and can be fatal.
A lot of people think neutered or spayed cats get fat as a result, as well. It's been shown that altering is not a cause of weight gain (just throwing that in there in case you were wondering).
Something you also want to consider is that your cat is not used to being outdoors. If she does escape during heat (and again, she will try anything in order to do so) she will scarper in search of boys (whereas, if she weren't in heat, she would probably stay closer to the house in the face of the unknown grand outdoors) and she will be unlikely to cope with it when that causes her to get lost. The only thing on her mind, in this event, will be reproducing, and once she comes out of her heat-induced daze she'll have trouble finding her way back home.
What was wrong with the responses you got on the other forum? And how did Trella age by more than a year, overnight?

Answer:
i didn't realise it helped prevent other illness'. i'll definately look into getting her spayed.
also, if your question about trella and other forums was directed at me.. i think you have me confused with someone else.
thanks guys
Answer:
You're welcome. Let us know how it goes
EDIT: Since this is a health question, I'll move this over to Health and Nutrition. Don't know why I didn't do that before
Owned by Pepper and Pumpkin RIP Snickers 8/22/00 -- 11/28/06
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/