Why does a cat mark its territory during heat and what to do about it?

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Cats mark their possessions in much the same way as male cats. Many owners have encountered the problem of a cat marking during heat. The main difference is that to leave a mark, females can begin to shit, scattering excrement. Cats also mark their territory more frequently. This is due to the fact that they are very sensitive to odors and they must be sure to prevent the presence of foreign odors from other animals.

How to calm a cat during heat

What to do with a cat during heat? Provide load. Play active games with her that would distract her from searching for a male. In addition, if the cat gets tired, it will sleep at night and not scream wildly. For the same reason, do not allow the animal to sleep a lot during the day.

Be affectionate with your pet, pay attention to it - pick it up more often, talk to it, pet it. These actions will not muffle the sexual instinct, but the baby will be less nervous.

What to give a cat when she's in heat

To calm the predator, you can give the cat a sedative during heat (Cat Bayun, Stop-Stress, Anti-Stress, Fitex). Check with your doctor about the best medications to give to correct the behavior of cats. Give preference to plant-based potash. They act gently, without addiction.

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Hormonal medications can only be given on the recommendation of a doctor. They are prescribed as a last resort if the pet has a very hard time. The owner must strictly follow all the doctor’s instructions, otherwise disruptions in the functioning of the endocrine system and other complications are possible.

What should pet owners do?

In order for your pet to calm down, you need to consult a specialist to select therapy.

We invite you to read: Sterilization of cats during estrus, what dangers exist

Today in pharmacies there is a large selection of medicines based on medicinal plants that help cope with the problem. Based on the examination results, the veterinarian will recommend the correct remedy for the animal. Fortunately, these drugs do not cause serious side effects.

Most likely, just be patient. Gradually the cat will calm down, nothing bad will happen to it. But what you definitely can’t do is give your pet hormonal sedatives, like Sex Barrier and similar drugs. The problem is that their long-term use during the action of animal hormones remaining in the blood is a sure path to the development of cancer.

To make your cat calmer, you can take the following actions:

It is necessary to consult a veterinarian. There are many natural herbal sedatives on the market today. A specialist, guided by the information obtained after examining the animal, will help you choose the most effective one. Such medications are safe and their use does not pose any consequences in the future.

We recommend gradually reducing your caloric intake. The less excess energy there is in the animal’s body, the calmer it will be. In addition, with a balanced diet, the risk of gradual obesity of the sterilized animal goes away.

During agitation, it is advisable to isolate the cat in a separate room. Minimizing stress is a good way to calm your pet without resorting to other methods (including medications).

When do cats go into heat and how often?

After estrus begins for the first time, the months must be counted based on the appearance of the first symptoms. How many times do cats go into heat? On average, it happens every 3 months. Thus, the answer to the question of how many times a cat goes into heat per year is 4 estrus periods. But every rule has an exception. For some pets it happens once a month, for others - once every six months.

How often cats go into heat depends on various factors. If the pet has given birth, estrus will begin in 4-6 months. If the offspring died or the kittens were taken prematurely, the estrus will occur earlier.

Over the years, the time between heats may increase, or less often, it may decrease. The season also influences the appearance of estrus. Street animals become more excitable in early spring and autumn, while in winter they are silent. As for domestic animals, they do not depend on the time of year; the season does not affect the desire to mate.

To sterilize or not?

Sterilizing a cat is a cardinal method of solving a problem. Sterilizing a cat is a cardinal method of solving a problem.
Before you decide to have surgery, you need to think it over carefully. Doctors recommend that the procedure be carried out as early as possible for the health of the pet. A cat at a young age tolerates anesthesia more easily. But the owner must remember that the operation changes the pet’s body irrevocably. This means that if you want to get offspring, there will be no opportunity for this.

At the same time, long-term abstinence for a cat is severe stress, which, in addition to nervous disorders, also leads to diseases of the reproductive organs. An unsterilized cat often suffers from ovarian cysts, purulent inflammation of the uterus, hormonal disorders, and tumors of the mammary glands.

