Cat mating season approaching with warm weather
Warmer months are approaching and so is cat mating season.
Spaying and neutering cats during this time prevents the reproduction of cats that could potentially become homeless or costly.
Being spayed and neutered means that animals have lost their ability to reproduce.
Cats reach sexual maturity between 5-12 months and are in heat or pregnant in the spring and fall months.
“This is about the time that they would be coming to get in heat and start looking for female companions and the females start looking for male companions,” Oktibbeha County Humane Society Animal Care Attendant and Surgery Technician Tanner Lewis said.
Telltale signs that a cat is in heat are increased meowing, yearning for attention, scratching objects, spraying of urine to mark territory and trying to escape.
Their posture is also a key sign as they will have their behind in the air.
Pheromones are released when female cats spray urine and it lets males know that she is ready to mate.
“For lack of a better term, it drives the males crazy,” Lewis said.
“With the females their uterus also gets what we call red and angry when they're in heat,” he said. “That's just when they're inflamed.”
The male's reproductive part is barbed like a fishhook.
“It's not really pleasant for the female and sometimes mating ends in them fighting,” Lewis said.
Once a cat has mated and becomes pregnant, the gestation period lasts around two and a half months.
Each litter can consist of 1-8 kittens and with all of its descendants, a female cat can produce more than 100 kittens in one year.
“Kittens are expensive and they're hard to find homes for sometimes,” Lewis said. “They're cute but the shots and getting them fixed, it adds up fairly quickly.”
It takes two to tango so when it comes to male cats, neutering is simply reducing the population of homeless stray kittens.
According to Lewis, there are numerous health benefits once cats are spayed and neutered.
One benefit for males is that the chances of developing testicular cancer are lowered.
It is best to have females spayed before their first heat because this offers protection from potential diseases.
Recovery time lasts typically 7-10 days for male and female cats who undergo surgery to get spayed and neutered.
“Males recovery faster but they will act like they are hurting more when they're not,” Lewis said. “Male dogs and cats will ride their drugs until kingdom comes.”
Costs of spaying and neutering depends on the veterinarian as they determine costs on factors such as weight, size, breed, medications and more.
OCHS partners with Fido Fixers Spay and Neuter Clinic that provides low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for cats and dogs in north central Mississippi.
Proof of income is required and applicants can apply online at ochms.org.
“Your local veterinarians are your best resource because a lot of them will try to give you as much help as they can,” Lewis said.