Tell If Your Cat Is in Heat

An unspayed female cat will become sexually mature between the ages 5 ½ and 12 months, depending on how well-fed she is and the day-length.[1] Unlike a feral cat that must compete for food and experiences the short days of winter, a house cat has the luxury of plenty of food and artificial light. This means that while feral cats have a breeding season, with kittens born in the spring and early autumn, your house cat can go into heat at any time, and will probably do so every three to four weeks. The behaviors of a cat in heat can be alarming if you can't recognize the cause, but these instructions will allow you to determine whether your cat is in heat.

Steps

Recognizing Behavioral Signs

  1. Listen for calling. Another term for being in heat is "calling." This is because the female becomes very vocal and will frequently walk around the house wailing or otherwise vocalizing.[1] This can sound like a plaintive, distressed cry, and can be loud and persistent enough to keep you awake at night.
    • If your cat is naturally chatty all the time, vocalization is not necessarily a sign she is in heat.
    • When a cat is "calling," her cries typically becomes much louder and more persistent, and occur alongside other behaviors noted below.
  2. Watch for restless behavior. Restless behavior and an inability to settle are characteristic of a female cat in heat.[1]
    • This restlessness usually occurs at the same time as calling.
  3. Expect increased affection. A female cat in heat is often much more affectionate than she would typically be. If you cat is naturally stand-offish, this will usually change when she is in heat.[1]
    • While in heat, your cat may rub around your ankles in such a persistent way that she becomes a trip hazard when you're trying to walk.
    • This behavior will also manifest in the rubbing of her cheeks and chin (where her scent glands are located) against furniture, and especially entrance and exit points such as door frames.
    • When in heat, a cat's scent changes subtly, and she enjoys spreading this around to advertise to that she'd like a mate to come visiting.[1]
  4. Pay attention to your cat's tail. A typical sign of a cat ready to mate is the tail deflection reflex. This simply means that when you rub her lower back, especially over her pelvis and tail base, the female sticks her bottom in the air and moves her tail to one side.[1]
    • This reflex is her way of making it easier for a male cat to gain access to her vulva to mate.
  5. Look for "commando crawling." This is a behavior in which the cat flattens her front quarters to the ground while sticking her bottom in the air, and then crawling along the floor in this posture.[1]
  6. Watch for rolling. Some female cats in heat will roll around on the ground and wail at the same time.[1]
    • Understandably, if you don't know this behavior is entirely normal, it can appear alarming, and is a common cause of a panicked phone call to the on-call vet. However, this is not a sign that your cat is in pain.
  7. Watch for excessive licking. When a cat is in heat, it is typical for her vulva to become swollen. This mild swelling is uncomfortable, and will likely lead your cat to spend a lot of time washing the area.[1]
    • This swelling is too slight for the casual observer to notice, so don't expect to see a physical difference.[1]
  8. Expect the cat to disappear. Even home-loving cats get adventurous when in heat. If a a male cat doesn't come calling, then she is likely to go wandering for a day or so to seek one out for herself.[1]
    • If your cat is not spayed and you don't want her to get pregnant, keep her indoors during her heat and lock the cat flap so that intruders can't get in.

Understanding Your Cat's Reproductive Cycle

  1. Understand the estrus cycle. Female cats are polyestrous, which means they go into heat many times a year. [1]
    • This is in contrast to dogs, which experience a diestrus cycle, coming into heat only twice a year. [1]
    • While in heat, your cat's womb will become swollen as its blood-supply increases in anticipation of a pregnancy. You will not be able to observe this, however, as there are no external signs of this process.[1]
  2. Understand the role of seasons. The breeding season of feral cats is between spring and late summer. This means kittens are born away from the harshest of the winter weather, when their chances of survival would be reduced.[1]
    • Artificial light can fool a pet cat into thinking it is not winter. As such, if your cat spends much time indoors, the changing of seasons will have little or no effect on her reproductive cycle.[1]
    • Expect a cat that lives indoors to come into heat all year around.
  3. Know the time frame. The reproductive cycle of a female cat is, on average, 21 days. Of these three weeks, expect her to spend as many as seven days in heat.[1]

Tips

  • Keep your cat indoors and away from any potential mates when she is in heat, unless you want kittens.
  • Cats normally remain in heat for four to seven days.
  • Due to the immense issue of overpopulation resulting in countless homeless and euthanized cats each year, you should spay your cat unless you are a professional purebred cat breeder.
  • You can get your cat spayed at your local vet. Typically, it costs somewhere between $50-$150, depending on where you live and where you go to get her spayed.
  • If the female cat does not eat frequently and vomits the food out, take the cat to the vet as soon as possible.
  • You should always keep in mind that a cat has to be in a good mood before being in heat.
  • Check your young cat's teeth. If her teeth are in, it's fertile.

Warnings

  • It is not normal for a female cat to have a vaginal discharge during estrus, so if you notice either blood or a yellow-green discharge while your cat is in heat, contact your veterinarian immediately.[1]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Reproduction in the Dog & Cat. Christiansen. Publisher: Bailliere Tindall.
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