Understanding Feline Estrus: Key Points for Cat Owners

Today, I'd like to summarize some key points about the estrus cycle in female cats.

1. Unspayed female cats typically go into heat several times a year, with each heat lasting on average 7 to 10 days.

2. Most female cats reach their first estrus at around 7 to 10 months of age, but longhaired breeds may not come into heat until they are over a year old, while shorthaired breeds tend to mature a bit sooner.

3. The symptoms of a female cat's first estrus can be quite subtle, and many breeders may not notice them.

4. Due to this, it's advisable not to let intact female cats roam with male cats, or even with other males from the same litter. Just because you might not notice, doesn't mean the males won't.

5. It's recommended that the first mating of a female cat should occur between the ages of 8 to 14 months, provided she weighs at least at the average upper level for her breed and is in good health.

6. Cats exhibit various behaviors to show they are ready for mating.

7. Some of the more obvious signs include rolling on the ground, lifting their hips and wagging their tails, as if pedaling a bicycle (especially when you pat their hindquarters), rubbing against walls, floors, or their owners, urinating in various places to signal, trying to escape to find a "sugar daddy," howling (which can be quite悲惨), and even breeds that don't usually vocalize might start to chatter.

8. Less apparent symptoms might include suddenly becoming more affectionate, loss of appetite, and frequent licking of their genital area.

9. Some cats may not show any symptoms of estrus, but their hormone levels change, and males can still detect this. We refer to this as "silent estrus." It's not common, and if a cat doesn't show improvement after a few instances, it might be considered for culling.

10. Uterine pyometra, a serious condition, can indeed increase in frequency due to repeated estrus without mating, but more often, it's a genetic issue at play.

11. Options to suppress estrus include traditional Chinese medicine compounds, melatonin, and medroxyprogesterone acetate, among others.

12. The estrus cycle in female cats is divided into four stages: proestrus, estrus, diestrus, and anestrus. This is the traditional classification. In breeding practice, however, the transition between diestrus and anestrus isn't as straightforward. Often, cats move directly from diestrus into the later stages of estrus, with a reduced intensity, and then quickly back into proestrus and estrus. This is why some cats seem to be in heat indefinitely.