How to understand that a cat is asking for a cat: signs and manifestations

When choosing a pet, many people want to get a cat rather than a cat, associating this with the fact that there are fewer problems with a cat during puberty. There is also no need to further accommodate the born kittens. It is not difficult to understand that a cat is asking for a cat, since a male animal shows this very clearly. Not many people know that a cat can show a desire to mate all year round, and not just in the spring. It is worth remembering that once you show readiness to procreate, the cat cannot be re-educated.

Features of puberty

In cats, puberty occurs 7-8 months after birth. Due to the individual characteristics of each animal, the weather can change in one direction or another, so puberty in cats may occur a little later or a little earlier than expected.

In cats

During sexual activity, cats' bodies do not produce blood, so determining the beginning of this period is not always easy.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the behavior of the animal, and also from time to time check the mucous membrane of the genital organs, which will swell as soon as the hunt begins. In domestic cats, activity lasts about 5 days. The intervals between estrus can last from 15 days to a month.

Note! Descendants of cats that used to leave marks during sexual hunts will also do the same.

If fertilization occurs at the end of estrus, all its manifestations will disappear in the next 2 days. The cat's next heat will only be after 3 months, except in situations where the cat loses kittens during childbirth.

Ways to Prevent Cat Crying

If the cat is healthy and lives alone in the apartment, then you can prevent cat screams by following the advice of experienced breeders:

• castrate your pet - in the absence of testicles, testosterone is not produced, which means there is no sexual desire;
• breed a cat with a cat;
• give your pet more physical activity;
• not allowing you to sleep during the day - this suppresses the instincts of a nocturnal predator;
• arrange active games with the cat so that he sleeps at night like a baby;
• monitor your pet’s diet - the cat should receive selected foods and meat so as not to feel a deficiency of nutrients. The mustachioed man begins to become lazy, and his hunting instincts become dull.

What does it depend on

There are a number of factors that can speed up or slow down the process of a kitten becoming a sexually mature individual.

Cats and cats mature faster for the following reasons:

• Race. It has long been noted that kittens of oriental breeds (Siamese, Thai, Sphynx) enter puberty earlier.
• Body type. Fragile animals always grow up earlier.
• Season. If a cat is from 4 to 6 months old in the spring-summer period, it becomes quite mature sexually.
• Conditions of detention. Pets that receive proper nutrition and care tend to mature earlier than their cousins.
• Wednesday. Cats and cats kept in special nurseries, surrounded by individuals of both sexes, mature earlier than solitary animals living in city apartments.
• Genetic predisposition. If the mother's pregnancy occurs early, there is a high probability that this feature is inherited.

There are other factors that slow down age-related changes:

• Nutrition. If an animal constantly overeats, it will stay longer during childhood and adolescence.
• Race. Long-haired cats and cats (Persian, British, Maine Coon) mature later than short-haired brothers and sisters.

Don't rule out inheritance here.

Cat behavior

A fluffy and fluffy creature, the cat is a true symbol of homeliness.

We choose a kitten to suit your taste: large or miniature, smooth or fluffy - there are dozens of cat breeds.

They all look different. What unites them is that, having matured, cats invariably fight for freedom in search of love. This is especially noticeable in the spring. During heat, cats become different from themselves: they make guttural calls, call loudly to the cat, adopt typical mating positions, and roll around on the ground.

It is necessary to understand that this behavior is natural for pets during sexual activity and indicates the completion of the process of puberty in a young cat.

Below you will learn about puberty in cats, when a cat goes into heat for the first time, and how to make this period more comfortable for you and your pet.

Factors influencing puberty

Cats and cats reach sexual maturity at different ages. Sexual maturity in cats occurs later than in male cats, maturing with the first estrus, which begins at 5-6 months. But the timing of puberty can vary.

This depends on certain factors:

1. Belonging to the breed. Representatives of the eastern races: Siamese, Thai, Oriental, Burmese and St. Petersburg sphinxes are classified as precocious.
2. Skeletal structure. Slender, gracefully built cats and female cats enter sexual maturity earlier than their powerful counterparts.
3. Seasons. Kittens born in winter or spring enter sexual maturity in spring or summer, while later litters delay their maturation.
4. Conditions of detention. Compliance with the regime and quality of feeding, as well as comfort and convenience, accelerates the growth of the pet.
5. Habitat characteristics. Surrounded by adults (in a nursery or pack), young cats mature earlier than their comrades in city apartments.
6. Genetic predisposition.

