During sexual activity, cats become uncontrollable from excitement. To avoid using drugs for cats to prevent heat, you can use other non-drug methods, such as distractions, active games, frequent walks, and increased care. If you cannot help in this way, you will have to give the cat special sedatives. You need to find out the name of the drug and the exact dosage from your veterinarian.
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.
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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.
Ways to suppress estrus in cats:
It is very dangerous and extremely undesirable to use progesterone-containing drugs that suppress estrus in cats, various cones, stop intimates and others. They are certainly very effective, but lead to serious hormonal imbalances and complications, for example, pyometra - purulent inflammation of the uterus.
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Herbal and non-hormonal preparations, such as “Cat Bayun” and others, are usually almost ineffective...
Calming non-hormonal drugs for cats.
Throwing slippers at a cat and other punishments of a cat are generally useless, because she sincerely does not understand that she is being scolded... Instinct is something that is stronger than good character and upbringing.
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.
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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.
Signs of estrus in cats
People around him and the cat itself suffer from unsatisfied natural needs of the body.
An inexperienced owner may not immediately understand that his pet has gone into heat.
A number of signs confirm this condition:
- Swollen genitals, clear fluid oozing.
- Reducing the time between urinations.
- Constant meowing, the cat instinctively calls for a male.
- Loss of appetite.
- The desire to run out of the house. Owners must keep windows and doors closed.
- Change in emotional state: increased affection (the animal caresses people, rubs against furniture) or uncontrollable aggressiveness (scratches, bites).
- Typical movements: arching the back, stomping with the hind legs, pressing the tail to the side.
After making sure that the cat is going through a period of sexual activity, you should take measures to alleviate the pet’s condition.
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.
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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.
Features of the rut
For cats, the average age of onset of heat can range from 4 to 9 months. Typically, puberty is accompanied by a certain weight gain, which should correspond to about 80% of the weight of an adult - about 2 kg. There are also breeds with an earlier onset of sexual maturity, when estrus occurs at 5 months. These include Oriental cat varieties.
The optimal start for pregnancy is considered to be from 1.5 years of age; early fertilization does not lead to anything good - cats often experience difficult births with a high probability of death, miscarriages and developmental defects in kittens.
The onset of estrus is also often associated with the length of daylight hours. This determines sexual activity depending on the region. In temperate latitudes, the season begins from February - March and ends in November. In December and January, as a rule, there is no estrus.
Domestic cats have an irregular estrus cycle, as artificial lighting also affects sexual activity. This is especially true for those pets who lead a reclusive lifestyle and do not go outside for walks.
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.
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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.
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Castration as a way out
If the cat’s owners are not ready to tolerate his behavior, risk the pet’s health by constantly feeding him hormonal drugs, and the cat is not valuable for breeding, the question of castration of the animal arises. This surgical operation will relieve the cat and its owners from the side effects of the animal’s sexual activity: territory marking, unbearable behavior, loud “concerts”.
Castration is the removal of a cat's gonads: the operation leads to a complete loss of the animal's reproductive instinct. After the operation, the cat is deprived of the opportunity to have offspring for the rest of his life, but he usually stops marking his territory.
Note that castration makes cats calm and lazy; after this operation, the animal often gains weight, sometimes to the point of obesity. Therefore, after castration, it is necessary to monitor your pet’s diet especially carefully, preventing the animal from overeating.
All drugs are thus reduced to only two options: either hormonal drugs, or lighter ones - sedatives. Which one to choose must be decided on a case-by-case basis with a veterinarian: this will require an examination of the animal for existing contraindications and general health.
Contraceptives. Megestrol and drugs based on it
This is a synthetic hormone, progestogen, which is an analogue of the natural hormone of the corpus luteum. It is responsible for reducing the secretion of gonadotropic hormones - FSH and LH. A change in the level of these gonadotropic hormones leads to a decrease in the level of estrogen, and therefore to a decrease in the manifestations of sexual desire. In fact, all megestrol-based products transfer the animal from the proestrus stage to anestrus, bypassing the stages of estrus and post-estrus.
The following are among the drugs created on the basis of megestrol acetate.
"EX-5", "EX-5T", "EX-7.5".
The EKS-5T product is presented in tablets, and the other two drugs are in the form of a suspension for oral use. The result of taking it in cats is the interruption or delay of estrus (a shift in its onset).
To shift estrus
during the period between heats, the cat is given 1 tablet every 2 weeks (or 0.5 tablets every week). Procedure for using the suspension: 4 drops every week (or 8 drops every two weeks) for “EX-5”; 2–3 drops every week (or 5 drops once every two weeks) for EX-7.5.
Important!
You should not skip taking the drug. It is not recommended to use EX for more than 18 months. The use of EX to delay estrus should be started strictly during the period of anestrus.
To interrupt estrus
The animal is given 1 tablet for 5–7 days until the signs of estrus disappear. The daily dose of the suspension is 8 (“EX-5”) or 5 (“EX-7.5”) drops.
