Kittens grow up very quickly. 2-3 months have passed since the fluffy ball appeared in the house, and people learn from their own experience how the behavior of animals changes during sexual hunting. If the pet is a cat, then sooner or later the owners will face the problem of estrus.
It is impossible not to notice the onset of estrus in a cat. A sweet, smart, obedient pet seems to be going crazy. The cat is trying to escape from the apartment by all means, refuses to eat and seems to stop sleeping. In any case, its owners will definitely not have time to sleep, because the heart-rending screams and howls do not stop with the onset of night.
Cat in heat
After the first sleepless night, the question arises: how long does estrus last in cats, and is it possible to somehow calm it down? Because during this period the cat becomes unbearable. People often lock their screaming pet in the bathroom. It’s cruel, but you can understand the owners – after all, you have to go to work in the morning.
Others are concerned about whether the cat is suffering from an unsatisfied desire, whether something hurts - its “songs” sound so dramatic.
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Age at first estrus in cats
For most cats, the first heat begins after the female reaches a weight of 2.5 kg. This rule does not apply to large breeds such as Maine Coon or British cats.
The age of puberty ranges from 4 months to 1.5 years. Most often, a cat first begins to ask for a cat at 6-9 months. This age depends on several factors:
- Heredity.
Some cats are more temperamental than others, and some, on the contrary, are late maturing. In mixed breeds, the onset of the first heat is difficult to predict in advance, but among purebreds, patterns have already been identified.
The fastest maturing are the short-haired “oriental” breeds - Thai, Siamese, Burmese, Abyssinians, Bengals, Cornish Rex. On the other hand, cats of long-haired breeds sometimes begin to walk at 10-12 months and later - Persian, Maine Coon, Siberian.
Young cat of the Bengal breed
- Daylight hours.
March cats are not a fiction. Increasing the duration of daylight hours encourages the onset of estrus. If the cat is six months old in the spring, you should expect the onset of estrus soon. If the same age falls in October-December, then the onset of estrus is more likely only next spring.
In an apartment, this dependence hardly manifests itself due to constant heat and constant artificial lighting.
- Conditions of detention.
Exhausted cats lacking vitamins and fats do not go into heat. Therefore, street animals mature later than domestic animals, and their estrus occurs less frequently.
- Communication with relatives.
The presence of another cat in heat or an unneutered cat provokes the onset of heat in young teenage cats.
To delay the onset of the first heat as much as possible, the owner needs to keep the cat isolated in the apartment and turn on the light for no more than 4-6 hours a day.
How to understand that a cat is “walking”
The cat's behavior changes dramatically. The pet becomes annoyingly friendly, rubs against people and furniture, rolls around on the floor, and constantly demands attention.
Characteristic signs of estrus:
- A prolonged inviting meow, a cat can scream for days;
- Irregularities or complete lack of appetite;
- In response to stroking the back or rump, the cat invitingly arches its back, raises its butt, moves its tail to the side and tramples with its hind legs;
- Allows males to mate with her.
Cat in heat
Unpleasant manifestations of sexual heat include the desire to mark territory: the cat may begin to urinate in inappropriate places.
There is no point in examining a cat's genitals to determine estrus. The cat will not have any obvious changes to the vulva or any discharge.
Behavior during estrus is largely determined by the breed, and in the case of barn cats, by the temperament of the animal. There are cats that walk quietly and a little, meowing modestly and caressing. Others literally climb the wall, and their screams are heard by all the neighbors.
A Bengal in heat is desperately trying to get out of the house
What to do during sexual activity
When a cat goes into heat, one of the right options is to give her a mating male for a few days. The beloved becomes pregnant, and her desire to “see” the cat will disappear. The body will begin new hormonal changes. If there is no desire to mate a cat, it is scary to give special tablets; you need to be patient. Inappropriate behavior will be observed for 10 days, after which the animal will return to normal. However, allowing this condition to occur constantly is dangerous for the female’s health. If a cat walks without a cat, a false pregnancy often develops.
If you plan to have offspring, you need to wait until 3 heats have passed without giving any pills. The animal's behavior will need to be tolerated. When the hormonal levels are completely stabilized, you can begin mating with the cat. During the first days you need to find a male and let him approach the cat. If mating occurs, estrus will stop after a couple of days. During pregnancy and nursing kittens there is no estrus. But if the female loses her cubs, a new estrus begins in the first month.
If the first signs of estrus are noticed, you should not immediately feed the animal hormonal pills. Rash actions can cause irreparable harm to health. Drugs should be prescribed by a qualified specialist after examining the animal. You also need to remember that during the period of heat, you cannot shout at the cat, kick it, much less beat it. The animal does not control itself, is unable to obey or fulfill the owner’s request, but a feeling of guilt appears, which will further aggravate the situation.
