If you own an intact male cat, you’re probably familiar with the yowling that begins when a female in heat is nearby. It is well known that female cats behave strangely during the estrus cycle, but male cats also frequently exhibit strange behaviors.
Pet owners may believe their tomcat is in heat because of these behaviors, but this is untrue. These peculiar behaviors will be defined, their causes will be discussed, and solutions will be offered.
Table of Contents
Do Male Cats Go in Heat?
Only female cats go into heat, but once they reach sexual maturity, male cats frequently display a variety of odd behaviors. Some people use the term “in heat” to describe these behaviors — however, it’s not a true estrus cycle, but rather a biological response to estrus in females.
Cats have a special organ called the vomeronasal organ that allows them to detect pheromones because they are so sensitive to these biochemical cues. Felines can learn a lot about the age, sex, reproductive status, and mood of the other cat from these biochemical signals.
Just by smelling a female cat’s cheek glands or the pheromones in her urine, male cats can determine whether she is in heat. Even the female need not be there. Even if the female is not present, males may still engage in mating behaviors because they are able to smell the area where the female has urinated hours or even days earlier.
What Makes a Male Cat Go into Heat?
A male cat does not go into heat, in contrast to a female cat. It appears that a male cat is in heat when it exhibits certain symptoms.
Most often seen in female cats who have reached sexual maturity during the breeding season. Female cats experience a cycle known as the heat cycle or estrous cycle once their reproductive organs, such as the ovaries and uterus, have grown. Mammals go through the heat cycle, which is also known as ovulation when their eggs are released prior to mating.
The female cat behaves a little differently, and she only releases eggs while she is not in heat. A female cat in heat is a sign that the animal may breed. While a male cat may not ever be in heat, there may be some symptoms that are comparable to a female cat’s.
Aggression, spraying, and fighting are just a few of the signs that male cats are in heat. Male cats kept as pets might even demarcate their territory and show their owners more affection. Males are known to exhibit the same behaviors outside of their estrous cycles or mating season up until the time of their neutering or spaying.
When Do Male Cats Go into Heat?
When it comes to other considerations, such as health and breed, the male cat experiences a period similar to that of a female cat going through the heat cycle during the mating season.
When kittens are between four and six months old, they have reached sexual maturity, which applies to both male and female kittens. A female cat goes into heat when she is at least six months old, though this varies from species to species and can be anywhere from four to twelve months. In the case of male kittens, it is comparable.
Due to their polyestrous nature, cats typically experience a few-week heat period during the seasonal mating season. Cats reproduce in the northern hemisphere from February to October. Male kittens naturally experience a spike in testosterone at birth, but the necessary level is only reached three months later as their reproductive organs mature.
Cats must mat during the female’s estrus cycle in order to reproduce. By six to seven months of age, the male kitten has reached full maturity, and his reproductive organs have grown to the necessary size. Once the female cat has gone through its first heat cycle, the male cat’s sperm can then impregnate the female cat. Males go into heat in response to females’ behavior to mate during their heat cycle, and cats naturally cool off after mating.
Can Neutered Or Spayed Male Cats Go into Heat?
No, your male pet cat won’t experience heat cycles if it has undergone neutering or spaying.
One of the best ways to calm your male cats, especially during mating season, is to spay or neuter them. Because they want to mate with female kittens or adult cats who are in heat, aggressive male cats or kittens frequently become very challenging to handle. Without a doubt, the male cat will adopt the female cat’s behavior if she is in heat.
It is clear that cats exhibit a variety of behaviors, including vocalizing, spraying urine, and estrus posture. The only remaining choice for calming a cat is a neutered or spayed male cat. When the male cat sees the female cat, it becomes restless until the two cats mate. After your male pet has been spayed or neutered, you must be mindful of any behaviors that a male or female kitten or cat may exhibit.
A trip to the veterinarian is essential. You should spay your cat if the veterinarian advises doing so. In general, neutering a male cat lowers the risk of testicular cancer and other prostate issues. Your pet cat’s health must come first above all else. The health of the cat must not be overlooked, no matter what measures are taken to reduce its heat.
Can Male Cats Cause Female Cats to Go into Heat?
