What are the downsides of an unspayed cat in heat? Is it messy?

It could be that Ochan is in heat, and her behavior of being super affectionate when you pet her makes me suspect this is the case. Cats do not always have constant behavior each time they go into heat, and they can act aggressive. If you do not want to have to deal with this constant cycle of behavior (and it can get worse with constant vocalization), I would recommend having her spayed as soon as possible.

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!

There are a few reasons spaying is still recommended. The first is that it’s impossible to guarantee that Pango will never slip out the door - cats can be quite sneaky and get outside with no one noticing, and a cat in heat might be more interested in trying to get outside. Intact female cats are prone to developing uterine infections and mammary diseases. Finally, female cats in heat can be annoying - they tend to be very vocal especially at night and seek attention frequently, and the heat cycle can last for months if they are not bred.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is ultimately your decision whether you want to spay Noushmc or not. Most people find they do not like the behavior their cats display when in heat. Sometimes the cats will urine mark when intact and it leaves the uterus at risk for an infection (pyometra) when she is older. There are cats who have no problems. I hope this helps!

It doesn't affect Samra in anyway, but her in heat behavior will be extremely annoying until her heat passes. Unfortunately cats cycle quickly in heat during certain times of the year, and this will happen over and over. I recommend having her spayed so you don't have to deal with this behavior anymore.

Scottish fold cats are very cute! I personally highly recommend spaying female cats because they are extremely annoying when they are in heat, very vocal all the time, trying to get outside to find males to mate with, and quite affectionate. Many owners report being very put out by having a female cat in heat. In addition, not spaying her can lead to serious health problems such as a pyometra (a severe and sometimes fatal infection of the uterus) and mammary tumors (90% of which in cats are malignant). But if you choose not to spay her, you will just have to deal with her heat cycles and the accompanying behavior. You don't have to breed her if you don't want to, but you can talk to the breeder from whom you get your cat and ask if they know any studs you can breed her with when she is old enough. Best of luck!

Unfortunately there is nothing specific to do to comfort her - she will show behavior changes until she is out of heat, and cats will cycle in and out of heat until they are bred. You could try something like a Feliway diffuser or other pheromone spray that might help her relax. Otherwise you should go ahead and try to schedule the spay surgery - ask your vet when they would feel most comfortable proceeding with surgery since she is currently in heat. Keep in mind that since hormones can persist for a period of time after surgery she may still show symptoms of a heat cycle for awhile.