ANOTHER Post Spay Question...

AlbertaGirl · 08-31-2008, 01:09 AM

Our cat, Honey, had kittens on May 17th, and on July 5th, 2 of them went to new homes so we only had one kitten left. He was still nursing here and there, but then Honey got spayed July 19th. I saw the kitten sucking on her several times after that, and sometimes she'd hiss at him, and sometimes she'd let him. I thought it was just a comfort/habit thing, and that he was using her as a pacifier, and if she didn't like it, they'd get it worked out.

Well, here it is 6 weeks after she was spayed, and I picked her up, and happened to feel a lump by her one teat

. So, I squeezed it, and she's still producing milk

! How is that possible when she has had her ovaries and uterus removed?!?! Anyone know?

**seerfarm** · 08-31-2008, 06:53 AM

If I am correct they can still produce milk if being stimulated (ie: nursing) even after spaying. I would however keep an eye out for the possibility of mastitis. They will usually dry up completely if they stop nursing in 6-8 days.

breburtch · 08-31-2008, 09:30 AM

Yup if there being stimulated they will still produce milk. I had a female cat years ago that constently was sneaking out the door(was a strictly indoor cat)or anywhere else she could find toget out, and she'd always come back home pregnant. She wasn't spayed at that point because one she was indoors or suppossed to be all the time and two our 4 previous cats and died during or shortly after being fixed, but after her 4th litter we decided to risk it agian. When she came home all her babies had found new homes and only one was left that we had decided to keep. We too noticed her trying to nurse several times and later realized tiger still had milk we figured maria would eventually grow out of it so decided to leave them be. 2 years later she was still doing it, so we seperated them for 3 months so tiger could dry up and maria could(hopefully)wean herself and find something else and it worked we caught maria try suckling a few times and everytime tiger gave her a smack upside the head and it stopped fully after that

APHANutmeg · 08-31-2008, 09:43 AM

Like everyone else said, if they are stimulated, they will still produce milk. Estrogen, the hormone produced and released by the ovaries, can sometimes take 3-6 months to be completely out of their system. estrogen is also a factor in milk production. I would watch out for mastitis also.

AlbertaGirl · 08-31-2008, 02:16 PM

Thanks everyone, I was just baffled because I figured with basically having all the inside girly stuff removed, that the estrogen needed to produce milk would go away.

Oh, and I will definetly keep an eye out for mastitis, but just to clarify, the "lump" I was referring to was just her one teat being full of milk, as she'd been away from the kitten for quite a while.

Unfortunately, I really can't keep them separated, they're barn kitties

. Honey is tiny and can fit through anywhere, so it wouldn't even be possible to keep her locked in a separate building. If it came down to it, and I really had to (for her health or something), I'd figure something out though

.

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08-31-2008, 01:09 AM
AlbertaGirl Greenbroke Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Alberta Posts: 3,307	ANOTHER Post Spay Question... Our cat, Honey, had kittens on May 17th, and on July 5th, 2 of them went to new homes so we only had one kitten left. He was still nursing here and there, but then Honey got spayed July 19th. I saw the kitten sucking on her several times after that, and sometimes she'd hiss at him, and sometimes she'd let him. I thought it was just a comfort/habit thing, and that he was using her as a pacifier, and if she didn't like it, they'd get it worked out. Well, here it is 6 weeks after she was spayed, and I picked her up, and happened to feel a lump by her one teat . So, I squeezed it, and she's still producing milk ! How is that possible when she has had her ovaries and uterus removed?!?! Anyone know? __________________ Some people say horses don't have a sense of humor... they obviously haven't met mine yet ;o)

08-31-2008, 06:53 AM
seerfarm Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Portal, Ga Posts: 7,822	If I am correct they can still produce milk if being stimulated (ie: nursing) even after spaying. I would however keep an eye out for the possibility of mastitis. They will usually dry up completely if they stop nursing in 6-8 days. __________________ The man who questions opinions is wise. The man who quarrels with facts is a fool.

08-31-2008, 09:30 AM
breburtch Coming two Join Date: May 2008 Location: Ennismore, Ontario Posts: 1,899	Yup if there being stimulated they will still produce milk. I had a female cat years ago that constently was sneaking out the door(was a strictly indoor cat)or anywhere else she could find toget out, and she'd always come back home pregnant. She wasn't spayed at that point because one she was indoors or suppossed to be all the time and two our 4 previous cats and died during or shortly after being fixed, but after her 4th litter we decided to risk it agian. When she came home all her babies had found new homes and only one was left that we had decided to keep. We too noticed her trying to nurse several times and later realized tiger still had milk we figured maria would eventually grow out of it so decided to leave them be. 2 years later she was still doing it, so we seperated them for 3 months so tiger could dry up and maria could(hopefully)wean herself and find something else and it worked we caught maria try suckling a few times and everytime tiger gave her a smack upside the head and it stopped fully after that Last edited by breburtch : 08-31-2008 at 09:34 AM.

08-31-2008, 09:43 AM
APHANutmeg Yearling Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 645	Like everyone else said, if they are stimulated, they will still produce milk. Estrogen, the hormone produced and released by the ovaries, can sometimes take 3-6 months to be completely out of their system. estrogen is also a factor in milk production. I would watch out for mastitis also. __________________ Staff to: Sunshine's Bar B Ritz "Nutmeg" Buckskin APHA, and her 4 mini friends: "Mocha, Ginger, Gunther, and Kodi"

08-31-2008, 02:16 PM
AlbertaGirl Greenbroke Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Alberta Posts: 3,307	Thanks everyone, I was just baffled because I figured with basically having all the inside girly stuff removed, that the estrogen needed to produce milk would go away. Oh, and I will definetly keep an eye out for mastitis, but just to clarify, the "lump" I was referring to was just her one teat being full of milk, as she'd been away from the kitten for quite a while. Unfortunately, I really can't keep them separated, they're barn kitties . Honey is tiny and can fit through anywhere, so it wouldn't even be possible to keep her locked in a separate building. If it came down to it, and I really had to (for her health or something), I'd figure something out though . __________________ Some people say horses don't have a sense of humor... they obviously haven't met mine yet ;o)