What to do when a female cat is in heat

Cat breeding

When a female cat is in heat, she will exhibit behaviors such as screaming and anxiety. If you plan to let your cat breed, you can arrange for her to be paired. If you do not want your cat to breed, you can consider sterilization surgery; however, it is not recommended to perform sterilization during the heat period. If you don't want your cat to breed and don't want to sterilize her, you can spend more time with her and massage the base of her tail to alleviate her anxiety during heat.

Breeding

If the owner does not want to sterilize the female cat and wants to breed her, they must wait until the cat is fully grown and sexually mature before breeding her. Otherwise, it will harm the cat's health. Additionally, when breeding, choose a male cat of a similar size to the female to prevent complications during childbirth. It is also recommended to let the female cat have only one litter per year, otherwise it will severely drain her energy.

Sterilization

If the owner does not have breeding requirements, the best option is to wait for the female cat's heat cycle to end before taking her to the pet hospital for sterilization. After sterilization, not only will the cat's heat behavior be reduced, but she will also be protected from reproductive system diseases such as uterine inflammation and pyometra. Sterilization can also indirectly increase the cat's lifespan.

Anxiety relief

If the owner does not want to breed the female cat and does not want to sterilize her, they can relieve her anxiety during heat through activities such as petting, feeding, and playing. First, pet the cat's butt, head, and back to calm her down. Secondly, spend more time with her to divert her attention, such as feeding her catnip or taking her to a relatively unfamiliar environment.

Note: During the female cat's heat period, she may lose her appetite. Owners can feed the cat some of her favorite foods to see if it helps increase her appetite.

Important: During the female cat's heat period, ensure that all windows and doors at home are closed to prevent the cat from jumping out of windows or running away due to her anxious behavior.