How long does a cat go into heat? Anestria, acyclia and other disorders. Cat behavior during heat

Characteristic features estrus in a cat indicates that the animal is ready to conceive and bear offspring.

Felines are polycyclic animals, which suggests that the period of readiness of a cat for fertilization occurs several times throughout the year. During 1 season, the female has several sexual cycles. Most often, the sexual hunting season for females begins at the beginning of the year, in January, and ends by the end of summer or the beginning of autumn. In some cases, there are females that are capable of fertilization periodically throughout the calendar year. The only period when estrus does not occur in such animals is the period of feeding kittens with milk. The return to normal behavior occurs 1 week after weaning the kittens from the cat.

The first estrus in the female comes, like in all other mammals, after she reaches sexual maturity and is ready to breed.

Attention! Usually sexual maturity in females occurs in the period from 7 to 10 months after birth, however, the physiological maturation of the female occurs in the period from 12 to 14 months.

The time of the first estrus, as well as the regularity of subsequent ones, depends on a large number factors. The breed of the animal affects the time of the onset of sexual hunting. In breeds bred in the East, the estrus period occurs more often than in cats bred in other regions.

Factors affecting the first oestrus in the female, and signs of the onset of the estrus period

The main factors affecting the onset of the hunting period in females are:

Breed.
Season.
The presence of a male in close proximity.
Cat sizes.

Most often, a cat hunt occurs three times a year. Duration different breeds is different amount days, in most animals it lasts about 2 weeks. Violations of the schedule and process in females are observed in the event of a hormonal imbalance.

The main signs of the first estrus in a female are as follows:

The females are excited.
There is restless behavior.
Contact with a cat has an exciting effect on it.

In addition, when determining the first estrus in a cat, you should pay attention Special attention for the following signs:

The genitals before the start of the hunting period in the animal increase, and transparent, non-abundant secretions appear from them, which the animal can inherit indoors.
The process of urination becomes more frequent than during normal periods of life.
Females become tender, begin to rub against everything. Cats can roll on the floor and wriggle their bodies. In some cases, females may increase aggressiveness.
IN rare cases females have a violation of appetite, they eat less and less often during this period.
The cat strives to run away from home, using every opportunity.
The female emits a plaintive meow and calls the cat.

The cat can arch its back, lie down on the floor, and take the tail to the side.

How is estrus in cats?

The period of sexual hunting in a cat is divided into 4 stages:

proestrus;
estrus;
metestrus;
anestrus.

Each of these stages differs in the behavior of the cat and the state of its body.

Proestrus is First stage the period of sexual desire in the female. The duration of this stage can vary from 1 to 4 days. This period is characterized by more or less calm behavior of the pet and some increase in affection. The appetite of the animal is preserved, and in some cases may even increase. Sometimes the cat makes quiet throat sounds. During this period, there is gradual increase external genital organs, and the formation and excretion of clear slime from the genitals. At this stage, the cat does not allow a single cat to approach her.

Estrus is the second stage of the sexual desire period. Duration can vary from 1 to 1.5 weeks. This period is directly in heat itself. It is during this period that the female becomes affectionate and wriggles, begins to meow loudly, calling the cat to her. If a cat is stroked in the region of the sacrum, then it, bending, assumes a pose characteristic of the mating process. Optimal time for mating - from 3 to 5 days of estrus.

Metestrus is the stage of the estrus period, in which sex drive females. The duration of this stage is from 3 to 12 days. If fertilization is carried out at the stage of estrus, then at the stage of metestrus, the cat begins to show aggression towards cats. There are cases when cats develop a false pregnancy. This condition is accompanied by all the signs of a true pregnancy, except that such a pregnancy cannot end in delivery. Most often, with a false pregnancy, all signs disappear, 1.5 months after the cat's estrus ends. In the event that the female was fertilized at the previous stage, after 60-70 days the cat gives birth.

Anestrus is the 4th stage of estrus. This stage occurs if the female is not fertilized. During this period, the cat gradually calms down and returns to normal life.

How to calm a cat during estrus?

When the first signs of estrus appear in a cat, if you do not plan to have offspring from a cat, you need to take some measures in order to calm the animal and bring it back to normal.