If overfed and overweight, puberty in cats is delayed and can occur in one and a half to two years.

Signs

Males and female cats react differently to puberty. The females go into heat and become very tender and affectionate. He creeps up to you, looks into your eyes, meows loudly, raising his tail. It rubs against various objects and rolls on the ground.

Swollen gonads and discharge from them cause pain. He may scream loudly when he approaches the tray and even refuse to eat.

The cat constantly licks itself, mainly at night, and screams pitifully to its partner. The mating season lasts from 5 to 8 days.

If fertilization does not occur in all breeds, including British cats, symptoms and all signs may reappear every month.

During the mating season, animals often participate in all garden fights.

When cats begin to walk, as hunters should, they become aggressive and arrogant.

Instinctively feeling control over the situation, they invite the female to mate. You can tell about a belligerent mood by damaged furniture, torn wallpaper, and the stinking smell that a cat uses to mark its territory. Some men become lethargic, apathetic, without appetite and frequent visits to the toilet.

Causes of cat screams

At home, cats do not have the opportunity to mate freely and there is an accumulation of testosterone (male sex hormone), the excess of which leads to rutting - the cat yells at night, becomes aggressive, marks corners and desperately tries to find a cat to mate with, which is why it screams, not allowing peace for the owners.

If a cat and a cat live in the same apartment, have reached childbearing age and can mate, or the cat is spayed and the cat is neutered, and the night cries continue, then the owners should visit a veterinarian. Cat howls can be caused by hepatic or renal colic, which is accompanied by urolithiasis. The development of the disease is facilitated by an unbalanced diet, which results in the formation of stones in the genitourinary canals. And when an adult cat goes to the litter box to relieve itself, it feels a sharp cutting pain and begins to scream heart-rendingly.

When does puberty occur and when can a cat become pregnant?

The onset of maturation in cats and cats is determined by the animal's changed behavior. In females, this process is called estrus and is cyclical. After the onset of heat, the pet can become pregnant and subsequently give birth to kittens.

How does a cat's behavior change with the onset of puberty?

• There are outbreaks of unreasonable aggression towards people or other animals;
• Cats mark their territory with urine marking and increased scratching on furniture and walls;
• Urine acquires a pronounced odor, which is difficult to eliminate completely;
• The animal strives to leave the house to find a female and expand its territory;
• Cat competitors are, first of all, uncastrated cats. In some cases, a cat's aggression is directed toward neutered males and females;

When is the best time to neuter an animal not intended for breeding?

It is recommended to castrate an animal that is not of breeding value. Otherwise, the owners will have to listen to the wild cries of the pet almost every month. Empty heats are also harmful to the health of the cat itself: this leads to various pathologies of the reproductive system. To protect the animal from needless suffering and prolong its life, it is recommended to castrate it.

Castration is an operation to remove reproductive organs. The female's uterus and ovaries are removed, while the male's testicles are removed. As a result, animals not only lose their ability to reproduce, they also stop producing hormones that provoke sexual estrus. The operation has a number of advantages:

• The male stops marking the territory and damaging the furniture, the female stops asking for the cat. This makes their maintenance much easier.
• Animals do not suffer due to the inability to satisfy sexual desire. The life of castrated cats and female cats is calm and measured. They make ideal pets.
• There is no need to regularly give your pet medications to eliminate characteristic manifestations. According to veterinarians, their constant use causes hormonal disorders and cancer of the reproductive organs.

The operation can be carried out throughout the life of the animal, but it is better to do it immediately after the onset of sexual maturity - i.e. at 6-9 months. Some people think that it is necessary to let the cat give birth at least once, but this is not true. However, it is also possible to castrate a cat that has given birth. It is not worth castrating animals before puberty - they may exhibit deviations in physiological maturation.

Source

At what age does puberty occur?

People who have had pets for a long time can pinpoint when a cat starts walking. The age at which puberty begins is different for each animal.

This depends on the following factors:

• race;
• inheritance;
• healthy conditions;
• feed quality;
• conditions of detention.

On average, this period is 7-10 months. At what age do Scottish cats begin to walk?

Scots, Burmese, Sphinxes and some other races mature very early. Consequently, they may begin to show interest in the opposite sex at 4-5 months.

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Cats, for the most part and regardless of age, are very playful and active animals. That is why many owners are perplexed and often ask the question: “until what age is a kitten considered a kitten?” It is difficult to give a definite answer to this question. Largely because this issue is individual for each cat.

In this article we will talk about the main stages of a kitten’s development, and we will also try to come to a conclusion when a kitten finally becomes an adult cat.

