Frustrated

Taking a cat to stud isn't as simple as bundling her in the car. First you have to be sure she's really calling. Then she has to go for a SNAP test- a blood test for FIV and FeLV. Some vets do this in house but mine don't-they send it to a lab. More delay. And then you have to find a time that is convenient for both you and the stud owner to get her there. With a breed like the Tonkinese, you may have to travel a long way and of course that's not always possible.

Last year both my and the stud owner's conflicting commitments meant that I ended up taking Indigo very early in the morning (I left home at 6am!) on day 4 of her call- not ideal, one is supposed to get there asap. She still got pregnant, and I suspect if the same thing happened this year she would again, but for older queens (and 'older' in cat breeding is only around 5...) those few days might make all the difference. Or the queen (breeding female, also called the dam) might take a few days to adjust by which time she would have come out of call.

Indigo has made several hopeful noises in the last 24 hours- noises that have made me think oooh- about to start calling, but she hasn't made that distinctive cat calling noise. I'll know it when I hear it. She's also peed in several non litterbox locations. But I can't do anything about it until she actually starts to howl.

I'm hoping that happens either today or tomorrow. If she starts Sunday, the next time I can get her to the stud is Thursday lunchtime, which really is pushing it. So what's the betting Sunday will be the day?

Come on Inds... don't keep me waiting!