The first time it happens, it usually happens at night. A young cat who slept all afternoon on the sofa starts calling from the hallway in a low, drawn out voice, rolls on the rug, presses against every chair leg, then sits by the front door as if someone outside has called her name. Many owners start searching for an emergency vet. Most of the time, the cat is not sick at all. She is in heat.
A cat in heat usually stays in heat for about a week, and an unspayed female who does not mate tends to come back into heat roughly every three weeks while the days are long. Heat is a normal part of the reproductive cycle, and PDSA notes that it very rarely causes pain. This guide covers when heat starts, the signs, how to tell heat from pain or illness, how to help her through it, and why spaying is the long term answer.
- Heat lasts about seven days on average and often returns every three weeks in the breeding season.
- First heat usually comes around six months, sometimes as early as four, switched on by longer daylight.
- Calling, rolling, rubbing and a raised rear end are normal. Bleeding, discharge, a swollen belly or refusing food are not.
- Keep her indoors and away from unneutered males. A cat can get pregnant in her very first heat.
- Play and patience help for now; spaying is the lasting answer.
Call your vet or an emergency animal hospital if a cat in heat, or one who was in heat in recent weeks, shows any of these: bleeding or pus from the vulva, a swollen belly, vomiting or diarrhea, refusing food, unusual tiredness or hiding, drinking and urinating much more than usual, or straining in the litter box with little or no urine. These signs are not part of heat, and some are emergencies.
When do cats go into heat, and why in spring?
Most female cats have their first heat at around six months of age, and longer days are what switch the cycle on.
VCA Animal Hospitals puts the average age of puberty at about six months. International Cat Care notes that kittens can mature from about four months, and PDSA gives a window of 4 to 12 months, usually in the first spring after birth. An unspayed young cat should therefore be treated as able to come into heat, and to get pregnant, from about four months old; our cat age calculator can help if you are unsure of her birthday.
VCA calls cats “long day breeders”: as daylight grows longer, the hormones that drive heat switch on. PDSA describes a season running roughly from February to October in the Northern Hemisphere. VCA adds that cats in the tropics, or living mostly indoors under artificial light, may cycle all year, which is why an indoor cat can surprise her owners in midwinter.
How long does a cat stay in heat, and how often?
A single heat lasts about a week on average, and the whole cycle usually repeats about every three weeks if the cat does not mate.
VCA gives an average of seven days of heat, with a normal range of 1 to 21 days, followed by a break of about seven days before the next one. The ASPCA sums up the pattern as four to five days of heat every three weeks during the breeding season, and individual cats vary.
Mating changes the pattern. Cats are induced ovulators, meaning mating itself triggers ovulation, and VCA explains that a cat usually goes out of heat within a day or two afterwards. A cat who never mates simply keeps cycling, which is why an unspayed indoor cat can seem to be in heat for much of spring and summer.
Signs your cat is in heat
The signs of heat are mostly behavioural, and the loud calling is usually the one owners notice first.
VCA lists a cat in heat becoming unusually affectionate and demanding, rubbing against people and furniture, rolling on the floor, and raising her hindquarters while treading with her back feet when stroked. PDSA adds arching the back and moving the tail to one side. Calling, or yowling, is louder and more insistent than an ordinary meow, and PDSA points out that the sound is easily mistaken for pain.
A cat in heat also wants to get out, driven by what PDSA calls a strong urge to find a male. The ASPCA notes that cats in heat urinate more often, and some spray walls or curtains to leave scent; our guide to litter box problems explains marking versus toileting. Cats do not normally bleed during heat, unlike dogs.
Is she in heat, or in pain?
Heat can look dramatic, but a cat in heat is usually alert, interested in people and eager to be touched, while a cat in pain tends to withdraw.
VCA notes that owners sometimes mistake heat for illness, and the reverse happens too. VCA’s guide to pain in cats describes a hurting cat as one who hides, eats less, sits hunched, squints, resents handling or growls when approached. A cat pushing her back toward your hand is showing heat; a cat crying under the bed who flinches when touched is showing something else.
Some signs should never be put down to heat. PetMD advises contacting a vet for discharge, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea during or after a heat, and treats any vaginal bleeding as an emergency.
Pyometra: the infection to watch for after heat
Pyometra is a life threatening bacterial infection of the uterus that can follow a heat in unspayed cats. VCA explains that pyometra usually appears within about four weeks of a heat, though it can show up 2 to 16 weeks later. Signs include pus on the fur under the tail or on bedding, a swollen belly, fever, tiredness, poor appetite, vomiting or diarrhea, and drinking and urinating more than usual. If an unspayed cat shows these signs in the weeks after heat, contact a vet or emergency animal hospital the same day.
