What to do if my cat is in heat - solutions!

When a cat enters a fertile period, it is said to be in heat. It is a time when it is much more receptive to males and seeks to mate, by natural instinct for the species to continue. Sometimes we can not or do not want to let her out, either because we live in a flat in the city or because we do not want her to come back pregnant, because we do not want or can not take care of a litter. Then the stress, the nerves, the noises and meows and the marking with urine accumulate, something that ends up bothering and worrying us. If you wonder what to do if my cat is in heat continue reading this article where you will discover what you can do to calm a cat in heat .

How to know if my cat is in heat - symptoms

To be sure that your cat is in heat, and rule out that it is a health problem, you just have to look at the physical and behavioral signs that indicate it. If you see more symptoms than those discussed, take it to the veterinarian because it may be an illness. These are the main symptoms of a cat zeal :

A cat in heat purrs and meows in a more exaggerated way so that the males hear it and feel attracted. Normally, due to the loud voice and the amount of time that can be spent like this, those who live with the feline usually get upset.
You will see that she is much more affectionate, emotional and in need of caresses and attention on your part.
It rubs more than usual against objects such as cushions, the sofa, clothes and dolls, ie cloth and furry objects, and other animals in the home, especially against other cats.
She scratches more often and is nervous.
He licks his genital area very often. Watch for other symptoms, as licking this part of the body can indicate urine infection or other problems in the genital area.
Urinate everywhere to mark its smell and attract the males. You will notice that your house is dirtier and smells bad and strong.
You will notice that she is more restless and is looking for a way to go outside. The cats without easy access to the outside will be most of the time scratching and hitting the windows and doors through which they could exit but are closed. Those that can easily leave or finally get it go and may take hours or days to return, since they will be looking for males and will probably become pregnant.

What do I do if my cat is in heat - techniques and remedies

If you do not want to have a pregnant cat because you do not intend to raise cats, but you want a solution because you can not continue seeing her so nervous, enduring her incessant meowing and her urine traces, then the best thing is that you plan to neuter or neuter your cat .

The benefits of sterilizing a cat are numerous, both for its health and to reduce the impact of abandoned cats. There is also the option of using pellets for cat estrus, but they can only be used at the veterinarian's prescription. However, if for you this is not an option for whatever reasons, you will also need to avoid that your cat has contact with males, so you will not be pregnant. This is important especially in very young cats, who have their first or second heat, since they do not have enough physical maturity to have kittens in a healthy way for them and the little ones.

To achieve this, you first need to make sure that you can not leave home anywhere and then put into practice these tips that respond to how to relax a cat in heat :

Use sprays and pheromone diffusers for your cat to relax following the instructions on the package or your veterinarian.
Try to have your sandpit always clean to make it easier to use it, because if it is your usual place to do your needs, you will first go to this place to mark with urine before doing it in other areas of the house. This can reduce your stress a bit.
Give her much more attention than usual and play with her, caress her and massage her to relax her. If you ignore it, it will increase your stress and worsen your situation as well as your meowing and wanting to leave.
If your cat has a strong reaction, that is, if you see her very nervous and do not stop meowing for hours, give her a gentle pat on the upper part of the hind legs, the thighs, and on the lower part of the back touching the tail. This type of massage usually calms them for quite a while.
Make sure your bowl of water is always full of fresh, clean water and that the food bowl is also full for you to eat and drink as much as you need.
If you have a male cat without sterilizing or castrating you should keep them separated by closing the house doors that are necessary.

On the other hand, you probably want to know that in addition these solutions for a cat in heat there are also some tricks that solve the doubt on how to remove the smell of cat in heat due to their urine:

As soon as you detect that you have marked a site, clean it quickly with an enzymatic cleaner.
On walls and furniture use baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and liquid soap.
In fabrics like the sofa or the curtains it is best to use white vinegar.

Frequently asked questions about the zeal of the cats

There are several frequent doubts about the heat in cats that still many people do not have clear. For this reason, since you ask yourself " what to do if my cat is in heat " you are probably worried about this period of fertility:

When cats have the first heat

The first heat of the cats usually occurs between 4 and 12 months of age. The range may seem quite broad, but in fact it is because the moment of sexual maturity, or moment in which the cat reaches puberty, depends on various factors such as the time of year in which he was born and his race.

How often are the cats jealous?

The cats are in fertility period during the season of sexual activity, which lasts 6 or 7 months in the geographical region of Spain (depends on light and climate among other environmental factors) and usually occurs from late winter to early summer . It begins when the days are longer, since 12 hours of daylight are needed so that they can enter into heat.

The cats are seasonal polyestrics, that is, they can have several jealousies throughout the breeding season . The female has consecutive jealousy (more than 15 throughout these months) and each one lasts a few days, if she does not get pregnant she passes and after about 10 or 15 days they have it again. Twice a month are a few days looking to mate by instinct.

There are several factors that can influence the duration and intensity of heat such as light, environment, race and the presence of other cats.

How many days lasts the zeal of a cat

Another one of the most frequent doubts among those who live with these animals is how long the cats' zeal lasts. The answer is that it can last from a few days to about three weeks, but the average is in seven days .