When Do Cats Go into Heat？
A cat going into heat usually refers to a cat in a sexual condition ready to reproduce, which is also called "estrus" in formal term.
01 Heat period
First heat
Normally, female cats will come into heat at 6 to 8 months, and male cats will be in heat at 8 to 13 months.
The female cat's estrus generally lasts for 3 to 7 days.
If there is no conception, it will re-estrus after two weeks. If it continues without conception, it will gradually shorten.
Male cats usually have heat once every other week, each time lasting 7-10 days.
Normal estrus cycle
The estrus of cats is affected by a variety of factors, including season, living environment, their own development and so on.
Generally speaking, there will be one at the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Spring and autumn are the concentrated mating seasons for cats.
Cats have a cycle of estrus about three or four times a year.
02 Heat State
When a male cat is in heat
The most iconic action is to pee everywhere, and the smell is heavier than usual, used to attract female cats. The action of urinating is to put the tail up high, and then shake quickly, then a stream of urine comes out, and the action is completed.
In addition, the male cat will roll on the ground, rub its back and forth, and sometimes make an unusual meow.
When a female cat is in heat
The most iconic action is howling.
When domestic cats are in heat, they are generally more docile, more abrasive, and howl.
In addition, like male cats, female cats roll on the ground and purr.
Estrus female cat, you touch her ass, she will lift her ass.
Occasionally, female cats pee randomly, but it is not common.
03 First mating
Female cat
Female cats less than a year old are not suitable for mating because of their immature body and mind.
After mating, female cats are more likely to give birth prematurely, miscarriage or dystocia.
Depending on the cat breed, the suitable mating period is one and a half or two years later.
In addition, the cotton swab pregnancy method, which is widely spread on the Internet, will actually destroy the female cat's swollen and fragile uterus due to estrus.
Male cat
In terms of experience and reproductive ability, it is better to be over 2 years old.
If it is an inexperienced male cat, it also needs to be matched with an experienced partner in order to mate smoothly.
You can choose to tease, caress, and diet to help the cat through the estrus.
In addition, do not bathe the cat during estrus.
04 Sterilization
If you don't want to raise more cats, neutering is the best way.
Although it may seem cruel, it can effectively help cats avoid some physical diseases (such as false pregnancy, uterine pus, tumors, prostatitis, ovarian cysts, etc.).
It can also avoid excessive mating and increase a lot of stray cats.
More and more people begin to like cats and keep cats.
Whether you are an experienced cat owner or someone who has just started to keep a cat, you should keep pace with the times, learn and advocate scientific cat ownership.
In the future, Lionpapa will share all kinds of cat knowledge every week, as well as some interesting stories about raising a cat, and answer your questions when raising a cat.
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