Ragdoll Cat Forums

What gives? I've had my ragdoll, Biscotti, for about a month--she's a rehomed ragdoll that was spayed about 2 weeks ago, now suddenly she's acting like she's in heat! VERY annoying as she is waking me up and even when she isn't doing that I really hate that catawalling sound.

The only difference is she's not doing it as much as before she was spayed. But she's defnitely restless, and when I go to pet her she gets really into it--arching, stretching, etc., non-stop. In non-heat mode she likes to be pettted but not THAT much. In heat or semi-heat, or whatever you call it that she's in right now, she is almost OCD about being petted.

Also, she sleeps with me and doesn't do it UNTIL after I get up and feed her. When she's through feeding, that's when she starts wandering and catawalling. Since this is not like her and it exactly resembles her pre-spay, in-heat behavior (though like I say she does it a lot less) what else could it be?

I Googled this problem and the majority of responses to this same question were that there was probably some small piece of uterus, female part of some sort, or whatever left in her! Great. Well, if that's the case, that doctor had better go back in and get it out of her because I can't live with a cat that does this. (And he better not charge me the second time!)

The only other possibility that I can think of is that maybe she wants to go outside. Now when I say "outside" I mean a very confined and secured space on my front porch that I allow her to go on so that she can enjoy crawling bugs and birds and the general joy of feeling the breeze on her furry self.

She is strictly an indoor cat as her previous owner had her completely declawed--rendering her defenseless. Now I would never have done this myself but what is, is.

Anyway, now that she's had a taste of "outside" (as limited as that experience is) maybe that is why she's doing that though that's hard to believe since when I am sitting on the front porch she goes in and out and doesn't seem to be that thrilled about it--more like a take it or leave it kind of thing.

Other than this temporarily glitch, she's a wonderful kitty/cat...very ragdoll in every sense of the word. Follows me around, very affectionate (without being annoying about it), and fun! In fact, she likes to play hide and seek (and is a lot better at it than the dog who despite having an inferior sense of smell, can't always find me right away which the cat can...instantly!)

What do I do? Obviously I'm going to call the vet but will he be able to tell if there's a piece of uterus still left in there without doing exploratory surgery? I hate to have her be put under again. And, like I said she's not acting like this near as much as pre-spay surgery but she is doing it enough where I would not want to live with it the rest of her (and mine) natural-born life!

So, any thoughts/suggestions/comments/share experiences!

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It can take some weeks for the hormones to slow down.

Hormone producing material in additional places is not the surgeon's responsibility. It is just a rare complication of the surgery and one does not want every spay to include a thorough search inside the girl just in case.

Our first cat was a stray that adopted us. We had him neutered and I remember the vet telling us that it sometimes takes awhile (up to a couple of months) for all the hormones to flush through their system. However, that was a male so I don't know if the same thing holds true for a female. But maybe it is just a matter of time. JanH would know.

Thanks, Jan though I don't quite understand what you meant by "one does not want every spay to include a thorough search inside the girl just in case." Just in case of what? Or did you mean to say one DOES want...not does NOT want?

(06-10-2010 06:58 AM)JanH Wrote: [ -> ]It can take some weeks for the hormones to slow down.

Hormone producing material in additional places is not the surgeon's responsibility. It is just a rare complication of the surgery and one does not want every spay to include a thorough search inside the girl just in case.

She was doing this more before being spayed? Now less. As said above, it should continue to lessen and lessen over time. My Ragdolls were both neutered at 8 months and I never had any problems with them. Did the previous owner ever say anything about her being in heat? Has she ever had a litter? She's such a beautiful girl. I can't imagine anyone having given her up.

You do NOT want vets moving things around and searching to find a potential part of a third ovary. That will just mean slower recovery from a more invasive and longer surgery for most girls who do not have those complications.

Okay, got it! Thanks everyone. She's really not doing it too much all things considered. So, I will just expect it to get less and less as you say.

On a separate subject, I've written a little funny story about the downside (for them) of a ragdoll being, perhaps, too affectionate (besides the fact it's easy to step on them because they're under your feet all the time). See my new post!