[blaze]

I am new here and hoping that you can help me out. I have owned cats my whole life, but never a female. I adopted a 6 month old female on Sunday. I noticed that her nipples were enlarged, and that they are very hard. I asked the people that I adopted her from (an animal rescue group) if she had had a litter, and they said no. They did tell me that she had been spayed and I guess the first time she was spayed she had a hernia, and then had to have that repaired.

I called the vet that repaired the hernia and they said everything was fine. I asked them if they knew why she looked like she had been nursing and they said that she might have been in heat. I did some research online and see that this may have been from progesterone and from being in heat. But I think the cat has been spayed for over a month, so wouldn't this have gone away by now?

I guess I am wondering if anyone has gone through this before and how long it lasts?

 

[drjean]

Chances are she did have a litter; don't know why they would not want to admit that, or maybe they just don't know. This should go away as the milk dries up; it can take several weeks. If you notice any redness, discharge, or if she is tender to the touch, please see a vet right away. Mastitis can be very painful and lead to a nasty infection.

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[blaze]

Thank you very much for your response, it is very helpful. She does not seem like she is in any pain at all. She was in foster care for only a few months, so maybe they did not know if she had a litter. But then that would probably mean that she is older than they say (I was told she is only 6mos).

Do you think it is possible that if she was around kittens that should be experiencing a "fake" pregnancy? I have owned horses, and have seen first hand when a young foal is put in a pen with a female (not the mother) that the female will acutally start to nurse the foal. I am thinking that this may be what happened, because I know she was in foster care with a lot of other cats and kittens.

 

[drjean]

Ah, that's a good thought! Yes, entirely possible. Seems likely under the circumstances, too!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean