Do female cats go through menopause as do women?

by Jeanne
(New York)

My 12 year old female cat has lost weight, but she needed to, and she has never had kittens, nor been spayed. She tends to be a bit annoying when she comes in heat.

But this latest time, she has been having a chronic discharge. She sleeps on our bed at night, and I have had to change all the linens for 3 days now.

She seems to be eating and drinking normally, and have not noticed any other out of the ordinary behaviors. I would appreciate any input or suggestions.

Editor's note: I'm not a vet, but I believe that your cat may be ill, Jeanne.

Every reference I have says that cats do not go through menopause. Cats can get pregnant and have kittens well into old age.

In fact, there have been reports, some of them reportedly reliable, of very old cats giving birth. Female cats tend to become less fertile as they age, have fewer kittens per litter, and may have fewer viable births, but they do not experience menopause.

I would be very concerned about the discharge. There is a condition called pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus. It can result in a life threatening systemic infection.

This condition can occur in both dogs and cats, but in cats, they're often asymptomatic. Your cat may be eating, drinking and acting normally, but have a serious medical problem.

I would contact the veterinarian immediately.

I hope that helps and please let us know what happens.
-Kurt