Is our cat ill or in heat?

by Cat Conn
(Wichita, Kansas)

Taco, the female stray we've had for almost a year is behaving strange. She is normally always inside, but one night maybe 6 to 8 weeks or more she slipped outside for the whole night. There are Toms in the area. Since yesterday she is mewing and wanting to be petted (totally unusual for her)and when I pet her she mews softly, but constantly and makes a crawling motion with her hind legs and raises her tail sort of hump like. What do you think is going on? Her tummy doesn't feel hard, nor is it excessively big as if she is pregnant. When I hold her face near my ear and she is in the above agitated condition, I can hear her breath. She does not feel feverish to the touch.

Prior to this condition she played with a store bought feather toy a lot and jumped really high, sometimes doing flips. She is eating and going to the bathroom normal. There is no mucas from nose or rear.


Answer by KAte
Hi
I assume she is not spayed. Her behavior does rather sound like a cat in heat. i think my best advice would be for you to read my pages about cats in heat and also cat pregnancy for more information. it does not sound like your cat is ill.

here are the pages

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-in-heat.html

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-pregnancy.html

best wishes Kate

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