My unspayed cat is in heat, but acting strangely. Is she sick?

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.

It sounds like Rosalie may be in pain. If this is a new behavior and if she continues to eat and drink well, it may be OK to watch her for a day to see if the signs resolve. However, if she does not improve or if she stops eating and drinking, becomes lethargic or starts vomiting or having diarrhea, you should get her to a veterinarian immediately.

Unfortunately, it's hard to know if this is pathological or if she is in heat? I recommend to look up information on heat cycles and watch videos. Also record the behavior on video. If this is not a heat cycle or if you are unsure if it is, I recommend to have her examined and have the doctor watch the video. The vet will palpate her spine and may check her urine for infection to look for a medical cause. I also recommend to discuss having her spayed as there are many health and behavioral benefits: https://www.petcoach.co/article/spaying-ovariohysterectomy-the-benefits-in-cats/ I hope this helps.

Hello! That behavior does sound like classic in heat, or estrus, behavior for cats. If Bean bean is acting otherwise normally but overly affectionate and vocal, it is likely only due to her heat cycle. I do caution that keeping cats intact without breeding them can cause a serious uterine infection called pyometra. If Bean bean becomes lethargic, reclusive, uninterested in food, or showing any general signs of illness, such as vomiting or diarrhea, I would recommend taking her into a vet to be seen. She is at a high risk for developing the infection until she is spayed. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! :)

Hi, I hope Bonnie and Scarlet are doing well. heat cycles can cause some abnormal behavior in cats, so this may be it. As long as they are eating and drinking and using the litter box well, I don't see a medical emergency. Bedbugs can move to animals but usually don't cause a problem. I would examine them both for signs of bugs or red spots and treat with a medication called revolution you can get from your vet. The weather may be another factor. If it is unusually warm out, they may be just laying around and not very active. I would monitor them both carefully for signs of not eating or not using the litter box properly and if you do see that, take them to a vet. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Oh no, poor Shadow! She could be having a pyometra (infected uterus) event or another internal illness. None of these symptoms are normal for a cat in heat or just coming out or heat. And any cat that doesn't eat for more than a day should be examined by a vet because cats are masters at hiding diseaseand illness until they are really really sick. I would recommend taking Shadow in to be seen, examined and blood analysis ran to hopefully determine the underlying issue so that we know how best to treat her. Hopefully it is something your vet can deal with quickly so that we can get her feeling well again soon!

It does sound and look like Eevee is in heat. Increased vocalization, ‘presenting’ her genitalia /arching her back, and often increased affection are typical signs of estrus/heat in cats which typically first starts after 6 months of age. Each heat cycle lasts around 5-6 days and unspayed cats typically come back into heat every 2-3 weeks. The ASPCA and many shelters offer low cost spay options such as mobile spay/neuter clinics that may be an option. If not, there is nothing that you need to do other than keep her away from intact male cats unless you want kittens in about 2 months’ time! Good luck!