Frequency of the first heat

How often do cats want to mate with the opposite sex? If the cat was not allowed to visit the cat during the period of the first desire, then the next heat may occur immediately after the end of the previous one.

After all, the essence of estrus is the possibility of mating, the result of which should be the fertilization of the animal. This is the law of nature. If the body does not receive a result, it will persistently seek it.

For a cat, the waiting process is certainly very tiring. If the owner wants to have offspring, the animal must have the opportunity to fulfill its intended purpose.

If you refuse to give birth to kittens, it is better to contact a veterinarian, get advice and have your pet sterilized.

Location of the operation

You can castrate your pet either in a veterinary clinic or at home. The second option is more preferable, because the animal will avoid additional stress from transportation and contact with sick animals.

It is important that the veterinarian has experience in performing such operations and a set of necessary tools. You should not trust unqualified specialists - such a step can negatively affect the health of your pet or lead to its death.

If the home castration service is not available, then you should contact the clinic.

First heat (estrus)

Factors influencing the onset of the first heat	Rationale
Breed affiliation	Large long-haired breeds (Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Siberian cat, Neva Masquerade, Norwegian Forest) mature much later than other breeds. Their first heat can begin at 9-16 months. If the pet belongs to light-boned breeds (Siamese, Oriental), then the first heat may occur at 4-5 months. Popular Scottish and British cat breeds mature in 8-12 months
Genetics	If the females mature early in the sex of the pet, then the likelihood of an early start to the first heat increases
Pet birth season	If a cat was born in the spring months, then her first heat will come earlier than an animal born in the fall
Animal sizes	Individuals with excess weight and strong bones tend to mature later than animals with optimal weight. Puberty in emaciated and physically underdeveloped females occurs much later than in cats of normal weight
Lighting	When cats begin to walk, they are affected by the light conditions in the room. Living in a dark place reduces and suppresses the activity of sex hormones, and sexual heat begins much later
Food and living conditions	A nutritious diet, balanced in essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals, contributes to the normal development of the reproductive system. Domestic cats mature later than street cats

Due to the fact that estrus is a very individual process, it is impossible to determine exactly what time a cat's first estrus begins.

But knowing what breed the pet belongs to, genetic predisposition, time of year of birth and other factors, you can approximately determine the age of the first heat. The average cat matures in 7 to 9 months.

Medication methods

The effects of spaying and neutering are irreversible, so these operations are only performed if the animals are not intended for breeding. In other cases, it is recommended to use drugs to control sexual activity.

To regulate the sexual behavior of cats, use:

• means of correcting behavior during the hunt for sex;
• means preventing sexual intercourse.

All these drugs are divided into 2 groups: natural and chemical hormonal agents. The dosage of the drug should be strictly observed; it is better to give the drug 2 minutes before feeding or an hour after, unless otherwise indicated in the instructions.

Before giving your pet this or that drug, be sure to show the cat to a veterinarian to find out its health status and predict possible side effects.

Duration of estrus and its course

The duration of estrus (estrus) in cats is highly individual, on average it lasts from 5 to 7 days.

The process is natural, physiological and does not require human intervention; the only thing you can do is observe the nature and duration of sexual intercourse.

A cycle disruption may indicate a serious illness and require urgent examination and consultation with a veterinarian.

Long periods are typical for multi-family cats, as well as for animals with thyroid problems or underdeveloped ovaries. Prolonged estrus (estrus) may indicate ovarian pathology (inflammation, cysts, tumors).

Signs that a cat is asking for a cat

The owner of a mustachioed pet can distinguish the onset of puberty by the behavior of the animal. Cats completely change their behavior.

Key Features:

• Territorial markings: Mature males begin to leave specific markings on their homes. These could be walls, doors, portals, furniture.
• With the help of marks, the cat makes it clear to rivals that this is its territory, and also attracts other females to mate.

• Changes in behavior: cats during puberty begin to show obvious aggression towards their owners, as well as towards other animals. Aggression during the hunting season is a serious threat for owners, as the cat can scratch and even bite the bra. It should be remembered that the animal becomes practically uncontrollable and it is impossible to change its behavior when using educational measures.

• Screaming - with its voice the cat tries to attract the attention of the opposite sex. Telephone calls can be heard both day and night, for several hours at a time. You also cannot correct a cat's behavior with punishment.

• The desire to leave the house and run outside. Under the influence of hormones and the instinct of procreation, the cat will try to run out of the house by any available means: a window or a door.