The female cat will never go into heat because of a male cat, ever. The male cat may become restless in an attempt to mate with a female cat who is in heat.
The male cat is agitated by the female cat during a heat cycle so they can mate and have a baby. If a female cat is in the heat outside your house or in your yard, your male cat can detect and smell female pheromones even if you don’t have a female cat at home. The behavior and signs of a cat in heat change.
Male cats may even experience pain until they mate with females if they become agitated. They might act violently. Male cats often experience stress and anxiety, which could have an adverse effect on the health of the kittens in the litter. Considering cats’ health, use caution.
Signs That Your Male Cat is in Heat
Science confirms that female cats go into heat, but male cats haven’t been seen to go into heat. They do, however, exhibit some behaviors that resemble those of a female cat going through a heat cycle, including excessive licking, rolling on the ground, spraying urine, vocalizing, wanting to leave the house, and acting in a mounting manner.
Male cats never experience the heat cycle. The heat cycle in female cats is well known. The female cat’s heat cycle ensures her pregnancy. Prior to female pregnancy, both sexes are known to display some signs to attract one another. A meow or other vocalization will be used by the female cat to summon the male cat.
Both the male and the female spray urine to mark their territories, and the male can smell the pheromones of the female. When they notice female cats in or around their area, male cats tend to become agitated and crazy. They may become aggressive as a result of pain in their reproductive organs, which could develop into a UTI.
They might even express a desire to leave the house. These animals also exhibit excessive licking of the reproductive organs. During the night, more crying and meowing are heard. New animals around them start to irritate them. Any additional cats in your home who might feel anxious as a result of this situation? In these situations, a veterinarian consultation is frequently advised.
Unneutered Male Cat Behavior, Explained
When they come across a female that is ready to mate, the majority of male animals, whether domesticated or not, exhibit distinctive behaviors. While other species of animals make a mating call, some, like peacocks and giraffes, perform a mating dance to attract nearby females. It’s the same for male cats. Here are some warning signs that your male cat is ready to mate and is not neutered.
Yowling
When a cat begins to yowl throughout the night, pet parents might become concerned. However, if your cat isn’t neutered, the likelihood is that this is a mating call to entice nearby females. The male’s vocalizations may become louder and more persistent as a result of the females responding to them when they are in heat.
Roaming
A typical unneutered male behavior is roaming. When a male detects the pheromones of a female who is in love, he will frequently go in search of the source, sometimes traveling great distances to find his mate.
Roaming is obviously a cause for concern because felines may become lost, walk into traffic, or even be picked up while on their quest. Indoor cats without access to the outside can express their desire to roam by pacing, scratching at the door, or by attempting to smuggle themselves outside.
Territorial aggression
A healthy female can draw a lot of male attention, and interested parties frequently engage in aggressive behavior to beat out rivals and secure mating privileges. If a female is nearby, male cats may hiss, growl, or even attack other males. Unneutered males may suffer bite and laceration wounds as a result of these conflicts, and they may return home with them.
Territorial spraying
Did you know that your cat may be spraying because of a sexual urge? To entice females and deter other males, male cats frequently mark their environment with pheromones and urine.
Attempting to mate
It is clear when your cat tries to mate that they are hormonally unstable. The male will pounce on the female during mating, bite her, and growl at her, giving the appearance of a catfight. Males occasionally engage in mating behaviors on soft objects like stuffed animals or blankets if they can’t get to the female.
Unusually affectionate behavior
When there are females in heat nearby, some pet parents notice that their intact male cats become more affectionate. Not all cats, though, fit this description.
7 Steps to Calm a Male Cat in Heat
So let’s say your male cat (who acts like being ‘in heat’) is sexually excited because it’s spring. It’s mating season in the spring, and the neighborhood is teeming with sexually mature female cats. Or perhaps you live with one or more female cats. How should a cat person behave?
Step 1. Neutering Your Male Cat.
The best way to prevent your male four-legged pet from going crazy due to the calls of females in heat is to do this. If limiting the number of “cat calls” from the feline girls is out of your control (e.g., your neighbor refuses to spay their female cat or female cats just happen to be everywhere), your little boy is likely to be restless much of the time. The reason for this is that a female cat’s estrus cycle can occur every two to three weeks.
