You’ve probably heard the phrase “cat in heat.” When a cat is in heat, it means it is ready to mate and fertile. This regular cycle begins for cats at the age of five to ten months.
In this period, many behavioral changes can be seen in cats, one of which is excess meowing. So, how can you stop a cat in heat from meowing?
You can stop a cat in heat from meowing by diverting your cat by playing with her, doing enjoyable activities, and giving her more attention and affection. Scents and music can also help your cat relax.
Keep reading the article to learn about all the ways of calming your cat in heat and stopping her meowing.
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Is It Normal For Cats To Meow When In Heat?
Yes, it is totally normal for cats to meow when in heat as they are just acting on their instincts.
Cats in heat exhibit a variety of behavioral changes. They experience mood swings, become adamant about leaving the house, and become extremely vocal.
A female cat who yowls all day and all night is most likely in estrus. She’s announcing her availability to the neighborhood tomcats.
Your cat has a biological need to mate, and her inability to do so contradicts her basic instincts. You can divert your cat’s attention with play, fun activities, and affection.
Scents and music can also help to calm your cat. Do not, however, deviate from the routine, as cats in heat can become distressed.
Spaying and simulating mating are the only ways to stop a cat’s heat cycle. If you do not do this, you will have to put up with vocalization.
Make your cat as comfortable as possible during these hormonal surges. This, in turn, will reduce the amount of noise made by your cat.
You might also like to check out do cats stay in heat after mating
How To Calm Meowing Of A Cat In Heat?
You can calm the meowing of a cat in heat by using a Feliway diffuser, dealing with scent marking, being prepared for demanding behavior, giving her extra attention, and not changing her routine.
1. Feliway Diffuser
When a cat is in heat, she makes a public announcement in order to maximize her chances of finding a mate and having kittens.
She accomplishes this in a variety of ways, one of which is by frequently and loudly vocalizing.
It may appear that she is in pain to an untrained owner, but this is totally typical behavior.
You have the option of dealing with the added noise or attempting to soothe her down.
Before your cat goes into heat, try using a Feliway diffuser.
She is surrounded by safe, familiar aromas thanks to this synthetic feline pheromone.
Pheromones are chemical messengers, similar to the pheromones emitted by a female to signal that she is in heat. On the other hand, the ones in Feliway may have a calming, soothing impact on her.
It doesn’t work right away, but over the course of a few weeks, the pheromones increase the cat’s sense of well-being.
As a result, it’s better to plug the diffuser in early and leave it running in the background so she may benefit from it by the time she gets into heat.
Reduce the amount of stress your other cats are under. Consider how difficult it is for your other cats to have a calling female in their midst for one out of every three weeks if you have more than one cat.
For them, this can be disconcerting. The Feliway diffuser you use to calm your cat in heat can also make your other cats feel better.
Feliway takes a few weeks to build up in your cats’ systems, so have the diffuser set up before your female goes into heat.
Also, check out Why Is My Spayed Female Cat Yowling? Is It In Pain?
2. Dealing With Scent Marking
Although not all female cats do this, some do use urine to mark their territory. Urine contains strong fragrance identifiers, which she uses to attract mates. You won’t be able to stop this behavior unless you have her spayed, so you’ll have to live with it.
You can make life a little simpler by doing the following:
- Make sure she always has a clean litter box. Hopefully, her house training will encourage her to mark in the box rather than in the house.
- If she does mark, deodorize right away. This will deter her from returning to that location to mark it once more.
- To totally remove the urine odor, use an “enzymatic” cleanser. These products’ enzymes break down cat urine better than any other cleaning. For optimal results, let the product air dry.
- Dilute some biological washing powder with water for a homemade alternative. Clean the area with this, then rinse it with water. Clean with bicarbonate of soda solution once more. Rinse one last time to complete the process.
- Before treating a marked patch for odor, test cleaning chemicals on a small, hidden piece of fabric.
3. Demanding Behaviour
When your cat is in heat, she experiences a big hormonal roller coaster, which affects her behavior. One distinction is that her body language and social demeanor may shift dramatically.
She can show signs like: –
- She may seek out company more frequently than usual.
- She might ask you to rub her lower back. She can hold her tail to one side to show her genital area more flirtatiously when you do.
- By flattening her front half against the floor and crawling with her back end thrust up in the air, she can ‘commando crawl’ across the floor.
- She’ll probably squirm and roll about a lot as well. When the loud crying is added, it may appear that she is in pain. She’s simply flirting, so don’t be alarmed.
- There’s nothing that can be done about this. It’s entirely natural, and she’ll be OK as long as no males are able to contact her.
4. Give Her Extra Attention
Regular play sessions will exhaust her. This may help her relax and sleep instead of writhing and yowling, as it reduces her energy.
When a female cat is in heat, she may welcome additional attention or even a massage. But don’t be surprised if she begins to act flirtatiously with you and exposes her backside!
5. Keep The routine Stable
Don’t mess with her eating schedule. When they are in heat, many female cats do not eat well. This might lead to their losing weight and deteriorating their physical health, which disturbs their adoring owners.
However, don’t try to compensate for her lack of hunger by feeding her higher-calorie cat food. This will simply give her more energy to weep and yell out.
Instead, keep a large bowl of her regular cat food out for her to freely eat. She is free to eat whenever she wants.