In order to calm the cat during this period, it should be given more attention. To do this, you should take it more in your arms, stroke it. In this way, it is possible to calm the animal and remove psychological stress.

To reduce the psychological stress in the animal, you should play with it. For the game, it is better to choose a new toy that may interest the animal. When playing with a new toy, the cat will start jumping and running around the room in which she lives, which will allow her to free herself. a large number of internal energy.

During this period, the cat should be fed less. Very often, veterinarians recommend not to feed the cat during the day, but to give her a small amount of food for the night. It should be remembered that the water in the drinking bowl of the animal must be constantly and in the required amount.

Attention! When signs of the first estrus appear in a female, she should be isolated in a separate room for several days, which will reduce her mating cries.

When isolating a cat in separate room we must not forget that the animal should have plenty of water, in addition, a comfortable bed should be organized for the cat.

The use of homeopathy helps some females cope with the changes taking place at this time in their body. Before using these drugs, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian so as not to harm the health of the animal.

How to solve the problem of estrus in a female cat?

As soon as the female cat reaches puberty, the question immediately arises how to solve this problem. There are several methods for solving this problem.

These methods are as follows:

An operation to sterilize an animal. The operation to sterilize the animal involves the removal of the female's uterus with ovaries. As a result of such surgical intervention the female generally loses attraction, and signs of estrus in the cat are not observed.
The implementation of the mating of the female with the male. The purpose of this procedure is to carry out the mating of a cat with a cat during the onset of estrus. After mating, the cat necessarily calms down. However, the owner of the animal should be clearly aware that frequent pregnancies and childbirth in a female can provoke the development serious illnesses. In addition, frequent pregnancies lead to physical and emotional exhaustion in the animal.
Use at the time of estrus hormonal drugs. The use of these drugs allows you to stop the onset of estrus in an animal. Such drugs can be bought at a veterinary pharmacy. They are allowed to be used 1-2 times a year. As a result of the use of hormonal drugs, disturbances in the functioning of the animal's body may occur. Frequent use hormone-based drugs can cause a cat to develop tumors of the ovaries and uterus.
The use of sedatives medical devices. Use during estrus in female lung herbal infusions helps to alleviate the condition of the animal. These drugs include, for example, Kot-Bayun and Bach Drops. It should be noted that this method is not always effective.

What to do if you plan to get offspring from a female?

Owners purebred cats most often they keep females in order to obtain offspring both for sale and for their own pleasure. Therefore, they need to know exactly when it is time to inseminate the female. For this purpose, you need to be able to accurately determine the time of estrus in the female.

For animal breeders who do not have enough experience to determine the signs of estrus in a cat, it can be recommended to look at specialized sites dedicated to caring for cats with photos and videos that demonstrate the behavior of a female during estrus.

Attention! If you want to get offspring from a female, you should remember that optimal timing insemination are the first and second days after the start of the period of sexual hunting.

A female should be mated with a male 2-3 times, while the interval between mating should be 12-14 hours. If you comply with all these requirements, then the chance of obtaining offspring increases several times.

Purebred cat owners should be aware that cats reach sexual maturity between 4 and 6 months of age, however early pregnancy for the animal is undesirable, since the animal during this period has not reached full physiological maturity, and its body is still developing. Full physiological maturity of the female occurs one year after birth.

Signs of estrus in a cat and what should the owner do during this period? was last modified: September 2nd, 2016 by Ekaterina Efimova

If you love pets and you have a cat of any breed at home, then read our article. Perhaps it will be useful for you. In it, we will describe the signs of estrus in a cat, and also talk about how to find out about the beginning of estrus and what are the signs of the first estrus in a cat.

So, your young kitty keeps you awake at night, she has become very restless, constantly meows and behaves differently than usual? This may indicate that she has sexual arousal.

Features of puberty and its signs

The time when a cat's first estrus begins is individual, but in most cases it occurs in the sixth to eighth month of life. This means that the animal has reached puberty, that is, it can give birth to offspring. Note that different cat breeds have different age at which they reach puberty.. That is why you should find out the date of birth of the kitten you are adopting. This will help you more accurately understand that the cat is in heat. And this will happen for the first time when the pet is not even a year old.

