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Old March 29th, 2009, 07:03 PM
scully scully is offline
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strange purr/cry = first heat?

hey all,

New to the board, hoping someone might know what I've got going on!

About a month ago I adopted a 5 month old kitten (who I named Scully) from a home where there were children and other animals. I don't have any children or animals of my own, so it seemed as if Scully got a little downhearted with me, lonely almost. As chance would have it, I adopted another kitten (this one 9 months old, named Willow) just yesterday not necessarily by choice, but it seemed to work out great since Scully seemed to need a playmate. Before I left my parents house several years ago I always had more than one cat so I didn't think this would be a problem. Anyway, Scully (not spayed yet) has been making these strange noises since Willow arrived. Almost halfway between a cry and a purr. The sound is like a rumble but not a cat-growl if you know what I mean. She has been growling whenever Willow, the newest cat comes near her though, and hissing every now and then. I don't think she's in heat yet because the cry is not overly loud, but I'm not altogether sure. I'm sorting out her spay this week, but I know some vets in my area charge a fee if she has been through or is in her first heat. Is this sound she's making more of an angry cry? Willow is a very big cat in structure while Scully is much smaller and possibly the runt of the litter as well. I'm worried so much that they will not get along, and I was so sure it was the right thing to do! Is Scully just feeling overwhelmed by Willows presence and energy, or is it her first heat?

Any suggests or help would be greatly appreciated!!
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  #2  
Old March 29th, 2009, 07:59 PM
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Welcome to the board. Glad you are looking into getting Scully fixed. If you let us know what area you live in I am sure one of us, or more, can come up with a low cost s/n program for you. These vets that charge extra if the cat is in heat ......... I don't even know what to say........ I do know one but it's like $10 more. Not much. Don't let that stop you from getting Scully fixed.

Is Willow fixed? If not, it's a perfect time to do her(?) too.

Did you do a proper intro with the cats or just put them together and hope it all worked out? That works sometimes but not always. You have youth on your side but still, they should have been separated for a few days, or longer, in order to give them a better chance of getting along. The resident cat, Scully, is not liking another cat coming into "her" home. So..... it's not too late. A good site to check out is........

http://www.squidoo.com/multi-cat-management

It is chock full of useful info.

As for the noise Scully is making......... it could be she is in heat. She could be warning Willow to not come too close. She could be saying Hi, I want to play with you but I am afraid. There are lots of different things that could be going on. Without actually being there it's kind of hard to tell. Are her ears flat? Slightly lowered? Forward? The hissing is normal. It takes time for cats to get to know each other and to get along.

Maybe this site will help you figure out if Scully is in heat or not.

http://cats.about.com/cs/pregnancybirth/ht/oestrus.htm
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Old March 29th, 2009, 08:42 PM
scully scully is offline
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hey and thanks for the reply!

Willow is already spayed, yes. Her previous owner agreed to have her spayed for me, being able to give Willow a good home. As for introductions I never thought to take anything in steps as such. I just let Willow take her time coming out of the carrier/ kept Scully at a safe distance. I live In Halifax, NS. I've been checking a few veterinarians in the area and most everyone seems to be in the $300 range for a spay including IV therapy which most vets strongly encourage. I'd love to pay less for it (naturally)if anyone reading this knows of anything in my area.

Since I first posted I've been watching Willow and Scully more closely. Willow plays a little aggressively, but is very affectionate towards Scully as well, which I think is quite a common mood about young cats? Scully seems to become overwhelmed by Willow in which case she she growls or hisses and runs away. I think maybe I've rushed things for them? Her ears are not quite flat when shes doing this crying-purring thing, just slightly lowered.

My biggest worry with the difference in their size. Willow is a tall lanky sort, and poly dactyl, while Scully is very small and lost one of her back legs shortly after she was born. I feel like Scully is at a bit of a disadvantage, and might get hurt, but it's likely I am worrying a little too much?

Right now the two of them are sharing the rug beside me, sound asleep. A good sign.
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Old March 29th, 2009, 09:03 PM
cell cell is offline
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if you have transport try Weste animal hospital it is is Lawrencetown, check the pricing there, they also participate in the SPCA pet over population program (one of the only vets left in Halifax area who do) Carnegy(sp?) is the vet for the NS SPCA (or was last time I heard) and also participates, I think he is in Halifax. You can wait till the heat is over if it is heat but it will annoy you some bad cat in heat = annoying.
Cats are resilient don't worry about their fragility, there is a reason they are said to have 9 lives! as long as the two aren't straits out attacking they are likely just having disagreements, which cats do.
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Old March 29th, 2009, 09:32 PM
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This is the website for NS SPCA. If you contact them they may be able to let you know of any low cost s/n clinics going on in your area.

http://www.spcans.ca/contact/index.html

There seems to be a few other sites when you google low cost s/n in your area. I am not familiar with NS at all so it would probably be easier for you to do the search.

Ears not quite flat indicate to me a cat who is stressed and not happy. If it is possible at all when Scully is doing that I would think it is time to separate them for a while. Give them both time to cool their jets. If possible could one be put in a room that has been set up for them with litterbox, food, water, a few toys, sleeping spot? Only until they have had a chance to calm down. If Scully is a tripod and quite a bit smaller than Willow then yes, they do need sme time apart. Sleeping together on a mat is a great sign! It will take some time though for them to set limits with each other.
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Old March 30th, 2009, 08:08 AM
scully scully is offline
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Thanks all for the help. I have separated them, putting Willow in the spare room with her own litter, food, toys, etc. I will still be around her a lot as that room is also my computer/study room but I think its best to let both of them have time to get used to the arrangement. 14+Kitties the article you suggested about multi-cat households was brilliant. A lot of good ideas. I'll let you all know how it goes, thanks again!
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Old March 30th, 2009, 10:08 AM
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Glad it was useful for you. It's one of my favourites!
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