9 ways to calm a cat during heat

Owners of domestic cats know that during the period of heat, the behavior of their pet changes dramatically, and this can cause many problems both for the animal and for all family members. But those who bring a cat home for the first time and have no previous experience of communicating and caring for her, at the moment when she asks for a cat, may be seriously frightened and not know how to behave with the animal and how to help it.

The ideal option for those who get a cat not for breeding and resale of kittens is sterilization. This will not only help you avoid behavior problems, but will also reduce the risk of serious health problems for your cat.

Ways to calm your pet during heat at home

During such periods, the animal needs to be given increased attention, care and affection. It is very important to understand your pet's body language and, if possible, comply with its wishes.

What to do to calm a cat during heat:

Invite a cat for mating;
Insulation;
Spend more time with your pet;
Use a synthetic pheromone called "Feliway";
Insulate your pet's bed;
Wet the animal;
Use a folk remedy and prepare a decoction of various herbs;
Give your pet sedatives;
If you are not interested in your pet's offspring, then it would be optimal to sterilize it.

Let's consider each of the proposed options in more detail.

If you are interested in the offspring of your pet, then the first and easiest way to calm a cat in heat is to simply invite the cat for mating . But you need to remember that she may not like the cat and you will have to look for a partner for your cat, give them time to get used to each other. Also, frequent pregnancies can harm your pet's health.

You can leave your pet in a separate room, providing him with all the comfortable conditions in it, which will help calm him down. Bring his bed, place bowls of water and food. If you also have a cat, then you must definitely limit their access to each other so that he does not irritate her even more. If you live in a private house or let your pet go outside, then you should limit it from walking outside so that it does not meet cats there, which will help calm its instinct.

On days like these, your cat needs as much attention as possible to calm her heat symptoms.

Play with your pet if he wants to. Pet your animal a lot. She really needs your affection and this will help to relax the cat when she is in heat, but do not touch her lower back, as this can make her excited.

When playing with your pet, try to exhaust her so that she wants to rest. Fatigue will calm the animal. If the animal refuses to eat, then feed in small portions and, of course, the cat should have plenty of water.

Recommendations for owners

In each individual case, you need to take care of your cat’s life. In many families, pets are part of the family, and the loss of a pet can negatively impact family relationships. If you are not going to sell kittens, then the most humane way to calm the heat would be sterilization . This will not only prolong the life of your pet, but will protect you and your family members from diseases that can be brought from the street and animal aggression.

In cases where you do not want to sterilize an animal, you need to be as careful as possible and not neglect the help of experienced specialists. It is quite difficult to calm a heat without special knowledge and means. Some people, without such knowledge, make mistakes, which leads to the death of the cat or serious illness. Estrus in cats is a natural process that can be difficult to calm down. The most important thing you need to do for your pet is to pay a lot of attention to it.

Facilities

Warmth will help your cat calm down. The source of heat can be a heating pad that you place under her bed or a warm towel. You can cover it with a light blanket on top. This will help your pet relax and calm the urge to want a cat. also purchase a special hanging hammock that can be hung on the battery . Cats love to sit at heights, she will definitely like this hammock, and she will always be close to a source of heat that will help calm the animal.

Alternatively, you can bathe your cat to calm it down. This procedure will temporarily distract and help relieve excitement during estrus. Each bath is a little stressful for a cat, and emotions after it will overshadow the craving for the cat. She will lick herself and, for a while, will simply be distracted from her needs.

Another way to calm an animal is to use a product such as a pheromone. “Feliway” is a specially developed product and when used, the cat should calm down for a while, and its mood will also normalize.

It can be purchased in three types:

spray;
fumigator;
collar.

You can also use folk remedies that can calm the heat. For example, you can prepare a decoction of chamomile, cumin and lemon balm. This decoction helps calm the animal. You can give catnip, which is a natural, gentle and painless way to soothe your pet during heat. But the result will not last very long and will range from 2 to 3 hours.

Drugs

There are many special medications aimed at easing the condition of cats during estrus. All of them are divided into 2 large groups: non-hormonal (herbal-based medicines that have a calming effect) and hormone-based medicines.

Medications for cats during estrus are available in the form of drops, tablets and injection solutions.