If a cat, due to the characteristics of its body, after reaching puberty can mate on any day, then with females the situation is different. The time of their mating is limited by the period of sexual desire and is three to ten days. This is how long the average estrus in cats lasts.

As you can see, the reproductive stage of life in these domestic animals begins quite early, and lasts quite a long time, up to about eight years. Sexual activity of cats does not depend on the length of the day, season. This is especially true for those animals that live permanently at home. Most actively cats walk at the end of winter - at the beginning of spring. If the female does not become pregnant, then estrus can last as long as you like, repeating in half a month.

About how this estrus "looks"

To understand that the reason for the change in the behavior of a cat is estrus, it is necessary to know the symptoms of estrus in a cat. Now we will call you some bright signs estrus.

the first sign is enlargement of the genitals, from which you can observe small colorless discharge, which your pet can inherit.
the second sign is frequent urination .
the cat often licks itself.
appetite changes- the animal begins to eat less than usual.
increases affection- the cat becomes very kind to everyone, she constantly rubs against everything and everyone, from the owners to the door jamb or the leg of the chair. Some individuals, on the contrary, may become overly aggressive, start scratching or biting.
Cat in heat tries to leave the house by any means to get outside (therefore, if you don’t want your pet to end up on the street when he sees signs of estrus, close all windows and doors in the house well).
The behavior of a cat during estrus suggests the presence of a long pitiful meow. Thus, she calls the male.
Pet starts squirming, arching the back, trampling with the hind legs and removing the tail on its side.

If you have identified these signs and symptoms of heat in a cat, you should take into account that she needs to walk and take appropriate measures.

Stages

Sexual arousal in a cat goes through several stages:

proestrus;
estrus;
metestrus;
anestrus.

Let us consider in more detail these phases and their features.

The first stage is called proestrus.. This is a period that lasts from one to four days. During this period, the animal behaves more or less calmly. You will notice that your pet has become more affectionate and all the time, as it were, begging to be stroked. The cat eats well, maybe even more than usual. Another sign that will indicate the beginning of estrus is quiet extended sounds. The genitals of the animal "swell", increase in size. The first clear discharge appears.

But at this stage, you should not take the cat to the cat, as she will not let him near her yet. For mating, expect the following signs of estrus in the kitty.

The second phase is called estrus.. In different breeds of animals, it lasts different time. But often estrus passes in one to one and a half weeks. The signs of estrus in a cat in the estrus phase are the most striking, because this stage, in fact, is the estrus itself.

So, what happens to a cat when the estrus phase begins, what are its signs? The behavior of the cat changes dramatically. She literally “gets kinder before her eyes”, that is, she begins to wriggle, meow very loudly, roll on the floor. Stroking the animal on the bottom of the back, you will see that it will stand in a position characteristic of mating, the tail will turn on its side. There is no need to worry about the pet, everything is fine with her. This behavior is inherent in nature itself and is absolutely natural.

If you notice signs of estrus and want to have kittens, then use this period for mating. The most optimal period for mating is around the third or fifth day of estrus. Therefore, having noticed its signs, look for a cat for mating.

After a pronounced estrus, the third stage begins - metestrus. At this time, the cat's sexual desire decreases. This phase lasts from three to twelve days. If during the previous stage she became pregnant, now the cat will no longer be allowed to approach her.

Results

In the event that fertilization has not occurred, the development of the so-called false pregnancy is possible.. Its symptoms are very similar to real pregnancy, so it is sometimes difficult to determine it. Often, only the sign that a false pregnancy does not end in childbirth helps to do this. And they occur approximately sixty to seventy days after conception.

Last final stage is anestrus. It occurs if the cat has not become pregnant. During anestrus, the animal gradually and completely calms down and begins to live its normal life.

Ways out of the situation

If you do not want your pet to go into heat every month, you should think about solving this problem. There are several ways out of this situation..

arrange a meeting with the cat (the cat will become pregnant and sexual arousal will stop);
castration (this radical way, having resorted to it, you will not be able to change anything later. Therefore, before taking the animal to veterinary clinic to carry out the operation, think several times, because your porridge will never again be able to have offspring and will receive a lot of stress);
use drugs that regulate sexual hunting pet. These are sold in pet stores, and ask your veterinarian about which one is best for your pet).

