Having got yourself a funny and amusing kitten, in the near future you will inevitably have to face the difficulties of puberty of this cute animal. During this special period for the pet, its behavior changes noticeably, as all its attention switches to searching for fellow tribesmen of the opposite sex. Every owner needs to know when cats begin to mature, what external signs an animal may exhibit at the onset of this period, and how to prepare for this.
Features of puberty in cats
In cats, puberty begins 7-8 months after birth. Due to the individual characteristics of each animal, the timing may shift in one direction or another, so sexual maturity in cats may occur a little later or a little earlier than the intended age.
Puberty in cats
During sexual activity, cats' bodies do not produce blood discharge, so determining the onset of this period is not always easy. You should carefully monitor the behavior of the animal and from time to time check the mucous membrane of the genital organs, which will swell as soon as the heat begins. In domestic cats, activity lasts about 5 days. Intervals between heats can last from 15 days to a month.
Note! Descendants of cats that were in the habit of leaving marks during heat will also do so.
If fertilization has occurred at the end of estrus, then all its manifestations will disappear within the next 2 days. The cat will have her next heat only after 3 months, except in situations where the cat loses her kittens during childbirth.
Optimal age for first mating
Kittens enter puberty at seven to nine months of age. But depending on the conditions of detention, characteristics of the breed and external factors, puberty in cats may occur earlier or later than expected.
Males and cats reach sexual maturity at different ages. Puberty in males occurs later than in male cats, which matures along with the first estrus, which begins at 5-6 months. But the timing of puberty may vary. This depends on certain factors:
- Belonging to the breed. Representatives of oriental breeds: Siamese, Thais, Orientals, Burmese and St. Petersburg Sphynxes belong to the category of early maturity.
- Skeletal structure. Cats and cats of graceful build with thin bones enter puberty earlier than their powerful counterparts.
- Seasons. Kittens born in winter or spring enter sexual maturity in spring or summer, while later litters have delayed sexual maturity.
- Conditions of detention. Compliance with the regimen and quality of feeding, as well as comfort and convenience, accelerates the maturation of the pet.
- Features of the habitat. Surrounded by adults (in a nursery or pride), young felines mature earlier than their peers from city apartments.
- Genetic predisposition.
If the pet is overfed and overweight, puberty in cats is delayed and can occur by one and a half or two years.
Mating of cats is carried out no earlier than one year after birth. The first 2 heats are ignored. The optimal age for the first mating is 1.5 years. If there is a delay, the cat may experience difficulties in interacting with males, even to the point of displaying aggression towards males.
Important! It is recommended to keep a diary with records of the start and end dates of the estrus period: this will allow you to more accurately determine the next mating date.
Features of puberty in cats
When do cats go into their first heat: signs
At what age do cats become sexually mature? For the first time, males encounter a new state for themselves 8-10 months after birth. When cats reach sexual maturity, their behavior changes noticeably. Most often, the following signs are observed: vocalization, uncharacteristic behavior, marking of territory, and interest in cats.
Note! As cats grow older, they have a need to mate, but inexperienced young cats sometimes have unsuccessful first matings.
One interesting feature of cats is that, unlike cats, males almost always mark their territory during the heat period. Young cats should be kept in a separate place from mature cats and male cats from the very beginning of sexual activity. This will avoid unwanted matings and intragroup conflicts.
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).
Manifestations of puberty
Mating cats: how long does sexual intercourse last and when can you mate?
During the period of sexual heat, the behavior of cats, as a rule, changes significantly, so an attentive owner will not miss this. Cats are most sexually active in the first few months of the year – from February to April.
Here are some signs that a kitty is ready to mate:
- Often during this period cats show less interest in food. Some of them may stop eating food altogether. This manifestation is very ambiguous and may indicate poor health of the animal. Therefore, it is not worth drawing conclusions based only on this sign. It should be taken into account in conjunction with others.
- Sexual maturity of cats is sometimes manifested in the form of a long and loud meow. For the first time it may look very uncharacteristic and unusual even for the owner. However, this is an absolutely natural phenomenon. By emitting drawn-out sounds, animals attract potential males to themselves for mating.
- The cat has a sudden desire to mark its territory. When estrus occurs, the animal’s body begins to produce uncharacteristic discharge. Some owners may feel that their pet is marking their territory involuntarily. However, this is often the method that helps attract cats. There is also an opinion that animals, in this way, mark boundaries, warning other individuals about the territory they belong to. Regardless of the real reasons, discharge in cats during the period of sexual heat is a completely normal phenomenon.
- The pet suddenly begins to show excessive affection - purring loudly and rubbing against the owner. This does not always happen; other manifestations can be observed in the animal’s behavior. For example, in some cases, animals become more aggressive.
- Frequent urination. Uncharacteristically frequent trips to the toilet indicate physiological changes in the animal’s body, which precisely occur during estrus.
- The cat takes positions characteristic of mating - in a position leaning on its front paws with the rear part of the body raised and the tail moved to the side. This position is a signal to the male that he is ready for mating.
Loud, drawn-out meowing from cats is a sign of puberty
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.
What should owners do during puberty?
A loving owner should treat his pet with special care and attention during the period of sexual activity.
What to do if a cat screams and wants a cat
Representatives of the cat family can be particularly active and literally rush to go outside. For animals not accustomed to walking, this can end badly. Therefore, they should be protected from leaving the safe area.
Owners who do not plan to breed offspring can seek advice from a specialist and learn more about sterilization and castration, procedures that relieve the animal from the need for mating, and the owner from annoying meowing.
Important! Adequate nutrition will allow your pet to relieve tension and temporarily forget about the call of nature.
Some cat owners prohibit their animals from sleeping a lot during the day in order to suppress the hunting instinct at night.
If a cat yells, you have to take action
How to calm a cat
If the cat does not stop bothering you with loud uterine howls, you can use sedatives. However, such products must be used with extreme caution and in accordance with the instructions for use. This will normalize the animal’s emotional background and ease its worries, while the owner will be able to take a break from meowing.
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.
Should cats be deprived of procreation?
If the plans of cat owners do not include breeding offspring, then the animal can be sterilized. The optimal time period for surgery would be six months to one year of age.
Sterilization of an animal
Some breeders believe that such procedures are best carried out after puberty. However, this is not true. If you remove the gonads at an early age, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of hormonal disorders. Surgery performed after the first heat can have a negative impact on the animal's health.
The state of puberty in cats continues almost throughout life, so owners of four-legged pets need to be ready at any time to lend a shoulder to their friend and alleviate his temporary ailments. To do this, it will be enough to pay a little attention to the animal and foresee the potentially undesirable consequences of its sexual hunting.
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.
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.
