Why is my cat's tummy firm and meowing after her heat shot?

This could be a pyometra. A pyometra is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. With a pyometra, the uterus fills with pus, and that can cause the belly to get big. Have Peekaboo seen by a vet now.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Starting her heat cycle in a unspayed female cat is the most common reason for increased vocalization. Other possible causes are: she sees other cats outside (territorial), anxiety (cats outside, starting heat, changes to house hold), attention seeking, or medical issue. I would close the blinds temporarily, provide environmental enrichment (cat trees, interactive cat toys, lazer pointer, play with her) and consider spaying her. You can also consider a Vet exam to be sure it isn't a medical condition. If she is otherwise fine, I hope that is improves with time and some of the above. Have a great day!

This is likely normal behavior if she is in heat. It is really recommended that she be spayed if she is not a breeding animal. Cats that are not spayed are at risk of developing mammary (breast) cancer and/or pyometra (a life-threatening uterine infection). The more times they go through a heat cycle the chance rises. You know her best and if you are worried I suggest you take her to urgent care. Since I cannot examine her in person I can only guess at to what is going on. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Mino. I do recommend that she sees her veterinarian if her behavior persists. Depending on when her last heat cycle was, she could be experiencing a false pregnancy. If not, there are metabolic conditions such as a thyroid disorder that can cause increased vocalizations in cats. She could also be experiencing pain somewhere. Her veterinarian will perform a thorough examination and based on these results guide you on if diagnostics or treatment are needed. I hope this information helps!

She is likely crying due to hormonal imbalance. She may be in heat again. She may be pregnant, I don't know as I haven't examined her. I suggest you get to a vet and if she is not pregnant she needs to be spayed ASAP. She sounds like she is very sensitive to hormones and that is not going to stop without spaying. Cats do not show that they "miss" their babies or their other families by crying out loud. That is not normal.

Hi there, Pringles is so cute and I love her name! My first thought is quite honestly that calico cats have a reputation for being chatty or vocal, and she may just be developing part of her personality at her age. The next thought is that she could have an uncommon condition that is causing her to go into heat despite her spay. Ectopic ovarian tissue (reproductive tissue that grows in an abnormal place) can cause this, as well as exposure to estrogen containing creams for humans. The easiest test to confirm this is a swab of vaginal tissue. Here is a ink to learn more from a website I like: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&catId=102899&id=5998538 If she is showing other signs of in heat behavior, I'd recommend contacting her veterinarian that spayed her. They will be able to guide you through testing and confirming if there is any additional reproductive tissue. If there is, she will need a second spay-like procedure to have that tissue removed as well. This is uncommon, but pets with this condition tend to recover and do well in the long term. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Yes, she is probably coming into heat. I recommend spaying her soon or she will become pregnant if you let her out. Even if she’s indoors all the time, cats will go in and out of heat frequently and that can cause health issues so it’s best to get her spayed to prevent future problems. As far as the diarrhea and swollen belly goes, she may have intestinal parasites. You can bring a stool sample to your veterinarian and they can see what types of intestinal parasites she has and prescribe the correct dewormer for her. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Pumpkin.