In a sense, yes, cats do have menstrual periods. In felines it's called 'oestrus', but many people just refer to it as being 'in heat'. Only unspayed female cats go through these cycles but rather than shedding the old womb lining like humans do, they reabsorb it, so bleeding is a very rare side effect.
Female cats do, in fact, go through a monthly cycle, but their "periods" are quite different from human menstruation. Read on to find out what your cat in heat is feeling and what you can do to help.
Unlike human women or female dogs, it's uncommon for a female cat to bleed during her estrus cycle. According to Catological's veterinary advisor, Dr. Michelle Burch, “Some cats can develop a mild mucoid vulvar discharge which is white and stringy.”
Cats have their first estrous (reproductive) cycle when they reach puberty. On average, puberty, or sexual maturity, first occurs in cats at about six months of age, but this can vary slightly by the time of year (length of daylight hours).
Cats reach puberty around six months of age. A female kitten's first heat cycle will last about four to eight days and if she is not spayed or mated, she may go into heat again in another two to three weeks.
In a sense, yes, cats do have menstrual periods. In felines it's called 'oestrus', but many people just refer to it as being 'in heat'. Only unspayed female cats go through these cycles but rather than shedding the old womb lining like humans do, they reabsorb it, so bleeding is a very rare side effect.
It turns out that both cats and dogs are able to detect menstruation by odor and hormonal levels. Of course, they don't actually have any scientific concept of what's happening in your uterus, but they do know that something is going on.
"Cats don't get periods in the sense that we know them," she tells Daily Paws. "They definitely have all the same hormones, but unlike people and dogs, they don't ovulate automatically. Cats are induced ovulators, meaning they don't ovulate unless stimulated by the male cat."
Most of the menstruating species, including humans, are primates [2]. Besides in primates, menstruation has been observed only in the spiny mouse [3], 3–5 species of bats [4–6], and the elephant shrews [7] (Figure 1).
Because it can detect your stress and wants to make you feel better. Cats know that cuddling makes humans happy: they can "decipher" changes in their owner's body when it happens.
Possible causes of bleeding from the anus can include polyps or tumors of the colon or anus, intestinal cancer, abscess or infection of the anal gland, severe constipation, blood clotting disorders, or even certain types of poisoning.
Cats do not experience cramps or other physical symptoms, despite their howling and need for attention during this time. Instead, a surge of hormones will make your cat extraordinarily eager to mate. She may rub against you, pace back and forth, and assume a mating position if you pet or stroke her.
Female cats reach sexual maturity and can breed from about 4 months old. They will then come into heat (or season) every year around February to October. Female cats have many short periods roughly 2-3 weeks apart. They do not ovulate until they are mated, so this period of heat cycles can be lengthy.
Generally, spaying or neutering your pet will not change its personality. If there are any effects on behaviour, they tend to be positive (reducing unwanted behaviour). Spaying or neutering will not change your pet's affection level or playfulness. For females, there is typically no change at all.
Four signs your cat is in heat:
Rubbing and rolling on the floor. Extreme vocalising, yowling as if in pain (this can be very alarming!) Raised hindquarters, moving the tail from side to side.
When your cat is spayed, the entire reproductive tract (including both ovaries and the uterus) is surgically removed. Therefore, your spayed cat no longer has ovaries, produces estrogen, or goes into heat.
A female cat that is un-spayed will usually be in heat every 2-3 weeks throughout the season, unless she successfully mates and becomes preg-nant. Cats enter heat several times a year with a typical cycle lasting 4-6 days at a time.
Vaginal bleeding can be caused by a normal heat cycle, uterine infection (also called pyometra), trauma, or a clotting abnormality. Nasal bleeding. A cat nose bleed can be caused by trauma, a tumor in the nasal cavity, or from an infection.
This is called lordosis and is an indication that a she-cat is in estrus, or heat (2, 3). Lordosis looks slightly different from regular elevator butt because it's actually the she-cat presenting herself to a tom for mating–whether a tom is present or not (2, 3).
Cats have two anal scent glands, which are sacs located just inside the rectum that are used to help mark a cat's territory with dark, smelly liquid.
Do cats bleed when they're in heat? In the vast majority of cases, cats don't bleed when they're in heat, although it is possible. Blood in their urine or around the genital area could be a sign of a urinary tract infection, so if you do spot any blood, be sure to contact your vet right away.
Some females even go as far as to change their defecation habits and begin pooping in places other than their litter box. Think of this as another calling card the female leaves behind for any interested males she hopes to attract with her scent.
Probably not," said Delgado. "They have other ways they can identify us, like our voice and their sight. And for the most part, we still smell the same so our cat won't be like who is this strange new person?"
Not only do animals enjoy the deed, they also likely have orgasms, Bekoff said. They are difficult to measure directly but by watching facial expressions, body movements and muscle relaxation, many scientists have concluded that animals reach a pleasurable climax, he said.