Sedative herbal preparations are less effective than hormonal ones, but in recommended doses they are guaranteed not to harm the pet, so their use is preferable. Such means include:

“Stop Stress” - drops and tablets containing herbal extracts that have a calming effect, as well as the substance phenibut, which helps cope with anxiety and anxiety.
“Cat Bayun” is a remedy that contains a whole complex of herbs with a sedative effect.
Fitex drops are a herbal preparation used in cats that are in a stressful situation, including during estrus.
Relax Plus tablets also have a positive effect during estrus due to the extracts of valerian, mint and motherwort contained in the composition.

Stop stress

Non-hormonal means of correcting the behavior of cats during estrus also include Feliway, a drug based on pheromones. It has 3 release forms: spray, diffuser and special collar.

Unlike the drugs listed above, hormone-based drugs should only be prescribed by a specialist. The veterinarian recommends a specific drug, dosage and monitors how the cat tolerates the treatment.

Pills

Calming pills are the most emergency way to calm the heat. In this case, the owner must understand the risk he is taking, because these are hormonal medications and, after taking them, there can be very bad consequences; tumors may begin to form in your pet.

When purchasing such products, seek help from a veterinarian because only an experienced specialist can help you choose the right medicine that will help calm and not harm your pet so much during estrus.

There are cases when a cat during heat was calmed by classical music. For example, works by Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky. Such cases are quite rare and depend on the character of your pet. Calm music stimulates the cat's desire to sleep and this helps calm the pet's heat.

How often and how long does sexual intercourse last?

The average frequency of estrus in pets is once a quarter, and its duration is 5-7 days. Deviation of these values up or down is acceptable, but only in the absence of diseases of the reproductive system.

If heat occurs every 3 weeks or once every six months, and its duration exceeds 3 weeks or lasts less than 5 days, consult a veterinarian. Your pet may need to be examined.

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Females living outside are close to wild conditions. Therefore, they estrus occurs once every six months, and this is normal.

Sterilization

If you do not want your cat's offspring, then you can sterilize it. You may think that this is bad for your pet. If you don’t have any plans for kittens, then believe me that this is the most humane way to calm the animal for both him and you. At the moment there are amazing doctors who will perform this operation. Medicine does not stand still and, even in veterinary clinics, operations are performed using a sutureless method, after which the sutures dissolve on their own. The pet will behave completely adequately and exhibit only slight drowsiness.

The big advantage of sterilization is the increase in the life of the cat . On average, a sterilized cat lives 5 or even 10 years longer. She does not need to be allowed outside, which protects her from other diseases that can be transmitted to her from street cats or insects. The cat will feel comfortable at home and not be exposed to unnecessary danger, which can reassure many owners. An important factor will also be that you can save time, because you won’t have to bathe your pet so often, which simply won’t get dirty on the street.

So, first of all, you need to determine whether it is in heat or whether it may be that your beloved pet is suffering from another illness.

Signs that your cat is in heat:

increased affection - she purrs from any touch, rubs against corners, all kinds of objects, rolls on the floor;
loss of appetite, even if the cat previously loved to eat;
the genitals swell and clear fluid is released;
starts going to the toilet more often;
if you start stroking the animal’s lower spine, it will begin to arch and raise the back of its body;
the pet meows very loudly and this continues day and night, which brings the owner the greatest discomfort.

You can tolerate heat, but it is detrimental to your pet's health. You can endure 2 heats, but on the 3rd and 4th you will need to get the cat into heat, otherwise she will begin to have health problems. It is also dangerous for her to have a castrated cat, since this will not satisfy her need to give birth to kittens. The cat will not be fertilized; its empty ovulations will harm its health and lead to gynecological diseases. Estrus that does not result in pregnancy causes changes in the pet's uterus and ovaries.

How to understand that a cat is in estrus, and features of the first heat

Puberty occurs at 7-12 months. Its onset can be easily determined by the following signs:

rolling on the floor;
periodic raising of the rear part of the body followed by abduction of the tail;
loud and prolonged meowing or intense purring;
leaving odorous marks on vertical surfaces and actively rubbing against objects;
loss of appetite;
frequent licking of the perineum;
swelling of the vulva and the appearance of clear discharge.

A cat's first "menstruation" is not suitable for mating. It is the shortest and less pronounced.