My Cat In Heat won’t Shut Up! What to do? 2024 Guide

My cat in Heat does not shut up and keeps meowing? An un-spayed female cat displays a range of behavioral changes when she is in her Heat. Female cat owners may often experience their little kitty yowling and growling all day and night long.

Cat in Heat is a common term that almost all pet enthusiasts know about. Heat is the period when a female cat is ready to mate (have physical intercourse/ sex) and become pregnant. The heat period in cats is also known as the oestrus phase.

The kitty will experience mood swings and struggles to get out of the house during this time frame. She will do so in order to find a mate (a male cat) and release her sexual desires. A healthy and un-spayed female cat can experience Heat up to a week every three months if conception doesn’t occur.

Cat’s behavior during her Heat can prove extremely disruptive and even alarming to their owners. Individuals who are unknown about this phenomenon might go hay way with what has happened to their cat.

However, the ones who are familiar with pet heat can understand their cat’s struggle. But is being understood enough for the cat? Not really.

While your cat is in Heat and struggling with the phase, you can calm her down. Here is a complete guide that will help you in dealing with a Cat in Heat. Have a look:

How long does a cat stay in Heat?

Also known as the Estrous (reproductive) cycle, Cat’s Heat is a natural phenomenon. The first heat cycle of any cat usually arrives during the age of 6 to 7 months. However, it can slightly extend and take about a year to arrive in some fewer common causes.

Cat’s heat cycle contains five phases, including:

1. Proestrus (lasts 1 to 2 days): It is when the female cat attracts the male cat; however, she isn’t yet ready to mate.
2. Estrus (lasts 1 to 2 weeks): It is when the female cat attracts the male cat and is willing to mate. This is the stage when your female cat will become impulsive and start growling loudly. She will elevate her rear end, rub on things, try getting out of the house in search of a mate, and may also have a decreased appetite.
3. Diestrus (about a week): It is when the fertilized eggs become embryos, and the female cat gets pregnant.
4. Interestrus (2 weeks to a month or more): It is the period between heats. Female cats who do not mate or get pregnant enter the stage of Intrestrus.
5. Anestrus: This is a reproductively dormant period in female cats.

In short, the average heat cycle of a cat can last from one week (6 days) to several weeks. The average cycle length is nearly 2.5 weeks.

Cat in heat: signs & symptoms

There are plenty of signs that indicate your cat is in Heat (Estrus phase). Here are a few:

• You will notice funny sounds that your cat will often make
• The cat will become more restless
• She will crawl low to the ground where her private part will touch the ground.
• She will groom her private parts more frequently
• The cat will behave more affectionate toward people, objects, and other animals
• Cat will try to escape outdoors
• They assume the mating position (behind in the air, tail to the side)
• She will urinate to mark her territory
• She will experience a loss of appetite
• The cat will start marking walls and other vertical surfaces

Dealing with a Cat in Heat: Meowing and Yowling

If your cat is constantly meowing and yowling, she is trying to convey something important. For example, cats who are hungry, angry, or in pain often use meowing and yowling language to convey. However, these signs are also common in female cats who are experiencing Heat.

Meowing and yowling in cats are as common as breathing. While your female cat is in her Heat, bare yourself to listen to some non-stop voices all day and night. You cannot just totally mute or control these voices, and neither is it safe/ healthy to do so.

Instead, consider tiring the cat during the evening and early night hours, making her get a sound sleep during the peak night hours. This will also save you from getting a night of disturbed sleep.

6 Ways to Deal with a Female Cat in Heat

Dealing with a female cat in her Heat isn’t difficult, but the process might come out as overwhelming for first-timers. Here are a few quick tips that will help you deal with the situation,

1. Since your cat is going through a massive hormonal roller coaster, be prepared for her super clingy behavior. Of course, there is nothing to be done with this kind of behavior. However, rubbing your cat’s lower back and under the neck can provide them some (minimal) kind of relief.
2. Since cats in heat demand extra attention, give them more of it. Take her for a regular play session and ensure tiring her enough every day by the end of the day. Tiring helps in settling down the cat, at least for the night. Or, she may create havoc with her constant meowing all around the house, disturbing your precious sleep.
3. Cats in Heat may lose appetite and avoid eating. Here, make sure you keep their food bowl full (with only the required food) and encourage eating. Avoid feeding high-calorie food, though.
4. If you have multiple pets at home, isolate the cat experiencing Heat. Especially keep the cat in Heat away from any other male pet in the house. To release the mating hormones, your female cat will try her best to lure male cats and, at times, even male dogs around.
5. Not successful for all, but keeping the kitty warm also helps her in dealing with the heat phase.
6. Your car will pee across the house during her Heat simply to mark the territory. They do so in order to attract male cats. However, since you aren’t looking to get your kitty pregnant, clean up the house frequently. Keep her litter box clean and ensure using a strong floor cleaner all across the house.

