heat

This is terrible - Mommy cat is on heat again, already! I supposed the kittens' father didn't intend to make a reunion so much as a booty call.

How do you know a female cat is on heat? Firstly, she becomes more vocal, meowing in a stranger pitch than usual. When patted, she will lower her behind, assuming the mating position. This position sometimes also causes her hind legs to go into a 'paddling' motion. She also becomes overly affectionate, but with Mommy cat, that is hard to tell, because she is already an affectionate cat. Cats go into their first heat at about 5 - 6 months old.

This means that, by the time (next month) we bring her to sterilize with the other neighbourhood cats, she would likely be pregnant again, at least halfway through gestation.

Something new that I learnt - lactating mothers do go into heat after all, perhaps it is a signal towards the end of her lactation.