How to help a cat in heat?

What does the leak indicate

When you get a cat, you already know that sooner or later your pet will go into heat. This is a signal that the cat has entered puberty, her ovaries have begun to work, a representative of the fauna can continue the race. The issue is that the physiology of a wild animal of prey does not always correspond to plans for a comfortable home life.

When cats go into heat, there are behavioral changes. Your ward either becomes very affectionate and now and then demands to be scratched behind the ear, or suddenly shows waywardness and even aggression. Often, a fluffy pet in this state has a reduced appetite. A restless cat rubs against furniture, tails off, tries to run away from home.

Other sure signs of estrus are frequent trips for small needs, the desire to mark the territory, uterine cries, sometimes very loud. The cat has entered a period of sexual hunting, she obeys her instincts, trying to attract the attention of a cat. Even if he sits in an apartment and there are no cats around.

The described signs of estrus may appear stronger or weaker. It all depends on the individual characteristics of your pet’s body.

A cat’s estrus goes through four stages. First, from one to four days, your ward does not behave as usual, but does not let cats near her. Then the actual flow begins. A cat’s estrus lasts about five to ten days, sometimes longer. On the third or fifth day, breeders usually mate. Then the cat slowly begins to leave the state of sexual hunting. With successful fertilization, she can abruptly change mercy to anger towards the opposite sex. The fourth stage is the normalization of the state, a break until the next estrus.

The first estrus in a cat, on average, occurs at the age of seven to nine months. But it may happen sooner or later. If your pet has her first heat at 5 months or 11 months, this is quite normal. The frequency of estrus is individual, much depends on the breed. Oriental, Persian cats are more likely to come into a state of sexual hunting than Scottish and British. The frequency of estrus is affected by the length of daylight hours, ambient temperature, cat activity, health status, and diet. Some cats go into heat once every three weeks, while others go into heat once every six months.

What to do

Record when your cat has her first and subsequent heats. Write down what signs of this condition your ward shows. It is important to know how easily your pet is in heat. It happens that estrus passes almost imperceptibly. And it happens that the cat suffers and harasses the owners.

You need to decide in advance whether your pet will be a mother cat, and you will be a kitten breeder. For most cat lovers, a four-legged pet is more suitable as a pet. If you don’t have kittens in your plans, schedule a spay.

Veterinarians recommend spaying cats at 8 months of age. The difficulty is that, ideally, it is necessary to give the young cat to form immunity, the muscular system, to get stronger. It is advisable to have time to sterilize before the first estrus in a cat. Estrus is a signal of the possibility of a young cat getting pregnant, so take care of her safety, do not let your pet go for a walk alone. Consult your veterinarian to determine the most appropriate time for surgery.

All vaccinations must be done at least three weeks before sterilization. Parasite treatment also needs to be carried out in advance. You need to bring a healthy pet to the operation. Fever, lethargy, malaise – a reason to postpone the procedure.

Neutering will save the cat from periodic torment by natural instincts. Timely removal of the uterus and ovaries will protect the cat from tumors, unwanted neoplasms in an adult cat.

If you decide to breed kittens, then mating will save the cat from torment during estrus. A pregnant cat will not mark territory, but will focus on bearing and feeding offspring. The next estrus in this case can be expected three or three and a half months after the kittens are born.

There is a medical way to prevent the inconvenience associated with estrus. Hormonal drugs against the manifestations of estrus are prescribed by a veterinarian. It can be tablets, injections, drops. It is important to strictly adhere to the doctor’s prescriptions and not get carried away with hormonal medications. They are able to solve the problem, but are fraught with side effects. Such drugs can cause hormonal disorders. It is possible that even a single dose of such drugs will lead to the cat becoming unwell.

Do not administer hormonal medication to a cat without consulting a veterinarian.

The main thing is not to harm

Always remember that a cat does not want to hurt you when it screams or marks its territory. Heat is a period when a cat really cannot boast of good manners, it follows instincts. Be patient. Try to spend more time with your ward. Comb your pet, stroke its fur, talk to it. Let the cat feel your care and support. Distract her from the call of nature, take her favorite toys, let the cat carelessly frolic with you. Do not allow yourself to be rude and punish your ward. The heat will pass, but the bitter memory of the irritability of the owners will remain.

Any measures that you take against the manifestation of sexual hunting should be in the interests of the pet. Decided to breed kittens? First, make sure that the cat becomes an adult and gain strength. Her body will be ready to bear offspring at the age of one and a half to two years. Until then, your cat will have to go through several heats without mating.

Sometimes estrus in young cats is more intense, pets can even show aggression. How to calm a cat during heat? Consult with your veterinarian, the specialist will select plant-based soothing drops for your pet. They will not prevent the heat, but will help to survive it. If your cat becomes a mother in the future, do not resort to hormonal drugs. This can negatively affect the health of future kittens.

If you did not have time to sterilize before the first estrus, it is better to wait out this moment and have the operation when the body and behavior of the cat return to normal. Otherwise, there will be a risk of excessive blood loss during the procedure. It is undesirable to spay a cat during estrus, but it is possible if necessary. There are difficult cases when a prolonged estrus is caused by problems with the reproductive organs, and the operation should help save the pet. But the final verdict on the possibility or impossibility of performing the operation must be made by the veterinarian.

Estrus is a physiological process that indicates that your cat’s body is ready for the transition to adulthood. Growing up a young cat brings inconvenience, but this is a sign that the pet is healthy, her body is strong and develops normally. Support your fluffy ward and take care of her health in time so that the cat will spend the next years of her life in good health and delight you with her attention and communication.