So, we have examined the causes of estrus in a cat, we have described the main symptoms and signs of this process. We hope you learned something useful from our article.

Puberty in cats occurs at the age of 7-10 months. A sign that the animals are ready to mate and bear offspring is estrus. During this natural process pets bleeding are not observed. Estrus in cats is accompanied by a change in behavior.

The estrous cycle: what is it?

This term is used by veterinarians to refer to the physiological changes that occur during the reproductive cycle in animals. The estrous cycle is usually divided into several stages:

proestrus (forerunner);
estrus;
metestrus;
anestrus.

Proestrus is the first period of estrus in a cat. Its duration is from 1 to 4 days. At this time, the behavior changes slightly. The pet becomes more affectionate, comes to the owners to be stroked, or rolls on the floor. The first discharge appears, but despite this, she does not allow cats to approach her.

Estrus is the second stage of the estrous cycle. It is impossible to say exactly how long this period lasts, because for each cat its duration is individual (from 1 to 1.5 weeks). You can determine the onset of estrus by the behavior of the animal.

A cat during estrus becomes inadequate. The sounds she makes can be described as a howl. Another sign of the onset of estrus is the posture that the animal takes at the moment when it is stroked. The cat presses the front half of the body to the floor, lifts the back, and takes the tail to the side. She has clear discharge.

When the cat's sexual arousal begins to subside, metestrus (post-estrus) occurs. The duration of the period is from 2 to 19 days. As a rule, cats become pregnant during metestrus. The pet begins to show aggression towards cats. In some cases, metestrus ends with the development of a false pregnancy.

The final period of the estrous cycle is called anestrus (between oestrus). The cat's behavior is back to normal. She calms down, begins to eat normally, returns to the usual rhythm of life. In the absence of pregnancy, estrus resumes after a certain period of time.

How to find out about the beginning of estrus?

It is not difficult to determine the beginning of this period in an animal. You just need to pay attention to his behavior. Some cats during this period behave aggressively and restlessly. They rush around the corners, do not find a place for themselves. Someone shits in housing, marks objects.

The following symptoms of estrus are the main ones:

the animal makes lingering and plaintive sounds;
rubs against various objects;
stops eating;
often licks the genitals due to the fact that discharge appears;
trying to escape from housing;
bends posture, lying on the floor.

During this period, it is recommended to keep the cat in indoors. It is necessary to ensure that she does not get out into the street through the doors and windows of an apartment or house. The animal can get lost or injured when jumping out of a window and falling from a height.

Frequency of estrus

As a rule, estrus in an animal ends with the onset of pregnancy. The period of bearing offspring lasts about 2-2.5 months. At this time, the animal has no estrus. They begin after the birth of kittens in 3-3.5 months. If the offspring is born dead, then estrus begins earlier.

If pregnancy does not occur in a cat, then the intervals between estrus range from 1 to 3 weeks. In some animals they begin earlier, in others later. When cats go into heat and how long it lasts depends on a number of factors:

physiological features;
season (sexual activity in cats increases with the onset of spring);
features of living conditions;
breeds (in Siamese and Persian individuals it happens more often than in Scottish pets or representatives of the British breed).

What can be done to stop leaks?

It is possible to prevent estrus in animals if sterilization is done. This procedure involves removing reproductive organs. Sterilization not only eliminates the problems associated with this process, but also prevents the development of dangerous diseases (pyometra, cancer of the mammary glands, ovaries and uterus). Many are interested in whether it is possible to sterilize a cat during estrus. Veterinarians answer that this is not a contraindication.

Sterilization is not the only way. Another option is mating with a cat. Mating will lead to pregnancy. As a result, the signs of estrus will disappear. However, they will reappear, but after childbirth. Mating with a cat is a temporary measure.

You can also eliminate the signs thanks to hormonal drugs (for example, contrasex, pillkan). They can be bought at veterinary pharmacies. Experts do not recommend giving hormones to pets often. Preparations should be used no more than 1-2 times a year.