Step 2. Modify Your Cat’s Daily Regimen.
The best course of action is to adapt to his behavior if neutering is not an option and you are unable to stop your carpet tiger from becoming excited by females. If you find this is simply impossible, below are a few minor changes you can make to your tom’s daily activities that might curb his “enthusiasm”.
Thankfully, the breeding season is restricted to certain times of the year. The reason for this is that domestic cats do not experience an estrous cycle in the winter. That’s because they require at least 12 hours of daylight for this estrus cycle to take place.
Affiliate Disclosure
The links below are affiliate links. I get paid for eligible purchases as an Amazon Associate. This is used to maintain the blog’s functionality. Please be aware that this has no impact on the price you see on Amazon. We appreciate your assistance and backing of PET-Happy.
We strongly urge you to try Amazon Prime if you don’t already have it. Free shipping is the main advantage. Yes, it’s free, and you can get your orders in 1, 2, or even the same day, as well as 2-hour grocery delivery. The free TV shows and movies on Amazon Prime are among our favorites. Additional advantages abound. T
Step 3. Exercise Your Cat During the Day.
In many ways, cats and humans are similar. One of the best ways not to think about sex is to do something else so fun and exhausting you’re simply too tired even to contemplate “doing the naughty.” In nature, cats spend a significant amount of time playing, which is similar to hunting for them. He’ll be a lot calmer during the summer if you can spend even a small portion of that time playing with your indoor cat. Our page on the advantages of playing for cats contains more information on the advantages of playing. Give your male cat a toy that will let them let off steam while you calm them with a catnip-scented scratching post. This Catti Cat Scratcher Board with Catnip has proven to be very effective with our male cat.
Step 4. Enrich Your Cat’s Environment.
Create elevated areas (cat trees, perches, shelves), concealment areas (boxes, curtains, plants, spaces between sofas and walls), and play areas (bouncy balls, feigned mice, toys hung in doorways). It will be easier for your cat to express his natural cat urges when and where it is appropriate if you give him a rich, stimulating environment, which will lessen his restlessness and inappropriate behavior.
Step 5. Implement Scheduled Feeding Times.
What does Don Gato’s desire for Miss Fluffy White have to do with food? Well, as they say, the best way to a man’s (or cat’s) heart is through his stomach. But really, if your cat always has a full bowl when he wakes up, he isn’t using any energy to feed himself and can use that energy for mating and reproduction (even if the object of his affection is your leg or favorite blanket). Wild animals constantly struggle with this issue because they are unable to concentrate on both eating and reproducing at the same time. (There are also survival techniques to concentrate on, but we’re not saying your cat needs those.) You do not want your cat to use all of its energy on mating behaviors if his food has zero energy cost. more so when nearby females are in heat.
Step 6. Get a Treat Ball for Your Cat.
By feeding your cat one meal (or all of them) using a treat ball, you can combine play and feeding. These gadgets, which can be filled with either treats or regular food, are a great way to tire out your cat because the food is only given out one piece at a time as long as the cat is playing. In addition to depriving the cat of the opportunity to respond to the calls of female cats, this can also help a sickly cat become as healthy as possible.
Step 7. Visit Your Veterinarian.
While there are medications to help excessively restless cats, they shouldn’t be viewed as a cure-all for calming cats during mating season, and no medication should ever be used without a veterinarian’s advice. Remember that heat typically lasts a long time, and if your neighborhood has lots of cats, you can anticipate that at least one female will be nearby throughout the entire summer.
Summary
Male cats don’t have heat. They do, however, mature sexually around the same time as their female counterparts if they are not neutered.
The above tips should help you get a handle on your kitty’s untoward behavior, but as a final note, if you have both male and female cats living in your home, you should physically separate your male and female cats immediately. In fact, you should physically separate your cats as soon as you notice the first indications that your cat is in heat if you have a female cat in heat living with a male cat in the same house. The best way to prevent unwanted kittens is by doing this.
If you intend to breed your female, set up the mating as soon as you can; if not, spay her or ask your veterinarian for medication to temporarily stop her heat cycle. Taking one of the cats to another home until the female is no longer in heat is your only option if even this is not possible. Consequently, it is strongly advised that you spay or neuter your pet(s).