Duration and frequency of sexual heat
Characteristic behavior lasts from 3 to 10 days. The period when a cat is in sexual heat and allows a cat to approach her is called estrus. At this time, the ovarian follicles produce the maximum amount of estrogens and sex hormones.
In the very first days of estrus (1-4 days), the cat demonstrates sexual arousal, but does not allow mating. This time is called proestrus, “forerunner”. Unlike dogs, cats do not have a clear boundary between estrus and proestrus, and it is difficult to determine these periods.
If sexual intercourse does not occur during estrus, then ovulation does not occur. In this case, sexual heat returns every 10-14 days. The period between estrus is called interestrus, this is a time of rest for the uterus and ovaries. In some cats, the concentration of estrogen in the blood does not decrease, and the animal walks constantly.
Prolonged heat is a sign of follicular ovarian cysts, which must be removed surgically.
Complete rest of the ovaries, which means the absence of the reproductive instinct, is called anestrus, the absence of estrus. In stray cats, this period occurs in late autumn or winter, due to short daylight hours and the action of the hormone melatonin. Anestrus does not occur in domestic cats due to constant light and nutritious food.
A distinctive feature of the breeding system in cats is induced ovulation. Simply put, an egg is released from the ovary only in response to vaginal stimulation. Natural ovulation occurs due to mating, but artificial ovulation is also possible - as a result of manipulations in the vagina.
Ovulation occurs 1-2 days after intercourse, and after another 1-2 days the estrus stops. The ovary forms the corpus luteum, which produces the hormone progesterone to maintain pregnancy.
If the egg is released and fertilization does not occur, progesterone will be produced “by inertia” for 1-1.5 months (less than a true pregnancy). Progesterone prevents the resumption of estrus.
In cats, sexual function does not decline until death; even at 16-19 years of age, estrus is observed from time to time in non-sterilized animals.
I'm 14 years old, motherfucker, how old can you be?
“Not every dog is suitable for a person”
Anastasia Pozhidaeva for Meduza
Engineer and businessman
Walks dogs in his free time
I received an education as a foundation engineer, but somehow did not become a foundation builder. Now I have my own business of individual and corporate gifts, so I can plan my schedule at my discretion. As soon as I had time, I immediately wanted to do something else, but for the soul. So I got the idea that other people might need help with dogs.
Dogs have been with me for over 40 years, since childhood. A long time ago I adopted a little husky named Bond from a kennel, he lived with me for 14 happy years. For me it was the best companion: I love skiing, I love the forest and winter. Bond was the smartest dog, but the breed itself is not easy. I lacked training knowledge, and I turned to an animal psychologist. He was a highly qualified specialist who explained to me what a pack is, what the dogs are trying to tell us, and how to generally behave with them.
When my dog left, I adopted a one-year-old husky again, but from a shelter. She named him Gray for his gray fur. He has been living with me for two years now. Before we met, the dog wandered with homeless people, sat on a chain, and in the end was torn by dogs and crawled to people for help. When he moved into my house it was a disaster. He howled, opened the refrigerator and ate everything from there, peed on the bed, marked all the corners, rushed at dogs in the street, caught pigeons. But in six months we managed to overcome all this.
Anastasia Pozhidaeva for Meduza
When I started thinking about working with dogs, I typed “dog walking” into the search engine and found the “Guldog” service. I received additional education at the company: I attended webinars with a dog trainer and passed the exam as a professional dog walker. For my first walk, I got a one-year-old Malamute, very beloved by his owners and therefore very spoiled. I try to take dogs only for regular walks, so we walked him twice for 10 days. After the first walk, together with the manager of Guldog, we suggested that the owners correct the dog’s behavior, because the Malamute is a serious pack animal. We have such a service in our service - walking with elements of training. The owners later told me: “Katya, what did you do, you just changed the dog!” In fact, they did it themselves - they adjusted their behavior according to my advice, and the dog began to understand its place in the pack. When I manage to help clients, I am, of course, very pleased.
Walking is a great job because you interact with very grateful creatures who greet you joyfully and are always happy to chat. But not every dog is suitable for a person. After all, they also have professions - dogs are hunting, service, sledding, and guard. And the dog simply needs to practice its profession! If a corgi barks, it is not because she is so bad, but because it is her job to herd the sheep, bark and bite lightly on the legs. When you adopt a dog, you need to understand its needs—and whether you can meet them. For example, I don’t take fighting breeds for walking - dog walkers also have the right to choose. We look at the dogs in advance and evaluate whether we can handle it. I often see in chat that people say: “This is mine, I’ll take it!” It’s great when a person knows exactly what he can do.
