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Everyone who has ever seen two cats crossing knows the screaming they make. The truth is that the meowing starts as soon as the cats come into heat, because they emit characteristic meows to get the males' attention. The males also respond with meows and that is how courtship begins.
But it is during intercourse that the screams are most evident and scandalous. Many people question themselves why cats make so much noise when they cross? PeritoAnimal created this article to answer precisely that question.
how cats reproduce
Females reach sexual maturity between 5 and 9 months of age. Males reach a little later, between 9 and 12 months.
It is quite evident when the cats are in heat because, in addition to the characteristic meowing, they have many other signs that they are in heat: they are rolling around, they raise their tail, etc.
Cats have a seasonal polyestric reproductive cycle under normal conditions. In other words, they reproduce more at certain times of the year, since the number of hours of light is a determining factor in the reproductive cycle. However, in an equatorial region, where the number of hours with and without light is approximate, the cats have a continuous reproductive cycle, that is, they reproduce throughout the year. In addition, cats that are always confined to the home can present a more continuous cycle than street cats, and artificial light is the explanation for this phenomenon.
The cycle lasts about 21 days. Since estrus lasts an average of 5 to 7 days (phase in which we most notice the signs of heat in the cats) and it is repeated as mentioned above. This interval depends on whether or not the cat was mated with a male during heat. Other factors can influence this interval, such as the season of the year and the cat's breed. For example, long-haired breeds are more seasonal than short-haired breeds. If you have a cat with signs of heat and you don't want her to get pregnant, check out this article to find out how to help.
All it takes is a little distraction for your cat or cat to run out the window in search of warmer relationships. Hence the importance of castration, especially to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Even if you have a male cat, it is equally important to castrate. Neutering is a great way to ensure your pet's health and also an opportunity for you to play a responsible role.
With neutering, you avoid the mating of cats and, consequently, an increase in the number of kittens abandoned on the streets without proper care and attention. We don't want to increase the number of cats on the street, subject to all kinds of adverse conditions, accidents, abuse and hunger!
how cats cross
When the female enters the estrus (phase when the cat is more receptive to males) she drastically changes her behavior and no longer refuses male mount attempts.
she puts herself in lordosis position, that is, with the ventral portion of the chest and the abdomen touching the floor and the perineum raised. This position is necessary for the male to be able to penetrate. The male performs copulatory movements and the female slowly adjusts to the male through pelvic movements in order to facilitate copulation.
The facial expression of mating cats is very similar to that of aggressive cats. The mating of cats lasts, on average, 19 minutes, but can range from 11 to 95 minutes. More experienced cats can mate 10 times in an hour. During heat, female cats can mate more than 50 times!
Females can also mate with different males. Egg fertilization is done by just one sperm, but if the female has mated with more than one male in heat, different eggs can be fertilized by sperm from different males. For this reason, an interesting curiosity about cats is that in the same litter the female may have puppies from different parents.
If your kitten has just had puppies, maybe this other PeritoAnimal article might interest you: how to know if the cat is male or female.
why cats scream when they are crossing
A cat's penis is prickly. Yes you read well! O genital organ of these cats is full of little keratinized spines (as you can see in the image) that serve to stimulate ovulation of females. It is these penile spikes that induce ovulation. In addition, the spines of the cat's penis allow it not to slip during intercourse.
During intercourse, the spikes scratch and irritate the female's genitals, causing bleeding. They also trigger a neuroendocrine stimulus that triggers the release of a hormone (LH). This hormone will act within 24 to 36 hours after complete copulation.
After mating the cats, the female's behavior is very dramatic because of the pain caused. As soon as the male starts to withdraw the penis, after ejaculating, the female's pupils dilate and 50% of the females emit a cry, like a squeak, the typical high-pitched cat crossing. Most females attack the male after mating very aggressively and then roll around on the floor and lick the vulva for 1 to 7 minutes.
In the photo below, we can see the cat's penis in detail, highlighting the keratinized spines.
now you know why do cats make noise when they mate and what happens during the cat mating act, we hope you enjoyed this article and that you continue to follow PeritoAnimal!
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