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Spayed cat in heat? Could a retained ovary mean another surgery?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | 2 years and 6 months old

Hello I have a 2 year and 6 months female cat that’s is spayed. I spayed her a few months ago but her vet told me that the surgery was a bit rare as they could’t find one ovary and so they left it Before the surgery my cat would always roll on the floor and scream but after she got spayed she was fine for only 3months then she got back to how she was before. As such do u think it’s because of this lost ovary? Do I need to do the surgery again for them to find it? Iwould appreciate any advice

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 3rd, 2020

Yes, this will be due to the ovary left behind. Because this ovary is still there, it's releases hormones and causing Kitty to have symptoms of heat. Yes, surgery is recommended to find that ovary and remove it.
Vote Icon1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 17th, 2018

    IT's not normal but rarely a very small piece of ovary might not have been removed for various reasons (accidentally of course, not intentionally). if this is the case you will have to test it over several months, if this keeps happening your vet will have to do a special blood test to confirm my suspicion. if the test comes back positive your vet will need to do another surgery, look for this little piece of ovary and hopefully find it and remove it, unfortunately this is not always the case and in some cases the vet does not find it. in such a case there is an alternative in a form of hormonal implant that needs to be done once every 6-12 months.

    Vote Icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Training & Behavior
My spayed female cat is in heat. What household changes can I make?
Unfortunately, if your female cat has an ovarian remnant, there is nothing you can do in your house, short of keeping the male and female separated, that would prevent him trying to mount her. the exploratory surgery would be needed to find the remnants and have them removed in order for her to no longer experience heat cycles.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Training & Behavior
My cat was spayed in heat. Why is she still acting like she's in heat?
The hormones would still be present in the blood stream for some time after surgery so it would be usual for the behaviors to continue for up to 3-5days after surgery. If it has continued longer than this you should contact your vet for a post-surgery recheck to ensure verything is healing well and there is no discomfort causing her behavior
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
New Pet
Why is my spayed cat showing heat signs? Can she still get pregnant?
Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Holly cannot get pregnant, but it looks that she is showing ovarian remnant syndrome. This is when a small piece of ovarian tissue is accidentally left inside the abdomen during neutering. If Holly continues to show heat symptoms, she would need another surgery to remove the remaining ovarian tissue from the abdomen.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My spayed cat is still showing signs of heat. What should I do?
It can be difficult to know if they've been spayed or not if you don't have any medical records. You can request that the vet shave her belly to look for a spay scar, but they can be very faint if she was spayed at a very young age. If she still has signs of heat, then either she hasn't been spayed or there is some ovarian tissue still present inside her. You can have a hormone test (AMH) done to confirm that there still is ovarian tissue and then you know she needs surgery to remove it. Or the vet can just go to surgery to go look for it.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My dog was spayed, but an ovary was left. Does she need more surgery?
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Reys. Yes, both ovaries need to be removed. If not, she can still experience signs of heat as well as being prone to an infection in the remaining portion of the uterus. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My spayed cat is showing heat signs. What's wrong and what to do?
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Fiona! I would take her to the Vet during these episode to have hormonal testing done. Cats are unique creatures and they can have extra ovarian tissue that can be missed during a spay. If the test come back confirming this then the Vet can take her back to surgery to find the ectopic tissue. I wish Fiona the best!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
After spaying, will my cat still want to mate or go into heat?
Hello and Happy Friday. Thanks for submitting your question. Spayed cats have their uterus and ovaries removed surgically disabling them to experience estrus or "come into heat". Therefore, a spayed female cat should not have the desire to mate and will not come into heat any longer for the duration of her life. However, if the surgery was not performed properly and a small amount of ovarian tissue is left, then it is possible she could experience estrus, although this is very rare. I hope this has helped answer your question!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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