Estrus in cats is a difficult period not only for the cat itself, but for the whole family. Compulsive behavior, endless noise, torn wallpapers and the smell of the marks left may cause irritation. When the patience runs out, the owner decides, that they must do something to stop it! Unfortunately there are few safe methods to cool the cat down during its sexual activity period.
Actually cats must give birth once a year or a year and a half. But such frequent births undoubtedly affect the life expectance and impair the health in general. Especially if the owner is not a professional breeder. The best way to extend the cat’s life is spaying. That is the only way you can stop this regular violence of hormones without serious harm to your pet.
Besides, spaying is the only effective prevention from pyometra, breast cancer, ovarian tumors, uterus cancer and other reproductive system diseases.
Estrus in cats lasts about two weeks, and the frequency varies from six months to a few days. If the owner got lucky to find a cat whose hunting period is expressed in increased contact and frequent gentle purring only – it’s a rare case. Usually a healthy cat in heat behaves in a different manner: meowing day and night, rolling on the floor, walking on bent legs, constantly sticking to the owner, considering them to be sexual partners. The owner faces a dilemma: how to help a cat in estrus without undermining its health? Besides spaying, there are several ways to alleviate the pet’s condition in heat.
Without drugs
The following methods not always are helpful, but in many cases they help to make the cat a bit calmer and bring some relief both to the pet and to the owner. And what is most important – they are absolutely harmless to the cat’s health.
- Constant meowing can be stopped if you make a bath for your pet. After-bath licking will not only give the family a few hours of silence, but will also calm the cat, reducing the level of stress. Bathe your pet only if the apartment is warm and there is no draft;
- Active games with new interesting toys, jumping and climbing can help the cat to get rid of its overflowing energy;
- Feeding in small servings is beneficial for cat’s digestion and helps to minimize stress;
- Owner’s attention gives confidence and reduces nervousness. It is desirable to speak with the cat, stroking its head or scratching its tummy. But avoid touching the back and croup – it stimulates the cat;
- Estrus in cats stops faster if you lower the level of illumination, for example drawing the curtains;
- Liquids containing pheromones of “happiness”, will give confidence and calm the cat down for a while;
- A neutered cat having a desire to mate can help to stop the estrus of your pet.
Sedatives
Many owners wonder why their cats are constantly meowing during estrus. Actually this way the cat is trying to attract males and to get rid of stressful tension. Not being able to mate and being under the influence of hormones, the cat is under great stress and sometimes may even fall into a panic state. Physical and psychological stress exhausts the cat, it starts feeling insecure and helpless, what may lead to even worse consequences: the cat is meowing even louder, leaves more marks around the house and annoys with its bad behavior. Although estrus in cats lasts only a couple of weeks, it can be repeated often enough. Regular stress undermines both the immunity and the nervous system.
If your cat is experiencing this difficult period, it is necessary to visit the veterinary clinic. They may recommend a sedative that does not change the cycle and doesn’t stop estrus. It’s more effective to give a drug a few days before the estrus, or at the very beginning of it, as such drugs doesn’t help immediately. You may use special drops for cats in heat, like some herbal infusions positively affecting the nervous system and having a mild sedative effect.
Dangerous drugs
Unfortunately, not all vets fulfill their main task just thinking about their profit. Some vets may deliberately misinform the client for their own benefit presenting some banned “panacea methods” to solve the problems that occur in estrus. These methods include “magic” shots – injection of hormones that terminate or delay estrus. Owners may be unaware of consequences and agree to that, because it may seem that one shot can solve all the problems.
“I will never appoint such drugs. Why? Because the easiest complication of such drugs is purulent inflammation of the uterus. Moreover, they cause ovarian cysts, breast augmentation, breast tumors, diabetes and adrenal function suppression. And this list of side effects is not complete. Using hormonal drugs for pets is barbarism”.
A. Zarubin, PhD, a veterinarian
You should never agree if you are offered hormonal drugs at the clinic. It is much better to have your cat spayed, because most likely you will have to do that anyway in case you decide to use drugs, but the will be much more serious this time. For vets who are used to medical malpractice such injections is a goldmine: first they get money for hormonal shots, then they charge even more to emergency spaying and saving a dying cat from pyometra. Using hormonal drugs in pills and drops is not the way out as well, as they may lead to tumors, purulent inflammations and so on.
Rather than thinking why the cat constantly meows willing to mate with a male you should contact a competent veterinarian. After examination the vet can determine whether there is a need for spaying or there are some other methods in order to alleviate the condition of the pet during estrus.
