Chad22
05-15-2005, 01:49 AM
Like other cat advocates, I strongly urge that pet female cats be spayed as early as possible, for a number of reasons covered in other articles (see the sidebar for links). Once a female cat reaches puberty, she becomes a queen, and estrus - sometimes spelled "oestrus" (heat) - cycles will start. In domestic cats heat cycles run generally from January through August, depending on location and climate.
Until she mates or is spayed, these estrus cycles will repeat as often as every two or three weeks, causing distress to both the queen and her human companions. During these cycles, Queenie's entire focus will be on escaping the house to mate, or to mate with a male companion, if you are careless enough to have whole males in the same household. She will be single-minded in her need to mate, will loudly vocalize (call), and lurk near doors, just waiting for the chance to meet up with one of the noisy feline Romeos who will cluster near your house, fighting for the privilege of impregnating your queen.
While it is assumed that most people have good intentions about spay/neuter, sometimes females mature earlier than anticipated, and the unwary caregiver will find herself with a female in heat.
http://img149.echo.cx/img149/9990/bronson3gn.jpg
Until she mates or is spayed, these estrus cycles will repeat as often as every two or three weeks, causing distress to both the queen and her human companions. During these cycles, Queenie's entire focus will be on escaping the house to mate, or to mate with a male companion, if you are careless enough to have whole males in the same household. She will be single-minded in her need to mate, will loudly vocalize (call), and lurk near doors, just waiting for the chance to meet up with one of the noisy feline Romeos who will cluster near your house, fighting for the privilege of impregnating your queen.
While it is assumed that most people have good intentions about spay/neuter, sometimes females mature earlier than anticipated, and the unwary caregiver will find herself with a female in heat.
http://img149.echo.cx/img149/9990/bronson3gn.jpg