Professional veterinary specialists agree that if you do not want to produce offspring from a cat in the future, then it is better to sterilize the pet. This will relieve the animal from stress during the hunting period, and will bring relief to the owner.

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Compared to other methods of controlling feline sexual activity, neutering has both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of sterilization:

Solving the problem once and for all. This is actually a disadvantage too, since at one moment the owner may regret that the animal is not able to become pregnant.
Efficiency 100%. Drops and tablets, even hormonal ones, may not work. It's very individual. The operation will give the desired result, without a doubt.
The operation is safe. It is performed through a small incision on the side of the torso.

But the operation also has disadvantages:

It takes time to recover. This is an abdominal operation that is performed under general anesthesia. After it, the cat may feel unwell for some time and be lethargic. The animal should not be fed for several hours before surgery.
The operation costs money. Some owners find it cheaper to purchase drops or tablets once a month.
Inability to obtain desired offspring in the future.
Irreversible changes in the cat's body. Hormonal changes can cause your pet to become lethargic, less mobile, and have a tendency to gain weight. By organizing proper nutrition, the risks of disease are significantly reduced.

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If your pet is fed prepared specialized food, then after sterilization you should purchase food for sterilized cats.

How to punish a cat

Hitting and poking with the muzzle are ineffective, although common methods. Often they lead to the exact opposite result, because an angry animal begins to “mark” more and more inappropriate places with excrement, for example, the carpet, sink, bathtub.

If you need to punish a cat, you will have to do the following:

Apply punishment only at the moment when the cat is caught at the “scene of the crime,” and do not delay it for a while.
Punish until you achieve the desired result.
Consistency, don't make exceptions.
It is strictly forbidden to hit the animal with your hands, maximum with a rolled up newspaper.

Disease

The cat marks as if to spite its owner. They did everything to her: they scolded her, spanked her, and poked her nose. No, he doesn't understand. Runs away from the crime scene on half-bent legs, with blocked ears. But he continues to do his job.

Do not rush to scold your favorite. Perhaps the whole point is that the animal simply does not always have time to reach the tray. If a cat has cystitis or urolithiasis, punishment will not help. The animal must be treated; this is impossible to do at home. Therefore, you will have to take your pet, put it in a carrier and rush to the veterinarian. The faster, the better for everyone. Because only a specialist can determine the presence of diseases associated with the bladder.

Features of behavior

Females start asking for a cat at around 6-9 months of age, this will also depend on the breed. If during the period of heat the cat asks for a male, and you plan to breed kittens, it is better to postpone mating until at least one and a half years. At too early an age, up to a year, cats do not always manage to produce healthy offspring.

Those owners who have not had cats before should know some of the peculiarities of the onset of estrus. During this period, not only physical but also psychological changes occur in the animal. Characteristic features include the following:

The animal's behavior changes suspiciously. The pet can be overly affectionate or overly aggressive.
“Cat songs” last a very long time and do not stop even at night. All this is accompanied by a loud, inviting meow.
Urination becomes more frequent.
The gait becomes unnatural: paws are bent and the tail is raised up.
Appetite decreases.
The pet begins to lick the genitals more often (due to discharge).
The animal may begin to mark its territory; sometimes the cat shits during heat, including on the bed.

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It is worth noting that during heat, one or more of these signs may appear. This period rarely occurs without symptoms.

The emergence of aggressive behavior and its conditions of occurrence

The cat may begin to behave threateningly, hiss, and constantly make strange, unfounded sounds that sound like a scream. For a female, changing the room in which she is located is stressful and, in this case, the cat may not allow the cat to be mated to her. Therefore, when a cat is moved to another house with a cat, the female demonstrates aggressive behavior. Here you can only use special drops or spray to make the cat calm.