How to calm a cat during heat actual question for pet owners. In order to alleviate the condition of the animal, you can buy the following tools:

Cat Baiyun. This drug, designed to correct the behavior of pets, is available in the form of tablets. Drops can also be found on sale. The drug is absolutely safe for animals. The funds include natural ingredients(oregano, valerian, sweet clover, thyme, St. John's wort, lemon balm, peony roots).
Phospasim. You can give injections or give drops. The medicine can alleviate the psychological and emotional condition cats. The substances that make up fospasim do not accumulate in the body. Thus, the drug does not have a negative effect.
Bach drops. This product contains no artificial additives. The drug calms the animal without oppressing nervous system. The drops have no hypnotic effect.

Any remedy and injection from the above drugs calms the cat, but does not help stop estrus.

What should cat owners beware of?

If the animal has signs of estrus, then you should not stuff it with hormonal drugs. These funds are effective. However, they cannot be ignored negative impact. Due to the use of drugs, it is often disturbed hormonal background, and this in turn leads to the formation of tumors of the uterus and ovaries at any age.

The first estrus in cats can begin at 7 months. In some animals, this process occurs much later. In any case, do not introduce the cat to the cat too early. At a young age, the pet's body is not yet fully formed. It happens that early pregnancy leads to complications.

The disgusting behavior of a cat during this period can annoy any person. But it is impossible to beat a pet and yell at him because he meows loudly or marks housing. He cannot control himself during this period, but he still feels guilty. If the owner constantly screams, the animal will receive irreparable psychological trauma.

Estrus violations

In some animals, estrus symptoms are not observed. Veterinarians refer to this condition as "anaphrodisia". The disease is treated with hormones (folliculin, estrone and hCG). The injection is administered intramuscularly. Approximately 1-2 weeks after the first injection, the pets are in heat.

Protracted estrus is another disorder that can be detected in a cat at any age. It is characterized by an increase in the duration of estrus (over 21 days). To determine the cause, specialists conduct diagnostics in order to exclude ovarian pathology. Treatment to alleviate the condition of the pet is that an injection is given, and gestagens and estrogens are injected subcutaneously.

Without reproductive function no species on earth can survive. Cat owners, especially those involved in breeding work, should know physiological features reproductive function of their animals.

Puberty of a cat

Sexual maturity is the ability of an animal to produce offspring. Puberty in cats is characterized by the formation of eggs in the ovaries and the manifestation of sexual cycles. With the onset of puberty, ovogenesis in a cat continues throughout the reproductive life of the animal.

During puberty, a complex morphological and functional reorganization occurs in the cat's body, leading to a new physiological state. Under the influence of sex hormones, a cat develops not only reproductive system but also the mammary gland.

Puberty in a cat always manifests itself earlier than the main growth and development of the animal ends. Therefore, the onset of puberty does not yet indicate the readiness of the cat's body to reproduce offspring.

Puberty depending on the conditions of detention, feeding, breed, climatic conditions comes 6-8 months, in large and long-haired breeds (Persians, Maine Coons) maturation begins at the age of 9-12 months.

Cat owners need to keep in mind that after the onset of puberty, the cat is not yet ready for the full reproduction of offspring. If you mate your cat in the first estrus, when the cat's body is not yet ready for bearing kittens, this will cause a number of problems with her health.

Physiological maturity in a cat usually occurs at the age of 14-15 months.

Therefore, for reproduction, cats that have reached physiological maturity should be used. During this time, cats, as a rule, have two empty spaces. Knitting is recommended to be carried out in the second or third emptying. Cat owners need to keep in mind that delaying the period of insemination of a cat after the onset of maturity is harmful, as this leads to disruption of neurohumoral regulation, obesity ( , ), decreased sexual function, and sometimes infertility.

Species feature of the sexual cycle in a cat

Cats are polycyclic animals with a sexual season and reflex (induced by sexual intercourse) ovulation. The cat allows sexual intercourse only in the stage of excitement. The sexual season in our conditions in cats lasts from the end of January to September, sometimes until November. At the same time, the timing of the sexual cycle and the duration of the sexual cycles in cats depend on the breed, conditions environment, individual characteristics, communication with relatives and other factors. In cats living in city apartments, under the influence of artificial lighting, sexual cycles can be repeated almost throughout the year, especially in short-haired breeds (Siamese).

