5 Signs Your Cat is in Heat

If you have a female cat who has never been spayed, chances are good you’re going to experience her heat cycles now and then. Cats come into heat once a year, but the heat cycle lasts several months and consists of many periods back-to-back.

Simply put, a cat in heat is a cat who wants to mate and breed. If the cat is not able to find a mate, her heat cycle will continue longer than it would if she did mate with a male. However, it is irresponsible to allow your cat to mate just to end her heat cycle.

In the article below, you’ll find out more information about what it looks like when a cat is in heat. You can use this information to recognize your cat’s heat cycles and learn when it’s time to pay close attention to her because of this, too.

Cat Yowling

One of the most common signs associated with heat in cats is yowling. This is typically the first sign most cat owners notice because it is very loud and obtrusive. The female cat may pace around the house and yowl to show any males in the area that she is ready to mate.

There is really nothing you can do to stop your cat from yowling when she’s in heat, other than having her spayed to prevent future heat cycles. This is part of her normal feline instinct, but it may get in the way of you and your household even so.

Attention-Seeking

If your cat isn’t usually the type to follow you around constantly and look for attention, you’re likely to notice it if she starts doing so. When cats go into heat, they may look for attention from their human family members and may become much more demanding than normal.

This behavioral change can also be associated with some types of illness in cats. However, if your cat is healthy, young, and an intact female, heat is much more likely to be the cause of a sudden change in pushy and attention-seeking behavior.

Trying to Go Outside

If you keep your cat indoors all the time and she has a sudden desire to get outside, this may be one of the earlier signs of her heat cycle coming around again. She may start meowing at the door or windows when she never did this before, and she may try to escape the house, too.

Some cats naturally want to be let out of the house all the time, whether they’ve always been kept indoors or not. But if your cat isn’t like this normally, a sudden change in this type of behavior is a telltale sign of heat.

Raising Tail and Rear End

Female cats who are ready to mate will frequently raise their tails and rear ends high into the air while lowering the front of the body down to the ground. Although this behavior can be seen briefly in cats who are being petted or played with outside of the heat cycle, it occurs often and for longer periods of time in cats who are in heat.

This posture is meant to indicate to male cats that female cats are ready to mate. However, if there are no male cats around, your cat may simply do this because of her instinct.

Spraying

Most of the time, spraying behavior is only seen in intact male cats. However, female cats may spray and mark their territory when they are going through a heat cycle, generally due to the increase of hormones in the body at this time.

You can sometimes catch a cat before she sprays by watching her behavior. If she backs up to a wall with her tail held high, try to remove her from the situation before she can spray urine. You may not always be successful, but it can be done!

Conclusion

When you notice these symptoms of your cat being in heat, it’s time to take some extra precautions until her heat cycle has finished. Outside of experienced cat breeders, you should not let your cat mate during this time, as you may be contributing to the overpopulation of pets by doing so.

Instead, make sure your cat is kept securely indoors with no chance of escaping, and instruct everyone in your family to double-check before going in or out the door. Cats in heat are prone to becoming escape artists, but it’s crucial that you keep your cat from doing this.

Additionally, you should pay attention to her behavioral changes during this time. She may become more aggressive or more affectionate, and she may hide more often in some cases too. If you have any further questions or concerns about your cat’s behavior while she’s in heat, talk to your vet for more information.