Anastasia Pozhidaeva for Meduza
Anastasia Pozhidaeva for Meduza
I come for a walk with a safety belt, so the dog definitely won’t run away. I have with me a first aid kit with hemostatic, antihistamine and painkillers. I will not allow my dog to pick up anything on the street, I will not let my dog off the leash, and I will not approach dog walkers with other dogs without permission. Cats and birds are also taboo, as are places where there might be scraps or broken glass.
I think that only a person who has owned dogs can be a dog walker. You need a lot of patience, a willingness to walk for a long time, repeat some actions many, many times and try different approaches if the dog needs behavior correction. Even if the dog breaks down and attacks others, maximum calm is needed. The dog reads our state and becomes nervous and angry. During the training, the dog trainer recommended to us the book “What Your Dog is Thinking” by John Fisher. I also recommend it to everyone, it is amazing: easy language in the style of Gerald Durrell's books about animals and very clear explanations.
Guldog also offers a dog-nanny service. For example, you recently adopted a puppy - and it requires constant attention, but no one has canceled work tasks! Or your dog is sick, and you urgently need to help your mother at the dacha. It is enough to call a specialist to your home and he will sit with your pet for as long as necessary. And if necessary, he will feed you, take you for a walk, and send you a video report. You can call a dog sitter even for a day. Or, for example, at night.
Tatiana
How quickly does estrus return after childbirth?
About 64 days pass from the date of first mating to birth. Then the cat feeds the kittens; the duration of this period largely depends on the owners. 10-14 days after the end of lactation, estrus resumes.
Cat feeding kittens
The problem is that some lactating cats go into heat as early as 2 weeks after giving birth. If mating with the cat does not occur at this moment, then the cat begins to walk, as before, every 10-20 days.
If mating occurs, fertilization is unlikely due to the fact that the uterus has not yet recovered from childbirth. But mating during the next heat can be effective, so you can often see a nursing cat already pregnant with a new litter.
“After every walk I write a report with photographs”
Anastasia Pozhidaeva for Meduza
I quit the office because I was tired of everything
Takes dogs for foster care while their owners are on vacation
Previously, I worked in the economic planning department. At some point I got tired of it: a dusty office five days a week, you don’t belong to yourself. Plus, my salary was delayed, and the boss was completely crazy, shouting obscenities and foaming at the mouth. After a year I decided that enough was enough. My husband supported me and I left. I thought I’d be unemployed for a month and go back to the office, but a whole year has passed. I started looking for work at home without any criteria and saw a vacancy for a dog sitter. I wondered what it was. That's how I found out about Guldog.
At Guldog, I specialize in foster care, also called sitting: I take dogs to my home when their owners go away somewhere. In my youth I had a dog - an East European shepherd, Garnet. I took his death very hard, and my parents decided that we would no longer have dogs. Now I live with my husband, he also loves dogs, but we are hesitant to get our own, because we still want to belong to ourselves. And I probably wouldn’t be able to leave my dog to anyone, especially my friends. If something happens to the dog, bribes from them are smooth, you won’t have to show anything. And an agreement has been concluded with the service; we are responsible for the dog.
Anastasia Pozhidaeva for Meduza
I take dogs home for periods ranging from two days to two weeks. Now I have a Basenji in my sitting room, he’s come for the second time - and he has a difficult character. The first time they gave him to me as a trial was when the owners' son had a birthday - they were having a party at home, and they decided to remove the dog from the apartment so that he would not chase the children. Then he bit me almost immediately. The owner later admitted that he was waiting all the time for me to call and say: “Take your biter!” But in fact, the dog quickly calms down, and the second time he is no longer very nervous and behaves less aggressively. It is difficult for the owner of this dog to find a foster home: the animal bites and shows aggression towards other dogs on the street. Previously, the owner gave the dog for foster care based on an advertisement, and there the dog was put in a cage. But we at Guldog are categorically against cages!
We have several rules at home. The dog must not sleep in the bed, climb onto the table or eat from the table. Everything else that a dog is allowed in her home is allowed in ours. There are sitters who allow animals to go to bed, but my husband is completely against it. I tell the owners about this right away, and no one has ever been indignant. And some are even happy and hope that the dog will stop getting into the bed at home.
Anastasia Pozhidaeva for Meduza
After each walk, I write a report with photographs - I tell in detail whether the dog did all its business, who it met, and whether it tried to pick up nasty things. We set up a special chat for clients - in it there is a dog walker or dog sitter, a Guldog manager who monitors everything remotely, and the owner himself. If we play with toys at home, I send a video. If the animal is sleeping on the sofa, I take a photo. Mostly clients easily leave their dogs with me and go on vacation without any fuss. I am very pleased that the owners are calm about their pet - if they wrote five times a day, it would mean that I do not inform them well enough.