The manifestation of sexual desire is also determined by the frequent urge to urinate, enlargement of the genital organs and specific discharge from the penis. When hunting, a cat, like a cat, loses the desire to eat. Also, when searching for a female, cats’ instinct of self-preservation is dulled.

Note! One sign that a cat wants a cat is a fake bed. At this time, the male begins to imitate sexual movements performed during intercourse. For these purposes, you can use the teacher's hands or soft toys.

Maintenance and nutrition of the cat after surgery

Within two days after the procedure, the animal needs to be created as comfortable as possible. It should be placed in a warm, safe place and covered with soft bedding. You should not place the rookery on a hill, because after anesthesia the animal’s coordination of movements is impaired and the cat may fall and be injured.

As for feeding, it is prohibited to feed the animal twelve hours before the operation and one day after the procedure. Starting from the second day, they begin to give the pet food in small portions.

It should also be taken into account that castrated cats have a tendency to obesity and the development of urolithiasis, so animals should not be overfed and limited in fresh water. The best option would be to use balanced food for neutered cats.

Similar actions are permissible in relation to cats - they can also be sterilized, that is, deprived of reproductive function. But when making such decisions, it is necessary to think through everything carefully, because it will no longer be possible to correct the situation.

Source

How to relieve symptoms of estrus

Not a single cat owner, even the most patient one, can like the fact that both day and night his pet, who has entered reproductive age, howls, bites, is too active and aggressive. At such moments, the question arises of what to do with a cat whose antics they can no longer tolerate.

The easiest way to solve the problem is to arrange a “date” for Tail with a suitable kitten.

It should be borne in mind that in order to knit, you need to choose the most suitable time. Peak sexual activity in animals that are old enough to reproduce occurs between February and March.

It is at this time that it is most convenient to have offspring, guided by the simplest logic. In the coming summer months there will be no problems with feeding the babies, the puppies do not need to be protected from the cold, and by the first severe frost they will have already entered adulthood.

This trail is suitable for owners of purebred animals and those whose cats, having entered adulthood, walk alone and live in the yard of a private house. In a city apartment, an animal without a pedigree on a spree is unlikely to become a noticeable and desirable gentleman. In this case, you need to consider other ways to solve the problem.

Recommendations for successful mating

It is best to mate animals in the first 3 days after the start of estrus.

This is the time that is considered the most favorable for mating, which in most cases ends successfully. If you start mating in the last days, the likelihood of successful conception decreases significantly with each subsequent day. In addition, time will be spent ensuring that the pets find a common language.

Since the mating process is best carried out in the male's territory, the female cat may experience severe stress from being brought into a different environment. And due to changes in the psycho-emotional state, estrus may be temporarily interrupted. To return it, the owner must surround the pet with attention and care, stroke and caress it more often, thereby making it clear that it can feel calm in this territory.

You only need to pet the cat in the tail area so that the person does not use his scent to overpower the natural scent of the animal, which is why the cat may not show proper interest in the female. If the beginning of mating did not go as smoothly as desired, the pets are indifferent to each other, or the female behaves too aggressively and does not allow the male to approach, the animals should be left together for a while so that they get used to each other. It is recommended to feed your pets together, this increases the chances that they will quickly find a common language.

But the female should not stay too long visiting the male. If within 24 hours a cat and a cat are unable to find a common language, they no longer have time for mating, since the female will soon be in heat, which significantly reduces the chances of successful fertilization.

At what months does a cat become sexually mature?

British cat at 11 months is completely ready to reproduce

If the cat is healthy, vaccinated calmly, the first estrus will occur no earlier than after 11 months. If your cat is active, she may come into heat a little earlier.

There are cases when at 4 months a cat is already ready to mate, but this is not normal, but the appearance of the first heat at the age of a year or more is also unacceptable. For a purebred cat, you need to decide in advance who will be his partner. A show cat is prohibited from raising a child with a fever to satisfy her pet.

Selection of a partner

Not every cat will have a cat for a walk. Therefore, choosing a partner is an important point that should be given maximum attention. In addition, you need to pay attention to the color of the animal. If the owners are going to breed babies for sale, then they should look for a cat based on the shade so that they get what they want.

So, white British people cannot be mixed together, because the offspring may turn out to be deaf. When you want to breed a tabby, it is better that the partner is blue or black. At the same time, brown or chocolate shade is not an option at all. If the cat is light cream or black, then you can choose a cat of the same color.

