Not advice from cats. Advice from people. With cats.
Livvy was spayed today. 
She was a good girl at the vet clinic, but she’s feeling pretty lousy tonight.
My question concerns this– the vet informed me that they could find no ovaries or uterus with Livvy. The vet made a longer incision than usual to see if it was hiding behind the kidneys, but nothing was there.
Wha??
I got Livvy at about 8 weeks old. As far as I know, she had not been spayed. I had spent time with Livvy’s previous owner, who said Livvy had gotten “shots” but never was any spaying mentioned. It’s hard to believe that Livvy was spayed before I got her.
So the bewilderment is: can a female cat be born without reproductive organs?! I did some searching online, and found nothing. I know that cats can be hermaphrodite, but Livvy isn’t like that– a hermaphrodite cat has all the reproductive organs; Livvy has none.
Any guesses? Anyone ever hear of such a thing? I spent a pretty penny on the surgery, too. I’d be pretty upset if she suddenly goes into heat after all this… but the vet (who is experienced) said she looked and looked for organs, and so did the other doctor. Nothing.
26. January 2009 at 7:39 pm
I am no expert on cats but she really looks pissed in that first picture.
26. January 2009 at 8:43 pm
Poor Livvy! I’ve never, ever heard of such a thing.
I can’t believe she was spayed before you got her. I had a cat my vet wouldn’t do at 6 months because she was still physically too small.
And if she’s mad at you, it’s probably because of the hair missing from her belly. Cats hate that. It’s best not to rub it, or point it out. Just pretend she still has all her hair until it grows back in.
26. January 2009 at 9:14 pm
I have a cat that is a hermaphrodite. Livvy is just beautiful!
26. January 2009 at 10:08 pm
I have worked in vet clinics for years (I’m a SAHM now) and it is very likely that she was spayed before you got her. Some humane societies and animal shelters routinely spay/neuter at 6 weeks of age (highly NOT recommended!!!). It is possible that the uterus and ovaries were hiding- if there is a diaphragmatic hernia (a hole in the separation between the chest and abdomen) , they could be hanging out in the chest cavity. Very very unlikely, but I think it would still be possible.
Good luck!
26. January 2009 at 10:13 pm
Livvy is a beautiful cat!!! I’ve never heard of such a thing either. I did a search on Ask and this is the link I came up with. http://tinyurl.com/b4pw79
The way the writer talks it’s sounds like it could be a possibility.
Hope this helps.
27. January 2009 at 1:58 am
… any way to do an ultrasound or similar scan to see/confirm the lack of said organs?
27. January 2009 at 7:14 am
Some shelters will spay a kitten as soon as she is 2 or 3 pounds. They recover quickly and do fine, and are able to be adopted right away. Maybe she was already spayed? Usually, when the belly is shaved, the vet can see a scar from the prior procedure.
What a mystery!
27. January 2009 at 10:27 am
I just had to say that Livvy is gorgeous!
27. January 2009 at 11:13 am
Thanks for your comments!
I got Livvy when she was 8 weeks old, and it’s pretty unlikely that she was spayed before then. Possible, perhaps. But unlikely. Since I got Livvy from a lady who knew the kittens from when they were very young, and since that lady said nothing about being spayed (yet she did say the kittens had been wormed and had shots), it’s even more unlikely that Livvy was spayed early.
The vet said there was no previous scar on Livvy’s belly, but IF the kitten had been spayed, perhaps it was a “flank” spay, just like Lady Banana’s kitten Mabel recently got, in the UK.
So… I am to watch for sign of heat. Either that, or Livvy was born without repro organs?! Sad thing is, I paid good money for this procedure and have nothing to show for it. Another surgery, ultrasound, etc is far too beyond my budget. If she goes into heat, I’m stuck with a cat in heat! :S
27. January 2009 at 1:14 pm
That is just so weird. And boy does that STINK that you paid for something to be removed that wasn’t there!!! Hopefully she won’t go into heat and it will just remain a mystery.
27. January 2009 at 10:41 pm
The one cat the vet wouldn’t do at 6 months somehow never made it back to have it done. She would go in heat periodically, keep us up nights howling, and then be back to normal. She was also an indoor cat, so I didn’t have to worry about kittens. And it sure didn’t hurt her health – we just lost her last spring at age 22.
17. February 2009 at 5:52 pm
Hi, the same thing just happened to my cat today. I dropped her off to get spayed and called a few hours later to check on her and the vet told me she must have already been spayed and I said that’s not possible, because we’ve had her since she was 6 weeks old. The animal shelter said they would not have spayed a kitten that young. So, then she told me there was nothing there. I couldn’t believe it! So, we got charged also. I just feel so bad for the poor cat! I’m glad to know this has happened to someone else, because I was starting to wonder if it was possible for a cat to be born without reproductive organs. Just thought I’d let you know about this!!
23. March 2009 at 3:27 pm
I think the vet should at least reduce the price of the surgery…after all they only did half the work : )
23. March 2009 at 9:04 pm
I know, that’s what I said!! I’m just waiting to see if my cat goes into heat or ends up pregnant, because I just can’t believe a cat would be born with nothing!! I think it was missed, but I guess I could be wrong!
28. March 2009 at 8:57 am
I’m watching my kitty very,very closely right now. She’s starting to act kinda weird. i don’t know if she is in heat. Man, I HOPE NOT!!!