When mating, it is important to leave the cat and the cat in the same room for several days, where there are no people. This is due to the short time for animals to get used to each other, and even an inexperienced cat, the cat can be intimidated and nothing will work out for them

Reasons why mating may not work

A young and insecure cat. If the cat is not in its territory or is too young (1 year), then its behavior will be cautious and unsure. This can scare away the cat and nothing will come of it.
The cat did not find anything attractive in the “gentleman” and does not allow him to approach her. In this case, she takes a sideways position and begins to hiss; moreover, the process of hostility may be accompanied by attacking the partner.
Disease. Before mating, you need to take your cat to the veterinarian, since various diseases usually affect this process. Even a slight malaise can have a negative impact, and then the cat won’t let the cat in anywhere. Possible pain during the mating process in a cat can be caused by inflammation of the glands, which is why the cat will not let the cat near and may rush at him. In addition, there may be pain during the normal process of estrus.
The cat is not in heat or has already ended, which means the cat has not reached sexual maturity.
The cat must be well-fed, so leave food for both animals and trays (each with his own) in the room. And also don't forget about water. Hunger, like illness, has a negative effect on cat instincts. If your furry pet has experienced a lack of appetite or apathy for several days before making the decision to mate, then you need to cancel all plans to merge a cat and a male cat.
Another very important factor. It is necessary to take into account the age of the animals and their breed. Mating often does not work out if they differ at the genetic level, and then the cat may simply not allow the newly arrived cat to approach her.

How to stop a cat from marking in the apartment

The following techniques will help you get rid of a bad habit and teach your pet to be neat:

It is necessary to catch the animal in the act and punish it immediately. If you do this after a few minutes, it will not understand why it is being scolded.
If your pet marks in the corners, make these places less attractive. To do this, you can spray them with persistent perfume or lemon juice.
Give your cat medications during heat, but be sure to talk to your veterinarian first. Many drugs are strong and have side effects.
Periodically distract your pet with games, various activities and toys.

You can try spraying or spreading catnip around your apartment.

But the most important thing is to show patience and attention to the animal.

Use of specialized tools

Many owners use hormonal drugs to solve the problem, but experts have different views on this issue. Taking such compounds can lead to negative consequences. You can give them to your pet no more than twice a year. With more frequent use, the risk of developing malignant neoplasms and other inflammations of the genital organs increases.

If you decide to wean your cat off a bad habit using hormonal medications, be sure to consult your veterinarian. He will select the most suitable remedy, taking into account all the characteristics of the animal.

Will sterilization help if the cat is marking its territory?

One way to solve this unpleasant problem is to sterilize the animal. The appropriate age for this is the period before the onset of the first heat. This is approximately eight to twelve months. In this case, the cat must be physiologically ready, and only a specialist can confirm this after a thorough examination. During sterilization, the female's testicles and uterus are removed.

The pet needs to be prepared the day before surgery. The main recommendations are as follows:

do not feed the animal twelve hours before the procedure;
prepare specialized wound treatment products;
Perform general cleaning in the house to prevent infection.

One way to solve an unpleasant problem is to sterilize the animal.

Sterilization is performed by abdominal surgery through a small incision in the abdomen. The uterus and ovaries are removed using a scalpel, after which the wound is covered with stitches and a bandage. All manipulations last about thirty minutes. After them, it is advisable to take the animal home so that it calmly recovers from the anesthesia. When this happens, you can give your pet water. It is very important to follow all doctor’s orders and give your cat medications to avoid complications.

A sterilized cat should not mark. If this phenomenon is still observed, the cause may be a poorly performed operation, severe stress, or the presence of the odor of males. In rare cases, animals continue to mark territory out of habit.

Treatment method and prognosis

In case of involuntary urine discharge, complex treatment is carried out. The scheme is drawn up individually, depending on the cause of the pathology, age, and condition of the animal.

The main treatment methods include:

Antibiotic therapy. Relevant for identifying infections and bacteria in the genitourinary system. The drug is administered intramuscularly or intravenously.
The use of medications to normalize metabolic processes in the body.
Special diet (if the pet is overweight).
Antispasmodics and painkillers (for urolithiasis).
Drugs that strengthen the tone of the bladder walls and stimulate the activity of the sphincter.

