
Play vs. Aggression Between Cats: What's the Difference?
If you have more than one cat living under your roof, you may be familiar with catfights....
On average, a female cat is in heat for four to seven days. However, her heat may last as short as two days or as long as three weeks.
Unspayed female cats of reproductive age are called queens. Cats are polyestrous, meaning that queens typically go into heat multiple times a year until they mate.
Unspayed female cats may have their first heat cycle as young as four months of age, though the average age is five to nine months for most cats. If you have a kitten and wish to prevent her from going into heat, it's best to have her spayed as early as your vet thinks is safe. This is generally no later than four to six months of age, but it may be as early as six to 12 weeks of age.
As soon as your kitten has her first heat, she will be able to get pregnant. The hormones in her system make her eager to find a mate. She will likely cry out in a way that sounds like she's in agony. She may roll around on the ground and rub on everything in sight. Most importantly, if she is indoor-only, she may try to escape your home in search of a mate. Not only is it dangerous for her to be outside, where she may get lost or injured, but it's also unsafe for her to become pregnant at such a young age. Her body is not done growing, so pregnancy may be harmful to both her and the kittens.
If your cat does not get out of the house to mate during her first heat, she will continue to go through a heat cycle every few weeks until she becomes pregnant or is spayed. This may make it seem like she is constantly in heat. Over time, this may be stressful and unhealthy for your cat. She may lose weight, begin overgrooming, and even develop behavioral issues.
If you allow your cat to get pregnant, you are adding to the world's pet overpopulation problem. Countless cats and kittens are waiting in shelters for homes. Even if you find homes for your cat's kittens, you have to consider that the kittens are taking the place of shelter cats that might have been able to find homes. Unless you have a pedigree cat and are prepared to partner with a cat breeder for responsible breeding, you should make sure your female kitten is spayed as soon as possible.
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