How to help a cat in heat
Nothing safe at home switches a heat off, but a secure house and a calm routine make the week easier.
Close doors and windows, and check them twice. PDSA warns that a cat in heat can become an expert escaper, and male cats may travel long distances to reach her. Check screens, balcony doors and pet flaps, and ask everyone at home to mind the front door. A cat who slips out may get lost as well as pregnant, so keep our guide to finding a lost pet in mind.
Keep her away from unneutered males, including your own. PDSA advises separating a cat in heat from every uncastrated male for the whole heat, even one who lives in the same home. If she does meet one, assume she may have mated and talk to your vet.
Play with her, often and briefly. PDSA suggests games and treat filled toys, especially in a first heat, when a cat may seem confused. Wand toys, food puzzles and a few minutes of chase before bedtime use up restless energy. Our cat game or cat TV can fill a quiet moment, though real toys and real attention matter more.
Keep the routine steady. PetMD recommends a consistent routine and extra attention: meals and bedtime at the usual hours, a warm, quiet spot she already likes, and gentle stroking when she asks.
Be patient with the noise and marking. Calling and spraying during heat are driven by hormones, not bad manners, so scolding or spraying water will not stop them and can make her anxious. Clean urine marks with an enzymatic cleaner so the scent does not invite more marking.
Skip home tricks from the internet. None of the veterinary sources behind this guide recommend any home procedure to end a heat. Heat suppressing medicines exist, but the Merck Veterinary Manual notes real risks, including uterine infection, diabetes and mammary cancer, so they are a decision for your vet alone.
What about male cats?
Male cats do not go into heat, but an unneutered male who smells or hears a female in heat can be just as restless.
The ASPCA and International Cat Care describe unneutered males spraying strong smelling urine, sometimes indoors, and looking for any way out of the house. Once outside, an intact male roams widely and may not come home. International Cat Care adds that fights between males cause bite abscesses and can spread FIV and FeLV, while roaming raises the risk of traffic accidents. Neutering helps most males: VCA reports that it reduces or stops spraying in about 85 percent of male cats and reduces roaming in about 90 percent.
The long term answer: talk to your vet about spaying
Spaying stops heat cycles for good, and it is the only lasting solution the veterinary sources describe.
VCA calls spaying the best way to prevent pregnancy and sees no valid reason to let a cat have a heat or a litter first. International Cat Care recommends neutering at around four months, before sexual maturity, and the ASPCA suggests surgery before five months. The ASPCA adds that spaying before the first heat gives the best protection against uterine infection and mammary tumours, which are malignant in about 90 percent of cats. A cat can even be spayed while in heat, according to the ASPCA and PetMD, if your vet agrees.
Our spay and neuter guide covers the surgery, recovery and questions to ask your vet, and the cats section gathers our other cat guides and tools.
A quieter night ahead
That young cat calling from the hallway is not in danger and is not misbehaving. With the doors shut, a few extra games and some patience, the heat will pass in a matter of days, and a conversation with your vet about spaying can make that night the last one like it.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a cat in heat?
A cat in heat usually stays in heat for about seven days, with a normal range of 1 to 21 days according to VCA Animal Hospitals. If she does not mate, she typically comes back into heat about every three weeks during the breeding season.
Is my cat in pain when she is in heat?
A cat in heat is very rarely in pain, according to PDSA, even though her calling can sound like crying. A cat who hides, stops eating, flinches when touched, or has bleeding or discharge may be ill rather than in heat and should see a vet.
How can I calm a cat in heat?
A cat in heat settles best with a steady routine, short and frequent play, food puzzles, extra attention and a quiet place to rest, kept indoors and away from unneutered males. No home method stops a heat; spaying is the only lasting solution.
Do cats bleed when they are in heat?
Cats do not normally bleed during heat, unlike dogs. PetMD treats any vaginal bleeding in a cat as an emergency, so contact a vet or emergency animal hospital straight away.
Sources
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Estrous Cycles in Cats
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Cat Behavior and Training: Neutering and Behavior
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Pyometra in Cats
- VCA Animal Hospitals: How Do I Know if My Cat Is in Pain?
- PDSA: Cats in heat / coming into season
- International Cat Care: Neutering your cat
- ASPCA: Spay/Neuter Your Pet
- Merck Veterinary Manual (pet owner version): Management of Reproduction of Cats
- PetMD: Cat in Heat
This guide is general information and not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your cat seems unwell, in pain or has bleeding or discharge, contact a veterinarian.