The prognosis depends on the disease. So, if incontinence is associated with an infection in the body, then after appropriate treatment it goes away.

Unfortunately, in some cases it is no longer possible to get rid of this unpleasant disease. If the cat is old, then its weakened body cannot adequately respond to treatment. In addition, the tissues are not restored and rejuvenated, so urine will leak constantly and its volume will increase.

The only thing that remains for the owner to do is to come to terms with it and provide the pet with the most comfortable living conditions. You can place trays in different places in the apartment or put a diaper on the cat.

Use of folk remedies

In addition to store-bought remedies, folk remedies are used to accustom a kitten to the litter box and discourage it from its usual place.

A popular way to keep a cat away from a corner is to use citrus products. The shell of oranges and lemons, due to essential oils and other components, repels animals with its aroma. It is important to replace such a “repellent” in time so that it does not lose its smell and does not become a toy for the animal.

An animal should not be punished for using a corner as a toilet after it has done so. You need to scold your pet if you catch him at the crime scene. Then the cat will understand that this cannot be done.

Tray training is required for any animal taken into the home. This responsibility falls entirely on the owner.

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands never get bored!

Not one owner of a cute furry pet is immune from the appearance of an unpleasant “surprise”. The reasons for this behavior of a kitten or an adult cat may be different. The owner of the cute creature can only find the right solution and, using simple methods, wean the cat from shitting anywhere before it becomes a bad habit.

Causes related to hormone production

The body of any animal produces substances that regulate sexual behavior.

Many owners mistakenly believe that after the operation, sexual activity stops. The fact is that a certain amount of hormones remains in the pet’s blood and subcutaneous tissue for some time. Due to the effects of these substances, the cat asks for a male cat after sterilization.

The more adipose tissue the pet had at the time of surgery, the longer the signs of heat persist. There are cases when the female continued to scream throughout the year, demanding a male. Sometimes this phenomenon is explained by the presence of hormones in the tissues of the adrenal glands. Fortunately, the amount of these substances quickly dries up and sexual activity stops.

A change of scenery

Do cats mark territory? As we found out, yes. Moreover, they do this for reasons that the owner does not always pay attention to. Let's say that the house is being renovated. Everything changes: the usual wallpaper, furniture. For people this is joy, but for cats it is wild stress. So she begins to protest, expressing her protest with marks all over the house.

Or the owners had to move to a new place of residence along with their pet. It is possible that the cat will begin to mark corners in a new house or apartment. What is unimportant for the owners, the cat looks at it from a completely different angle.

Is the cat a sociopath?

In nature, felines live either alone or in small families. A family is not the same as a pack: it is a community of females united by kinship. Mature cats leave it. Different species may have different lifestyles, but in general the situation is the same. Accordingly, we need to understand: if we try to house several cats in one space, conflicts are almost inevitable. Cats don't need company. They are not bored with themselves. And if you have had a cat for a long time, and you suddenly decide to bring a kitten picked up on the street into your home, you should not be surprised that she will not share your impulse.

Aggression and conflicts between cats living in the same house are not always obvious to their owner. For example, our clients lived with a neutered cat for 10 years and a female cat that was later brought into the house. For all 10 years the cat was not seen or heard, the owners thought that she was wild. When the cat died due to age-related diseases, the cat was replaced. She turned out to be a cheerful, active, very affectionate party girl. She even took up hunting for the first time in 10 years! That is, all the previous time she was hiding so as not to conflict with the owner of the territory! Direct skirmishes and fights do not always occur between cats. This happens rarely; much more often, passive aggression is expressed in the form of marking the territory, which is so undesirable for the owners.

A cat leaves a scent to announce its presence and force competitors to keep their distance. Moreover, this behavior is not necessarily caused by hostile relations between the inhabitants of the apartment. It happens that the neighbors got a new animal, or someone came to them, and your cat begins to mark.