5 Proven Ways to Calm a Cat in Heat (Vet Answer)

Controlling sexual aggression in cats is important to save them from unwanted frequent pregnancies. Cat’s heat cycle is not painful; however, the utter and unending desire to mate can trouble your kitty’s behavior.

And in case you want to help down the kitty and support in calming her, here are some proven ways for the same.

These are Vet approved methods that will help in calming a cat in the Heat:

Seal Escape Routes and Deter Male Cats:

Cats become super excited with sexual aggression during their heat phase. Especially if they are near the male cat, the level of excitement and aggression double up; thus, to ensure your cat is calm and composed during Heat, keep her away from the male cat.

In addition, seal all escape routes and secure the perimeter of your home. Neither let your kitty in heat escape nor let another cat inside.

Use Catnip to calm your cat in Heat.

Catnip is a natural herb that is known for its calming effect on some cats.

You can let your female cat sniff Catnip, and it will help her in calming down. However, remember the effects aren’t long-lived.

Use Feliway.

Feliway is a commercial product that helps in calming/ relaxing cats who are just spayed or are experiencing Heat. This product works by emulating the natural pheromones for calming cats.

Feliway doesn’t have any side effects on the pet, and one can use it along with Catnip as well.

Use L-Theanine.

Giving 50 to 200mg to cats in Heat will help them calm down. The quantity of the product depends upon the size of your cat. However, in case you are planning for cat breeding in the future, L-theanine is not the safest option for calming your kitten.

Or lastly, Spay your Cat.

For permanently calming a cat who is in her Heat, Spaying is the one-stop solution. Also known as an ovariohysterectomy, Spaying is a process where the Vet removes a cat’s ovaries and womb surgically.

Cat owners can go for Spaying after their cat has experienced her first Heat. Spaying cats also minimize the risk of developing ovarian and uterine cancers. It also provides protection from pyometra, a common uterus infection in cats.

Caution (Things to avoid while your cat is in Heat)

Some individuals or articles might suggest using Q-tips to relax during the cat’s Heat. In addition, these articles say inserting Q-tip into a cat’s reproductive tract imitates mating behavior.

However, the efforts are extremely dangerous, can injure your cat, and can even lead to irreversible damage. Thus, before blindly believing numerous claims, understand them, cross-check them and consult your Vet once.

How to get a cat in Heat to shut up?

Cats behave loud and aggressive during their Heat, and the poor kitties are not at fault. After all, Heat is a natural phenomenon, and every female cat (who is not spayed) has to go through it.

When things aren’t much in your and your cat’s control, you can still try to relax the kitty. For instance, distract the cat (who is in Heat) with some play and fun activity.

Engage them in some kind of safe game inside the house so that they get distracted from the constant feeling of mating. This will also keep them from growling and meowing from that mating urge.

Can you stop a cat from being in Heat?

The only safe, known and full-proof method for stopping a cat from being in Heat is getting her ‘Spayed.’ The process of Spaying is also known as an ovariohysterectomy (medically).

A qualified vet will first give the cat anesthesia and then, under its effect, remove her uterus and ovaries. The process requires making a small incision on the cat’s tummy, which is later surgically stuck or stapled. It takes 7 to 10 days to heal.

Spaying saves the cat from any further heat cycle and also cancels all the chances of pregnancy. If the cat is spayed (female) and neutered (male), there is no need to keep them away.

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Wrapping up…

Having a pet cat is a big responsibility. Especially when you own a female cat, you are responsible for bringing her litter into the world as well.

Cats in Heat are as normal as other cats, apart from their behavior that pushes towards constant urge to mate. The cat in Heat won’t attack you but will do unlikely things like meowing, growling, and escaping from the house. This behavior will last for days and will keep occurring once every week. The most natural way to calm this is to allow your cat to mate.

However, this will also bring the risk of pregnancy every 3 to 4 months, which in itself is a huge responsibility. Or instead, the best way is Spaying the cat, which will not just dismiss the chances of pregnancy but will also stop the phenomena of Heat once and for all.