Through the Guldog service you can leave your dog with a dog sitter for any period of time. It works like this. First, the dog sitter will come to your home to meet your dog - and it's free. Once you are sure that your pet and the specialist get along with each other, you can prepare a temporary move. If it is difficult to arrange it on your own, “Guldog” will help with this. The dog will be cared for exactly as it is accustomed to. And if you are really bored while away, you can arrange a video call and chat with your pet online.
Catherine
How to calm a cat during heat
How to calm a walking cat? Read about this in my book “No Way”. No joke, the Internet is full of advice and recommendations, but they don’t work:
- Stroke the cat and pay attention to it: tactile contact only increases sexual arousal;
- Give herbal sedatives: the cat is not stressed and is not nervous. She wants to reproduce. Owners can drink Persen with Novopassit; no herbs will affect the cat’s behavior.
- Use products with pheromones such as Feliway. They really help you survive the trip, get comfortable in a new place, and welcome a new family member. But they are expensive, and during estrus they are absolutely useless.
When a cat is in heat, she doesn't let anyone live
It is no secret that hormonal drugs against sexual heat in males and female cats are widely sold in pet stores - Stop-intim, Sex-barrier, Contrasex. But such drugs should not be used during the first heat or for more than 1.5 years in a row. Another important point: the use of hormonal drops in the midst of estrus leads to serious side effects. They need to be used in advance, preferably under the guidance of a veterinarian, in order to control the reproductive function. And don’t run to the nearest pet store for a miracle cure when the roast rooster has already pecked.
Hormonal drugs are a means to prevent, not stop, estrus!
There is one trick that allows you to distract your cat for about an hour in order to fall asleep peacefully. Wet the fur with water or smear it in something tasty (sour cream, canned cat sauce). The cat will inevitably begin to tidy up its fur, and it is impossible to lick itself and meow at the same time. Unfortunately, as soon as the fur coat dries, the cat will start singing calling songs again.
The only way to forget about the problem for a long time is mating and subsequent pregnancy. This option is only suitable for breeding animals with a successful exhibition career. If the owners are not interested in having offspring, then the best option would be surgery to remove the uterus and ovaries. It is optimal to carry out sterilization before the first heat. During the height of estrus, you should not take your cat to surgery.
A cat rolling on the floor is one of the signs of heat
It happens that a cat is planned for breeding, but it is impossible to breed during this particular heat (first early heat, rapid onset of heat after a cesarean section, lack of a suitable pair). Then the solution would be to artificially induce ovulation.
Simply put, the owner needs to simulate sexual intercourse. The cat is held firmly by the withers (the skin in the area of the shoulder blades is gathered into a fist), and with the other hand they press on the sacrum. When the cat moves its tail to the side, a suitable object is inserted into the vagina approximately 2 cm. This can be a thermometer with a soft tip lubricated with ointment or a cotton swab wrapped in the finger of a latex glove. The procedure should be repeated several times within an hour, and then again after 12 hours. If the massage was successful, the cat begins to meow loudly and roll on the floor.
The onset of ovulation causes a false pregnancy, which in cats is not accompanied by changes in behavior or false lactation, as in dogs. The estrus stops and does not return for 1-1.5 months. This method should also not be used regularly, so as not to provoke inflammation of the uterus.
Signs of heat
You can determine that a cat is walking by the animal’s behavior.
- Becomes affectionate, rubs, caresses, or displays excessive aggression and irritability.
- Meows loudly and invitingly. The animal makes these sounds all day long in the hope of attracting a cat.
- There is frequent urination. The cat goes to the litter box even at night, and also begins to mark its territory.
- The appearance of transparent mucous discharge from the genitals. The cat licks itself often and for a long time.
- Decreased appetite. The cat becomes indifferent to food. Eats little by little or refuses treats altogether. This behavior continues for the first few days or is present throughout the entire estrus period.
- The gait and body position change. The front legs are bent halfway and the back of the body is raised. The cat's tail is to the side or raised upward.
Some signs may be absent, but in general, changes in your pet’s behavior can be noticed. If a cat wants to go for a walk, she demonstrates this in every possible way.
Brief abstracts about estrus in cats: everything you need to know
A reminder for anyone who adopts a female kitten:
- Puberty occurs at 6-9 months.
- On average, estrus lasts a week and, in the absence of mating, repeats every 2-3 weeks.
- The only way to calm a cat is to induce ovulation with a special massage that simulates sexual intercourse.
- The use of hormonal agents or surgical sterilization should be considered before the onset of estrus.
- Repeated “empty” periods of sexual heat cause diseases of the genital organs - ovarian cysts, pyometra, hydrometra.
Now that you know how long a cat’s heat lasts and how difficult it is to calm a pet, let’s move on to the main thing. Sterilization is the most favorable option if you do not plan to regularly breed a cat and get kittens from her. Read about this operation in a separate article.
