Help - kitten on heat !!

[Regressionconfession]

So ... the presents are wrapped, the stockings are hung. Me and DP were just getting ready for bed when we noticed our female cat making a funny sound and realised she's on heat!!!

She's just shy of six months and we've got her brother too. Neither have been done yet - I didn't think cats reproduced in the winter so thought I'd be ok leaving it until after Christmas.

Any tips on handling them until we can get them done? We really don't want our kitten having kittens!!

At the moment they're shut in separate rooms.

They should have been done at 4 months. They can reproduce from a young age and it's daft to have a boy and a girl together who haven't been neutered/ spayed. You will need to keep them apart or she will get pregnant

Everything dementedpixie said. Yes they should have been done at four months and you will need to keep them apart and make very sure she can't get out and get them both booked in for as soon as the vets start routine work after the holidays.

Keep them apart. And make sure she doesn't get out.

Phone the vet ASAP.

Boy is unlikely to know what to do at this age, so don't panic, but keep them apart from now until you get them neutered. My mum is a cat breeder of many years' experience and usually you can't get a male that age to mate. 7-9 months is the usual onset of breeding behaviour for males. There are advantages to leaving neutering males until 6 months as early neutering increases the risk of obesity, but on the other hand, many cats aren't obesity - prone anyway.
Your female will start to cycle with Increasing frequency now, so best get her neutered ASAP or she will be a PITA quite apart from the risk of unplanned pregnancy. Boy may start spraying when he hits puberty. Girl may spray when in heat. All these things are a PITA!
Goes without saying that she needs to be kept in, but also watch out for local tomcats trying to sneak into your house. Good luck!

Neutering for males and females is recommended at four months by the British Veterinary Association. It does not lead to an increased risk of obesity. Many, many females are made pregnant by their sibling at only four or five months. So do keep them apart and get them both done asap.

Cats breed all year round, it's just that there's a peak in the warm months.
You need to separate them somehow and then vet for the pair of them asap!

My cat was trying to mount his sister at 4 months.

They need to be kept apart now until neutering as mating can provoke ovulation ie even after a heat has finished a quick bit of how's your father can produce a pregnancy.

One of my boy cats was humping his brother at 5 months!
Some vets won't neuter under 6 months, was a whole thread about it on MN recently. I liked to my vet about age of my cats to get them done at 5.5 months.

*lied not liked

Our vet wouldn't do it till 6 months either. Due to size I think.
Keep them apart though that may be easier said than done!

Mine wouldn't do it until 6 months so i took them to a different vet who did it from 4 months

Thank you for all the replies!!! They're both apart and secure (definitely no possibility of strays coming in). I'll be on the phone first thing when my vet opens Wednesday!!

I had asked my vet and they didn't seem to think there was a rush to get it done before 6 months. It was a shock as I've always had cats but I've never had a cat on heat before.

You'll never forget the noise she makes.