When choosing a male, you should also pay attention to his health and appearance. Strong cats are the guarantee that babies will be born healthy and strong. When mating with a British cat for the first time, you need to choose an experienced animal. Otherwise, both she and he will start hissing at each other and fighting. If the cat is more courageous, then she may not even drive the male into a corner and not let him out until she is taken away. Therefore, special attention is paid to this nuance.

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

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

Animal breeders who do not have sufficient experience in identifying signs of estrus in cats are advised to search on specialized sites dedicated to cat care for photos and videos demonstrating the behavior of the female during the heat period.

Attention! If you want to have offspring from a female, you must remember that the optimal time for insemination is the first and second days after the start of the heat period.

To obtain offspring, it is necessary to be able to accurately determine the time of the onset of estrus in a female.

The female and male should meet 2–3 times, with the interval between matings being 12–14 hours. If all these requirements are met, the chance of having offspring increases several times.

Owners of purebred cats should remember that cats reach sexual maturity at the age of 4 to 6 months, however, early pregnancy is undesirable for the animal, since the animal has not yet reached full physiological maturity during this period and your body is still developing. Full physiological maturity of the female occurs a year after birth.

Complications

In a pet’s body, sexual activity is manifested by changes in behavior and hormonal levels. The animal matures and focuses on its physical needs. Early maturation provokes emotional outbursts that can lead to serious illnesses. Whether the cat gives birth or not, after 7 years she may still be at risk of a mammary tumor. This disease does not occur in females that are spayed before their first heat. All other cats that managed to go for a walk before castration are at risk. The risk of tumor development in unsterilized females is several times higher.

Medicines that are on sale have a negative effect on the health of the pet, as well as on its endocrine system. Various complications arise from the genitourinary system, breast tumors, inflammation of the uterus or cystic changes in the ovary. Cats are also at risk. While walking on the street, he can fight with other mature cats. Wounds and viruses transmitted by droplets can be dangerous.

Frequency of estrus

As a rule, an animal's estrus ends with the onset of pregnancy. The gestation period lasts from 2 to 2.5 months. At this time the animal does not leak. They begin after the birth of kittens, 3-3.5 months. If the cubs are stillborn, estrus begins earlier.

If the cat does not become pregnant, 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 will last depends on several factors:

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

Stages of the reproductive cycle

Before asking the question: how long does a cat’s heat last, you need to understand the process itself.

Conventionally, the sexual cycle can be divided into four phases, each of which has its own duration:

• proestrus - a preparatory stage, lasts from 1 to 3 days, is manifested by swelling of the external genitalia and slight transparent discharge from the vaginal loop, sexual arousal at this stage is practically absent;
• estrus - direct heat (sexual desire), maximum sexual arousal, lasts from five to six days and, in the absence of mating, can last up to ten days;
• metaestrus: signs of arousal are reduced to zero, the cat is aggressive towards the male, duration is from 1 to 3 days;
• anestrus is a resting stage, its duration directly depends on whether ovulation has occurred or not: in the first case, the duration will be 6 weeks, in the second - one week.

Important: do not confuse ovulation and fertilization. Ovulation is the maturation of an egg, fertilization is the union of male and female reproductive cells with the subsequent formation of an embryo.

Thus, it turns out that on average a cat’s sexual cycle can last from two weeks to one and a half months.

The frequency of heat development in cats depends only on the individual characteristics and specific conditions of its occurrence, so it is problematic to predict this moment in advance.

By the way, ovulation in these animals is a reflex process. This happens only a day and a half after intercourse. If there was no sexual intercourse, then the maturation of the egg in the follicles will not occur.

During pregnancy and feeding the young, the animal is frigid. After giving birth, the cat begins to bask about a month after the end of lactation.

The best time for mating

Everyone has heard how the March cats begin to sing with the beginning of spring, but not everyone thinks about why this happens. But the fact is that March is the best time for conceiving future offspring and it is at this time that sex hormones begin to rage, because the whole summer and autumn are ahead for successful feeding of babies: the weather is warm, you don’t need to go far for food and leave the cubs unattended for a long time. Although in city conditions, March cats can continue to sing both in summer and autumn, because the basements are warm and cozy, and there is enough food in the garbage chutes to survive.

The intensity and volume of cats' screams during the mating period directly depends on the number of rivals in a given territory. The more competitors, the more heart-rendingly the mustachios meow, hiss and growl, proving their superiority over the ladies and trying to win territory from their rivals. Such duels can continue for days, which cannot but irritate apartment dwellers. And when the cats find their cats and can satisfy the need for mating, the screaming stops.