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My healthy kitten Athena is closing in on 11 months , and has yet to go in to heat. Is she just a "late bloomer"?
Athena is a healthy, almost 11 month old kitten, but has not yet gone in to heat. She lives with a neutered male cat, has never been outdoors. Is she just a late bloomer, or is it something more?
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Athena
on Apr 25th 2011
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The average age female kittens go into heat is 6 months. It is possible Athena could be having what is sometimes referred to as "silent heats" and not displaying any of the typical signs of heat. I would recommend a visit to the vet to rule out any medical issues, and schedule a spay surgery. Spaying greatly reduces or eliminates the chances of most "female problems." She will also have a longer, healthier, and happier life being spayed. It's the responsible thing to do. Breeding should be left to responsible breeders with a licensed cattery and breeding registered purebreds that are excellent representatives of their breed standard.
Linus (Dreamboat #72a)
answered on 4/25/11.
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Yes, she could be having silent heats, or she could be a late bloomer. Or she may need a vet's attention. Usually, long-haired cats, such as Maine Coons, go into heat later than short-haired cats. Athena is not only short-haired, but her head shape and ear setting suggest that she might have some Siamese heritage. One would expect her to be noisy when in heat. I run a cattery, and presently have a number of intact females. I've noticed that they tend to be noisier at the time of their first heat than subsequent ones. Even if a cat does not become vocal when in heat, she may show that she is in heat by becoming more affectionate, crouching down with her rear end and tail raised, or licking her girly parts. In any event, as the previous poster said, there's no good reason not to spay her, so when the vet examines her, he'll be able to tell if she has any "female problems," which I doubt is the case. However, it is true that some cats simply aren't very interested in sex.
Lola
answered on 4/26/11.
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Pardon me for asking, but did someone tell you not to have Athena spayed until she had a heat? If so, this is an archaic way of thinking, much like animals getting "fat" after being spayed or neutered. As was said, this could be a medical issue, but there's no way we can tell that over the Internet. She needs to go to a vet. If she's never been, she's overdue on vaccinations and should have a well-cat exam. And, should she suddenly come into heat, you and she will be very unhappy. She'll take every opportunity to try to get outside to mate, including clawing through window screens and bolting out open doors. You'll then have an unwanted litter of kittens to deal with. I would very respectfully suggest that you consider having her examined and spayed as soon as you can.
Izadore (Izzie)
answered on 4/26/11.
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