In unsterilized animals, this is associated with sexual behavior. Marks serve to attract a partner and scare away opponents. Castration eliminates this behavior in 90% of cases. Sometimes a cat marks to drown out unpleasant odors, for example, new furniture or household chemicals.

Experts confirm that cats may defecate inappropriately in stressful situations to relieve anxiety. The reason may be a rearrangement of furniture, the arrival of a new family member, a decrease in attention to the cat, or the owners going on vacation.

What to do if a cat marks in the apartment?

How to get rid of the problem once and for all? There is only one truly effective solution - castration, carried out before the onset of puberty. Yes, most owners are frightened by this option - how can you send an animal to such a barbaric and humiliating operation for it? However, the facts speak exclusively in favor of timely removal of the testes - and here are the advantages worth considering:

The first and most important thing is that the cat will stop marking its territory, ruining clothes and shoes, and leaving odorous marks on furniture. The second plus is that in the spring you will not be disturbed by the heartbreaking cries of a male trying to reason with his rival or call a female

The second plus is that in the spring you will not be disturbed by the heartbreaking cries of a male trying to reason with his rival or call a female.

The third advantage of this elective operation is the reduction in the level of aggression. A previously angry and irritable cat will become affectionate and obedient.

Veterinarians also point out that castrated animals live much longer than those whose owners, out of the kindness of their hearts, preserved their gonads. The pet's character changes for the better and remains playful and cheerful until old age.

Removing the testes is also a great way to protect your purr. Adult uncastrated cats have a high risk of developing tumors and prostate adenoma, and various infections. Agree, preventing their occurrence is much easier than treating your pet over and over again.

So, if you don’t intend to find a spouse for your Barsik or Boris, but the desire to live in a clean and comfortable house without odorous marks does not allow you to put up with the disgusting smell emanating from the carpet, linoleum, slippers and other things that catch the eye of the animal, there is only one way out – castration. This way you will save the cat from suffering when searching for a female and stop cleaning at the slightest provocation.

By the way, a similar operation exists for cats – this is sterilization. It helps get rid of most of the problems that owners of these graceful pets face during heat. You can read more about the need to remove the ovaries of a female and the rules for preparing for surgery here.

What can explain sexual desire after surgery?

Many cat owners decide to undergo a similar procedure for obvious reasons. Firstly, the sexual activity of animals is accompanied by loud screams that disturb the peace and sleep of the owners. Secondly, not all people enjoy the good emotions associated with the birth of babies. Having decided to undergo surgical intervention, many owners ask the question: “Does it happen that a cat asks for a cat after sterilization?” Unfortunately, such a situation is very likely. This happens for a number of reasons, the most common of which are:

Poor quality of surgical intervention.
Hormonal imbalances.
Features of the development of the gonads.

Signs of sexual activity are usually present in females who have undergone surgery in adulthood. Symptoms are evidence of changes in hormone balance. Some time after surgery, behavior characteristic of the estrus period is observed. Watching their pet, the owners begin to understand that the cat, after sterilization, asks for a cat.

In principle, there is nothing “supernatural” about this. The reason is the same why unsterilized pets are “thirsty” for cats: hormones. In vain, many owners who have nothing to do with veterinary medicine believe that after sterilization, these substances disappear from the animal’s body instantly.

This is impossible for purely physiological reasons:

Partial hormones always remain in the pet’s blood and plasma, and the “blood” reserves can last for a long time. For some cats, the process of hatching lasts for several months.

In addition, hormones accumulate intensively in subcutaneous tissue and other fat reserves in the cat’s body. The more well-fed the pet was at the time of sterilization, the longer it will show “echoes” of typical sexual behavior. There are cases when a cat, which was operated on a year ago, begins to scream from time to time, clearly demanding the presence of the cat. This doesn’t happen too often, but this phenomenon is also not unique.

Of course, residual hormones are an important, but still not the only predisposing factor in the “strange” behavior of operated cats.

