Kittens enter pubertystarting from seven to nine months. But depending on the conditions of detention, the characteristics of the breed and external factors, puberty in cats may occur sooner or later.
Factors affecting puberty
Коты и кошки достигают половой зрелости в разном age Puberty in cats occurs later than in cats, which matures with the first estrus, which starts at 5-6 months. But the timing of puberty may vary. It depends on certain factors:
- Belonging to the breed. Representatives of Eastern breeds: Siamese, Thai, Orientals, Burmese and St. Petersburg sphinxes - belong to the category of early maturity.
- The structure of the skeleton. Cats and cats of fine addition with a thin bone enter puberty before their powerful brethren.
- Seasons. Kittens born in winter or spring enter puberty in spring or summer, and in later litter maturity is delayed.
- Conditions of detention. Compliance with the mode and quality of feeding, as well as comfort and convenience accelerate the maturing of the pet.
- Features of the habitat. Surrounded by adults (in the nursery or pride), young feline representatives mature before their peers from city apartments.
- Genetic predisposition.
When overfeeding a pet and being overweight, puberty in cats is delayed and can occur by one and a half or two years.
Manifestations of puberty
Behavior at pubertycats and cats varies. In females, this period is accompanied by discharge from the genitals - heat. External signs of approaching estrus manifest themselves in a heightened desire to play around, rub on the legs and furniture, and when offensive, the cat’s behavior becomes more provocative: it starts appealing to meow, rolls on the floor, moves the tail to the side, demonstrating sexual desire.
Puberty in cats is accompanied by moreaggressive behavior. The mustache begins to meow loudly, attracting female individuals, to mark the territory, and its urine during this period has a sharp, unpleasant smell. The nature of the cat is also changing - he can peel furniture and walls, show heightened playfulness, and his games are similar to the scenes of hunting for the victim.
With the onset of puberty animalthe owner must decide whether he wants offspring or not. If the owner is aimed at breeding cats, then you need to find out whether the pet has pedigree value and select a candidate for breeding. All events can be held in the clubs of cat lovers or take a consultation in a proven nursery or from an experienced breeder. And also it should be understood that puberty and physiological maturity of a pet differ in terms of time: the latter comes closer to the age of one.
If no one is going to knit a cat or a cat,then castration or sterilization is the right solution. It will be more humane towards the animal and safer than the drug-controlled regulation of sex hunting.
Best time to mate
Everyone has heard the beginning of spring singingMarch cats, but not all think about why this happens. And the fact is that March is the best time to conceive future offspring, and it is at this time that sex hormones begin to rage, because the whole summer and autumn are ahead for the successful feeding of babies: the weather is warm, there is no need to go far for food and leave babies unattended for a long time. Although in the conditions of the city, the March cats can continue to sing both in summer and in autumn, because it is warm and cozy in the basements, and there is enough food in the garbage cans for food.
The intensity and loudness of cats screams in the periodpairing directly depends on the number of rivals in a given territory. The more competitors, the more blunting the mews are, mewing, hissing and roaring, proving their superiority to the ladies and trying to win back territory from their rivals. Such duels can last for days, which can not but annoy apartment dwellers. And when cats find their cats and can satisfy the need for mating, the cries cease.
Causes of Feline Screams
At home, cats do not have the opportunitymating freely and there is an accumulation of testosterone (male sex hormone), the excess of which leads to gonat - the cat screams at night, becomes aggressive, marks the corners and desperately tries to find a cat for mating, and therefore screams, not giving rest to the owners.
If you live a cat and a cat in the same apartment, reachedof childbearing age and can mate or the cat is sterilized, and the cat is neutered, and the night screams continue, then the owners should visit the vet. Feline yells can be caused by hepatic or renal colic, which is associated with urolithiasis. The development of the disease contributes to an unbalanced diet, as a result of which stones form in the urogenital canals. And when an adult cat walks into a tray of need, he feels a sharp cutting pain and starts to scream heart-rendingly.
Ways to prevent cat scream
If the cat is healthy and lives in the apartment alone, then you can prevent cat screams by following the advice of experienced breeders:
- to castrate the pet - in the absence of testicles testosterone is not produced, which means that there is no sexual hunt;
- to tie a cat with a cat;
- give your pet more physical activity;
- not letting sleep during the day - it suppresses the instincts of the night predator;
- arrange active games with the cat so that he sleeps at night like a baby;
- to follow the pet's nutrition - the cat should receive selected products and meat in order not to feel the nutritional deficiency. The mustache begins to be lazy, and the hunting instincts are dulled.
Some cats are talking breeds andwill require communication. Do not ignore such conversations, and then the animal will be more calm and satisfied. If you are considering the option of obtaining offspring, then you should have a pet couple. A cat and a cat in the same apartment will not let each other get bored and will relieve the owner from heart-rending screams during the festivities.
If reproduction is not included in the plans of the owner, then you need to think about castration.
Castration and indications for surgery
To castrate a cat is to deprive him of the genitalglands, that is, completely remove the testicles through surgery. Together with the sex glands, the cat loses the ability to reproduce offspring, testosterone stops being produced.
The best time to castrate a cat is hismaturity and readiness for reproduction - from eight months to one and a half years. The cat's readiness for mating can be identified by smell, because during this period the animal begins to mark the territory. The operation itself is simple enough, does not threaten the health of the pet and does not require special postoperative care. But before the procedure, you should decide where to castrate the cat, be examined and pass the necessary tests, including on the tolerance of anesthesia.
You can castrate a cat for several reasons:
- Medical indications - with injuries, pathologies, orchitis.
- Reduced aggressiveness during sexual activity.
- To eliminate or prevent an unpleasant smell from a cat in an apartment, because a cat devoid of the sex glands will not mark the territory.
Experts recommend to castrate those catswho will live in the conditions of city apartments and will not be able to walk on the street and satisfy their sexual needs. Often this applies to purebred animals from which no plans to raise offspring. This procedure will help the owners to avoid the consequences of hormones: the appearance of a cat smell, shoots and pet attacks. It is also useful for the animal itself: the cat will not suffer from unsatisfied sexual desire and will avoid the development of prostatitis, a tumor of the prostate and adenoma of the annal glands.
If the cat has the opportunity to freemovement and satisfaction of their needs, the castration is undesirable, because the animal becomes passive and can not fully defend. And this can lead to injuries from yard relatives during walks.
Place of operation
You can castrate a pet like inveterinary clinic and at home. The second option is preferable, because the animal will avoid additional stress from transportation and contact with sick animals.
It is important that the veterinarian has experience in conductingsimilar operations and a set of necessary tools. Do not trust unqualified professionals - such a step may adversely affect the health of the pet or lead to his death.
If the castration service at home is not available, then you should contact the clinic.
Keeping and feeding the cat after surgery
Within two days after the procedure, the animalyou need to create the most comfortable conditions. It should be determined in a warm safe place and lay a soft litter. It is not necessary to place the rookery on an elevation, because after anesthesia the coordination of movements is disturbed in the animal and the cat can fall and be injured.
As for feeding, then twelve hours before the operation and one day after the procedure it is prohibited to feed the animal. Starting from the second day, they begin to give the pet food in small portions.
It should also be borne in mind that in castratedcats are prone to obesity and the development of urolithiasis, so animals can not be overfed and restricted in fresh water. The best option would be to use balanced feed for neutered cats.
Подобные действия допустимы и по отношению к cats - they can also be sterilized, that is, deprived of childbearing function. But, making such decisions, it is necessary to think everything through carefully, because it will be impossible to correct the situation.