The duration of the individual stages of the sexual cycle, except for the balancing stage, depends entirely on ovulation. Anovulatory sexual cycle lasts 2-3 weeks, ovulatory - 6 weeks (30-75 days). After birth in lactating cats, the first sexual cycle can occur on the 7-10th day, in some cats and on the 2nd day of lactation. However, in most cats, estrous cycles resume 7-8 days after weaning or 4-6 weeks of age. In the event that the owners of the animal carry out the weaning of kittens in the first 24 hours after birth, then the cat can come into hunting in 2-3 weeks.

The estrous cycle in a cat

Under the estrous cycle in a cat, experts designate physiological changes occurring during the reproductive cycle. The estrous cycle itself is divided into several stages:

Preestrus (forerunner).
Estrus.
Metestrus.
Anestrus.

predestru with a cat precedes the onset of estrus and lasts 1-3 days with little pronounced signs of estrus. Unlike dogs bloody issues do not appear in cats, we note frequent urination. The cat strives to be picked up, caressed. Despite the fact that the cat has a slight discharge, the cat does not allow cats to approach her.

estrus is the second stage of the estrous cycle. The cat appears excited with the phenomena of estrus and hunting, in some cats it is accompanied by such strong arousal that the owners involuntarily have a suspicion of rabies in cats (). The cat refuses to eat, makes piercing cries - a wild meow, bends its back, rolls on the floor, rubs its head and neck on the floor, the ground, takes its tail to the side, strives for the cat and allows it to sit. The stage of excitation lasts for a cat on average 7-10 days (5-14 days in spring and 1-6 days in other periods of the year).

Metestrus(post-flow). The duration of this period is from 2 to 19 days. As a rule, as a result of mating with a cat, a cat becomes pregnant during metestrus (), the cat begins to be aggressive towards cats. In some cases, metestrus in a cat ends with a false pregnancy. At the same time, after a false pregnancy, the next sexual cycle in a cat occurs in 7-8 days.

Anestrus(interestia) is the final period of the estrous cycle. In anestrus, the cat's behavior returns to normal. The cat calms down and starts behaving normally

What you need to do to calm down the cat during estrus

The period when a cat starts estrus causes a lot of inconvenience to all residents of the apartment, as a result of the loud cry of an excited cat, her marks, attempts to escape from the apartment, etc.

Cat owners should be aware that heat is natural. physiological process, hormone-regulated, which cannot be corrected by natural educational measures in relation to your pet.

To date, veterinary specialists offer to solve the problem of estrus in a cat in the following ways:

Knitting with a cat. After mating with a cat, you will need to think about what you will do after birth with kittens, whether you can put everyone in good hands.
Castration of a cat. Is in surgical removal ovarian or ligation fallopian tubes. For more information about all aspects related to castration of a cat, see our articles -,.
The use of drugs that regulate sexual desire in cats.
The cat can be calmed by the use of hormonal drugs - contrasex, pillkan. Use these hormonal drugs should be no more than 1-2 times a year.

In order to alleviate the condition of the cat during estrus, sedatives are used:

Suprastin - ¼ tablet per 5 kg of body weight once a day for 3 days.
Drops - valerian - 3-5 drops at bedtime; fospasim -10-15 drops 2 times a day; motherwort - 3-5 drops of decoction in the morning and evening; "Cat Bayun" at a dose of 2 ml 20 minutes before meals or one hour after meals, 3-4 times a day"; "Stop Stress" at a dose of 1 drop per kilogram of live weight twice a day, the course of treatment is 2 weeks.

When using hormonal drugs, the hormonal background of a cat can be disrupted, which is fraught with the formation of tumors of the uterus and ovaries ().

No estrus in a cat

The complete or temporary absence of estrus (estrus) affects general state health and can lead to various diseases. A cat may not be in heat:

When the glands fail internal secretion, including diseases thyroid gland(hypothyroidism).
Congenital absence of ovaries or their hypofunction.
Hermaphroditism - when testicles are found in a cat instead of ovaries.
Pedigree features of a cat.
Diseases of the ovaries (cystic, neoplasms).
Isolation - When a cat has grown up in an apartment without other cats, she may not want a cat.