There are other reasons, although they are not too varied:

Rarely, a kind of “replacement of functions” occurs in the body of the operated animal. The adrenal glands and other glands of a sterilized cat can also produce sex hormones. Even though the volumes of their synthesis are not so large, this amount is quite enough for the cat to start screaming and demanding “male attention.” True, in practice this phenomenon actually occurs infrequently, and the reserves of such hormones dry up relatively quickly. There simply aren’t enough of them for anything “serious.”

An “exotic” case – during a carelessly performed operation, an ovary may remain in the animal’s body. Sometimes, during sterilization, the ovaries are deliberately left altogether, only the uterus being removed. Note that in the case of deprivation of old animals, this is completely justified, since the sudden deprivation of their body of sources of hormones is too much stress, the consequences of which are difficult to predict.

Finally, some veterinarians and zoologists believe that animals are guided only by instincts. Recent research shows that these animals are individuals in the full sense of the word, and therefore they are not alien to habits, including those that may seem strange to us.

Simply put, screams that seem to indicate the cat’s desire, in fact, may simply be a “habit”, an echo of the cat’s usual behavior. You should not pay attention to this: over time, the pet will get used to the new role, calm down, and the screaming will stop by itself.

When, after sterilization, the pet continues to ask for a cat, the following behavioral characteristics are observed:

From time to time the animal seems to “wakes up” and begins to meow hoarsely, “invitingly”.

Periods of sexual arousal in sterilized cats do not last long, ending suddenly just as they began.

Another thing is much more unpleasant. The problem is that a sterilized cat often marks its territory, despite its “inferiority.” Alas, this habit remains with the pet for a long time, sometimes for the rest of its life.

We suggest you read: Microsporia in cats: treatment, symptoms, treatment at home Of course, you shouldn’t hope for its complete disappearance, but still, the stable amber gradually disappears (in about six months, sometimes it takes longer).

How can you help your pet during a difficult period?

Due to the fact that during estrus a cat marks especially strongly, this period is difficult for owners. It is worth noting that aggressive psychological influence on the animal: intimidation, screaming will not help in this situation . You should use all your patience, show affection and care. What can be done in this case?

You can try the following:

Do not raise your voice, talk to your pet calmly and affectionately, calm him down.
You can pat the animal on the head and gently scratch its belly (you cannot touch the tail).
To release excess energy, when the cat begins to mark, give her “tasks” from time to time. For example, catch or bring a toy.
You need to feed in small portions, but the amount of water should be sufficient, especially in hot, stuffy weather.
It is also permissible to bathe your pet in warm water, but there should be no drafts in the room.

Calming herbal preparations also help well. They are not addictive, so how often the animal likes to “walk” does not matter. For example, stress-relieving drugs: “Cat Bayun”, “Fitex”. You can also try catnip in bags or in spray form (spray or place in your pet’s favorite places).

Other tips

If after sterilization the cat begins to demand a cat, it is necessary to reduce the calorie content of its diet.

Eating nutritious food helps increase sexual performance. In addition, the operated pet is in great danger of gaining excess weight. To prevent the development of obesity, you should reduce portions of foods. The answer to the question of whether a cat can ask for a cat after sterilization is certainly positive. Sometimes owners have to give the animal drugs to stop sexual activity. However, in some cases, avoiding stress can help eliminate the symptoms of sexual desire without medication. It is better to place the female in a separate room. This will allow the animal to calm down.

Tag prevention

Owners are often stunned by the strange behavior of their charge. Panic from the series “the cat is marking its territory, what should I do?” - a popular request, since not all parents know about the physiological features of their pets. Hormonal surges force animals of both sexes to mark. Especially if people are not concerned about timely sterilization. Therefore, the best prevention of bad behavior is sufficient attention to equipment, which will ensure the most correct conditions of detention. And to eliminate a bad habit, you will need sensitivity, tolerance and attention to your cat. After all, we are the ones responsible for those we have tamed.