You might also like to check out why won’t my cat shut up
How To Prevent Pregnancy Of A Cat In Heat?
You can prevent a cat’s pregnancy in heat by Keeping her away from your male cats, keeping her indoors, keeping your doors and windows locked, and spaying her.
Let us discuss all the points mentioned above in detail: –
1. Keep Her Away From Your Male Cats
Keep her away from your male cats. If you have an unneutered male cat, he will be attracted to her like a magnet when she is in heat. All males must be kept away from her until her heat has passed.
Isolate either the males or females in a separate room.
Make the space more appealing to the isolated cat so that he does not become anxious.
Include a litter box, a comfortable bed, food, and plenty of toys to keep them occupied.
2. Keep Her Indoors
If your cat is usually allowed to roam outside, you must put a stop to it as soon as you notice she is in heat.
You can control whether or not male cats have access to her while she is indoors. Every male in the neighborhood will be drawn to her yowling and scent marking while she is outside. She is extremely likely to become pregnant.
3. Keep Doors And Windows Locked
Close all of your doors and windows. Even if you keep her inside, the males in the neighborhood will be able to hear her yowling and smell her scent marking.
You may notice an unusual increase in the number of tomcats lurking around your house.
Leaving doors or windows open, even if mosquito mesh is used as a barrier, can be hazardous. A determined male will claw his way through the mesh to reach your female, and she can become pregnant without leaving the house.
Cat flaps in your doors should be blocked off.
4. Spay Her
Consider having her spayed. Unwanted kittens and cats are overflowing in rescue centers. Allowing your cat to become pregnant for no reason is morally questionable.
Female cats can be spayed at any stage of their hormonal cycle. If money is an issue, many cat rescue or welfare organizations offer surgery vouchers.
Your local veterinary clinic will be able to direct you in the right direction for further investigation.
You might also like to know about why is my pregnant cat meowing so much
Why Is My Cat In Heat Yowling?
Your cat in heat is yowling to give signs to other males in the area that she is ready to breed.
The yowling is by far the most common complaint vets receive from cat owners whose cats are in heat. Yowling is not the same as regular mowing.
It is unique to the heat cycle and is designed to be loud, annoying, and attention-grabbing. Most unspayed pet owners are irritated because it occurs around the clock every month or two for several days at a time.
So, what are you going to do about the yowling?
Unfortunately, not much! Yowling is your cat’s natural reaction to changes inside her body, and there is only one solution: get her “fixed.”
Spaying your cat will prevent her from experiencing any heat-related symptoms, such as yowling, as well as potentially keeping her healthier.
Interesting Read: Pregnant Cat Calling As If In Heat: Know The Reasons
Should You Call The Vet?
Yes, you should call your vet if your cat is meowing to ensure there aren’t any underlying medical issues.
Yowling during heat can be pretty frightening, mainly if your cat is only a few months old. It’s always a good idea to contact your veterinarian if your cat is making unusual noises so they can rule out any underlying medical issues.
But, eventually, you’ll be able to tell the difference between your cat in heat, and a fork stuck in the garbage disposal.
How To Stop a Cat’s Heat Cycle?
There are only two ways to stop a cat’s heat cycle: mating or spaying.
A cat in heat remedy does not exist. There will be no pills, supplements, or herbal treatments to end the sequence.
Only mating or spaying will put an end to your cat’s heat cycle!
Experts recommend spaying a cat before it reaches puberty. According to the Journal of the American Veterinary Association, early spaying has some health benefits.
Keeping your cat indoors, preferably in a room with little light, temporarily delays the onset of estrus.
This is also good practice for keeping your cat inside while she is in heat. It is not a long-term, sustainable solution.
Circadian rhythms govern the feline heat cycle, and your cat’s body will detect the arrival of Spring due to prolonged periods of natural light.
This will encourage her to become pregnant. Because outdoor cats are exposed to more sunlight, they will enter estrus earlier than indoor cats.
A cat that is in heat can be spayed. Many veterinarians would prefer not to and would advise you to wait out the cycle. The uterus of a cat in heat is swollen and enlarged. This complicates surgery and increases the risk of complications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my cat’s meowing stop after mating?
Ans. In theory, your cat will stop meowing after mating. She will, at the very least, stop caterwauling. Your cat is no longer looking for a mate. In fact, she will almost certainly act aggressively toward intact males.
What are the basics of being in heat?
Ans. Although unneutered male cats might show visible signs that their bodies are telling them to mate, female cats are the ones who bear the brunt of the heat. Female cats go through heat multiple times a year, and it’s simply her body’s way of letting the world know she’s ready to have a baby. Cats can go into heat at any age, from 4-6 months to 10-12 months; for a variety of reasons, veterinarians recommend getting your cat spayed before she goes into heat.
Can my male cat be meowing because of going into heat?
Ans. No, Male cats do not go into heat. Heat cannot be blamed on a male cat who is continually meowing and yowling. It could be linked to a drive to mate, as healthy male cats never lose their desire to reproduce. For a healthy tomcat, this can be aggravating.
Final Words
In the end, there is no sure-shot way of stopping your cat in heat from meowing unless you mate or spay her. However, several methods can help you lower or eliminate the meowing for some time.
So, if you are not planning on getting your cat neutered some time soon, you might want to prepare for some sleepless nights.
For any other questions, feel free to ask us in the comments section.