A cat's estrus gives the owners of the animal a lot of trouble: the pet does not let you sleep at night, marks the apartment, tries to run out into the street. This behavior can be avoided by using a new generation of estrus regulation drug "SEX BARRIER".

Procreation is an instinctive process that is inherent in all living beings. Without reproduction and procreation, life in this world would cease. But what to do when nature takes its toll, and a beloved cat goes into heat, is she ready to “give concerts” in the apartment all night long, disturbing all household members?

Puberty of cats. How many days does the estrus last

A cat's estrus begins when the animal becomes sexually mature and ready to produce offspring on its own. Characteristics of different breeds of cats different dates puberty, so it is important for owners and breeders to know the exact date the birth of a pet.

The first signs of estrus in domestic cats appear at the age of 6-8 months. A puberty males occurs at 8–10 months. After its onset, the cat shows a constant readiness for mating, while in a cat it is limited by the time of estrus - 3-10 days.

Thus, cats are very early ready for the reproduction of offspring and retain this ability until old age, at least up to 8 years.

Sexual activity of cats does not depend on seasonality and length daylight hours. Domestic cats can walk at any time of the year. The peak of activity is observed in February-March, if pregnancy does not occur, the cat's estrus can be repeated every two weeks.

Stages and signs of estrus in cats

Proestrus

The first stage of estrus lasts approximately 1-3 days. This period is characterized by the cat's restless behavior: it begins to rub against the owner's legs, slowly walks around with bent knees.

The estrus itself, the stage of sexual susceptibility. This period lasts 7-10 days. For successful mating the cat must be brought together with the cat from the third to the fifth days of estrus.

During the period of sexual hunting, the cat indefatigably demands a cat: it screams, pursues the owner everywhere, falls to the floor and bends, rubs against interior items, leaves marks, and may refuse to eat. However, signs of estrus can manifest themselves in completely different ways depending on the temperament and breed of a particular cat. One cat can constantly emit loud piercing cries, rub its head and neck on the floor, and the other, on the contrary, can lie spread out for days on end, suffer silently, and only occasionally give a voice, thereby causing everyone's attention to it. But both those and others during this period become more affectionate and importunate.

A cat during estrus reacts in a special way to strokes: it crouches on the floor with the front part of the body, raises the back and takes the tail to the side. Such actions should not come as a surprise to the owner of the animal, since they are natural and serve to attract the cat. Also in a cat during this period, you can notice the swelling of the genital organs (vulva).

To find a mating partner, cats search for each other using acoustic means (voice) and smell: both partners excrete in the urine from glands in anus strongly smelling substances (special secret).

At the peak of estrus, the cat often begins to meow in such a way that it seems to be suffering from severe pain. It is these piercing cries that attract the attention of all the cats in the area, in turn, causing great inconvenience to the owners.

Metestrus (or interestrus)

The third stage lasts an average of 2 to 10 days. If sexual intercourse and ovulation have already occurred at the stage of estrus, then the sexual instinct in the cat fades. On this stage She will treat cats already with aggression.

At the very beginning of this stage, the gonads of the cat can still secrete a specific secret, but by the end of metestrus this passes.

In the absence of ovulation during estrus, a cat can develop a false pregnancy, but this happens quite rarely. The animal shows all the signs normal pregnancy but no embryo.

With a false pregnancy, cats gain weight, prepare a shelter (nest), sometimes they even have milk. The causes of false pregnancy are purely physiological factors which are not pathological. false pregnancy can last 35-45 days, and during this period it is necessary to reduce the diet, reduce the amount of water, increase the walk of the animal.

Anestrus

The fourth stage, the stage of sexual dormancy of the cat. During this period, the cat calms down more and more and begins to live its former life.

Solving the problem of sexual hunting in cats

Estrus in domestic cats gives the owners great trouble. The owners suffer from loud "meows", marking the territory, attempts to break out into the street.

There are several ways to solve this problem, the main ones.