Twenty to Eight is a kitten. Granted, a five month old kitten, but she still displays all the hallmarks of a playful, cute, affectionate kitten. 

But then, it happened. We thought she’d just developed her cute skills, she’d started to roll around on the floor alot, and rubbing herself of table legs, furniture, everything. She wanted more rubs, and cuddles and was meowing more. 

But it became excessive, and then she was constantly looking out the window, and started to wander further from the back garden, until we couldn’t see her, or find her.

It hit us like a ton of bricks. The five month old kitten, was in heat. I looked up the symptoms online…

• Your cat becomes more affectionate than usual

• Your cat rolls around the floor

• Your cat carries her tail to one side.

• Your cat becomes very vocal and meows a lot. (This is where the term ‘Calling’ comes from) This vocalisation can become very noisy with loud yowls day and night. Her voice may become more piercing than usual.

• Your cat assumes a position with her front quarters on the ground and her bottom pointing in the air.

• Your cat’s hind legs may ‘tread’

• Your cat licks her vulval area more than usual

• Your cat rubs her face up against you or furniture more often than usual.

• If you pat your cat on her back near her tail your cat will raise her bottom in the air and may begin ‘treading’ with her hind feet.

• If she is a cat who is usually kept inside she will be desperate to get outside, waiting for any opportunity to escape.

And then it was PAINFULLY obvious. We’d been used. The cat didn’t really want our affection, we were substitutes. The cat had an outdoor boyfriend cat. We caught her in the act, the great big brown Tom cat and our little Twenty. 

They grow up so fast. one minute they’re all cute only caring about that toy mouse, the next they just want to rub their genitals off wash baskets. 

So the next day there was a swift trip to the vets. When she came home she was a different cat. Doped up to the eyeballs and stuck in reverse trying to get the cone shaped collar off which prevented her from ripping open her stitches. No purrs, no meows. Just reversing into furniture. 

Hopefully she won’t be too annoyed at us taking away her privilage to have her own kittens. But at least now cute Twenty can get as much action as she likes, although, I think the desire has left her…