Heat, Marking & All That!
Saturday, December 18, 2010 at 6:37PM
Darlah Potechin

 When gals are in heat and the boy is not mating with her, he does this continual marking. They mark to say this is mine but I also think it releases some stress. They do get very stressed when they are not being bred and there is a gal.

To make matters worse, they drip down their legs forcing many baths, rinse offs and that is why some breeders actually place leg protectors on. If I see the lady at the show that makes them, guess what I am going to buy. heh I want 2 sets. One to wipe off and wash daily and the other to replace.

At this point I am washing Kat every 4 or 5 days and rinsing daily and sometimes twice a day. I will be glad when Fiona is done her heat. She's being mated with a different male and its a bit much for Kat to take. Do you understand? I do.

I just gave him yet another bath. This morning he had a rinse and underneath bath but he was so bad that even though I washed him a few days ago, well he had to have another. I am now trying to figure out how to protect his legs. I may put a snowsuit on him. hahahahaha

Some would be upset but I 'get' that this is temporary and it too will pass and that hormone surge is something difficult to control. He's not whining or crying as some do so I best count my blessings.

Those that do not want to neuter their males though have to be crazy cause all it takes is a gal to be in heat up to a mile away and you will suddenly have all this wonderful behavior when they reach puberty. The reality is, it makes sense to neuter unless you are breeding and if you breed and the boy is connecting with the gal, the marking doesn't occur.

Now off to find solutions to keep him clean. (PS: I just tried plastic bags with hair ties on them - let's see how long that lasts. I will take them off at bedtime and put them back on in the morning and then off when we have guests or maybe not)

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