When a cat goes into heat, they can have a pretty bad time if they can't leave the house. You will become very nervous, restless, and could even have violent or aggressive behavior with the family. Is there anything that can be done to avoid it? Fortunately, yes.
For both males and females, there are several things we can do. Discover how to calm a cat in heat.
What is heat and what are the phases that cats go through?
Heat is a part of the cat's sexual cycle, specifically, her fertile stage. It is the time of year when, due to good weather conditions, your sex hormones are much more active, and for good reason: spring is the best time to give birth to kittens, as they are born unprotected, with a very thin and short hair, and also blind and deaf. If they were born in winter, for example, they would have a very hard time surviving.
But it must also be taken into account that it is during this season, and to a lesser extent also in summer, when the animals that are usually their prey (rodents, small birds, etc.) are also going through their reproductive season. That means a lot of new kittens, which in turn could become - although it is quite unpleasant to think about as well as write it - prey for those cats that have just given birth and who need to produce milk for their kittens.
It's true. A cat that lives at home has no need to worry about her food, since it is normal for her human family to ensure that her feeder is always full. But against instinct you can do nothing, or rather, almost nothing.
Phases
The phases of heat for cats are as follows:
- proestrus: is when ovulation begins. Lasts 1-2 days.
- Estro: this is when we will see that cats behave in a curious way: they become more affectionate, they meow at night, etc. This phase lasts from 3 to 14 days.
- Interest: If there has been no ovulation, you will enter this phase that lasts between 3 and 14 days.
- Right handedIf, on the other hand, they did ovulate but have not become pregnant, they will enter this phase, which lasts for about a month. In some cases, it could be that they present symptoms of psychological pregnancies, which is why this phase is also called false pregnancy.
- Anestrus: it is the time of rest, which coincides with autumn and winter. It lasts between 45 and 90 days, depending on the weather especially.
When do cats come into heat?
Cats, especially common European cats and those that live in hot climates, they have heat twice a year. The first in spring, and the second in late summer / early fall. If they are abroad, it is more than likely that the cats will become pregnant and that at two months they will stop a litter of between 1 to 14 kittens, which at six months of age will also go into heat and could have their own offspring.
But when those same cats do not leave the house, during the heat their behavior with the family will change: the cats can become irritable since they want to go in search of a mate to mate, and the females very affectionate and meowing.
How to calm them?
Castration
It is the "fastest" and most efficient option. Neutering cats, that is, removing their reproductive glands, zeal behavior is eliminated and everything related to it.
Give catnip
Catnip calms many cats (Nepeta Qatari). It is a herbaceous plant that we can have indoors in a room where a lot of natural light enters and that only needs two waterings per week.
Avoid eye contact with other cats
It is important that, as far as possible, the windows are closed or with the curtains drawn so that our furry or furry can not see other possible cats.
Keep the tray very clean
To avoid marking above all, you must always keep the sandbox very clean. Urine and stool should be removed daily, and the tray cleaned thoroughly once a week. We can also use Feliway.
Can you calm the cat's zeal with a cotton swab?
Looking for natural remedies to calm heat in cats, you may find more than one and more than two that say that they can be calmed by inserting a cotton swab a bit and then removing it. Well, this is very dangerous, because you could do them a lot of damage, even if you do it gently.
I would like to make something clear: there are no natural contraceptives for felines, and medium and long-term 'chemicals' are known to cause various types of cancer. The only way to prevent her from going through this stage is by castrating her. This is an operation that veterinarians perform on a daily basis, and from which the animals recover in a matter of a few days.
I hope it has been useful to you.