Important!
The use of drugs is possible
no later than 3 days
from the beginning of sexual heat, i.e. during the period of proestrus. It is optimal to start giving the drug on the first day. Only then does suppression of FSH synthesis lead to the desired results. If the estrus phase has begun, the use of the drug is undesirable. Megestrol-based medications should not be used more than 2 times a year.
"Four with a tail."
To shift estrus, use 1 tablet every 2 weeks or 0.5 tablets every 7 days. To interrupt estrus, the cat is given 1 tablet for 8 days, the course begins no later than on the 3rd day of heat. Recommendations for use are the same as for EX.
"Gestrenol"
The composition of this hormonal drug includes:
- mepregenol propionate - 1.5 mg:
- ethinylestadiol - 0.015 mg;
- flavoring and auxiliary components.
The drug is a yellow oil solution with a slight specific odor. Available in 1.5 ml polymer dropper bottles, which are packaged in cardboard boxes.
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It is prescribed to cats to reduce sexual activity, correct changes in the psychophysiological state during sexual heat, and also to protect against pregnancy.
Contraindications
The drug is not recommended for use in diseases of the genitourinary system, diabetes mellitus, and various tumors. These drops should not be used on pregnant or lactating cats.
Veterinary drugs based on megestrol are not used in the following cases:
- if more than 3 days have passed since the start of sexual heat;
- the cat has not reached puberty;
- in the first heat;
- during pregnancy and lactation;
- for hormonal imbalances, pathologies of the endocrine system, neoplasms and diseases of the reproductive system;
- diabetes mellitus, diseases of the genitourinary system, chronic renal failure;
- when treated with corticosteroids;
- if you have hypersensitivity to the components of the product, as an allergic reaction may develop.
Important: violations of the drug dosage regimen specified in the instructions may lead to a decrease in its therapeutic effectiveness.
- The drug is not used by immature, pregnant or lactating animals.
- Contraindicated in animals with diseases of the reproductive system, mammary tumors, hormonal disorders, diabetes mellitus, lymphoma, autoimmune diseases, lymphogranulomatosis, leukemia, myeloma, epilepsy, chronic renal failure.
- Individual sensitivity is possible.
Attention!
Important Tips
- Contraceptives should not be used if the cat exhibits signs of diseases that are contraindications to taking the drug, or a physiological condition that is a contraindication.
- You should not violate the dosage regimen, increase or decrease the dose.
- It is not recommended to use during the first heat.
- If you are in doubt about your cat's health, consult your veterinarian before using contraceptives.
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Mixing with a cat
The first mating is carried out on the third menstruation, when the pet has reached physiological maturity. This reduces the risk of miscarriages, infertility and other complications.
Before meeting her partner, the “bride” is vaccinated and dewormed. Her nails are trimmed and a set of personal items is collected that she will need while away from home. Mating is carried out on the male's territory to reduce his excitement.
The animals are left alone for several days to repeat cages many times. This consolidates the result, increasing the chances of successful fertilization. Help from the owners is required only in cases of aggressive behavior, discrepancies in the size of the partners, and the cat falling on its side.
If you are breeding purebred cats, you need to know exactly the time and period of mating. For example, the period of puberty in the British and exotic folds begins in the period from 7 to 9 months. If mating is carried out earlier, pregnancy for a cat can result in many complications.
Age at first estrus in cats
For most cats, the first heat begins after the female reaches a weight of 2.5 kg. This rule does not apply to large breeds such as Maine Coon or British cats.
The age of puberty ranges from 4 months to 1.5 years. Most often, a cat first begins to ask for a cat at 6-9 months. This age depends on several factors:
- Heredity.
Some cats are more temperamental than others, and some, on the contrary, are late maturing. In mixed breeds, the onset of the first heat is difficult to predict in advance, but among purebreds, patterns have already been identified.
The fastest maturing are the short-haired “oriental” breeds - Thai, Siamese, Burmese, Abyssinians, Bengals, Cornish Rex. On the other hand, cats of long-haired breeds sometimes begin to walk at 10-12 months and later - Persian, Maine Coon, Siberian.
Young cat of the Bengal breed
- Daylight hours.
March cats are not a fiction. Increasing the duration of daylight hours encourages the onset of estrus. If the cat is six months old in the spring, you should expect the onset of estrus soon. If the same age falls in October-December, then the onset of estrus is more likely only next spring.
In an apartment, this dependence hardly manifests itself due to constant heat and constant artificial lighting.
- Conditions of detention.
Exhausted cats lacking vitamins and fats do not go into heat. Therefore, street animals mature later than domestic animals, and their estrus occurs less frequently.
- Communication with relatives.
The presence of another cat in heat or an unneutered cat provokes the onset of heat in young teenage cats.
To delay the onset of the first heat as much as possible, the owner needs to keep the cat isolated in the apartment and turn on the light for no more than 4-6 hours a day.