How To Tell if Your Female Cat is in Heat

Female cats that are not spayed will eventually come into heat (technically called oestrus), and the signs are unambiguous, once you know what to look for. Here are some behavioral symptoms to watch for if you suspect your diva is in heat.

1. Immediately preceding oestrus, your female cat may become unusually affectionate, by sidling up and rubbing her hind quarters against furniture, stuffed toys, other cats, and/or her favorite human.
2. She may spend excessive time licking her genital area. Note: Lacking the other behavioral traits on this list, genital licking can be a symptom of a urinary tract disorder, which can be serious if not treated promptly.
3. The Queen (name for female cats of breeding age) will vocalize loudly. This "calling" may go on for several days, unless she mates.
4. She will assume a mating position: head down, forelegs bent, rear quarters raised to expose the perineum (this raised posture is called lordosis), with the tail raised and held to the side of the body. Her rear legs will tread rhythmically, as if walking in place
5. Queenie may also spray vertical surfaces with a strongly scented fluid. She will accomplish this by backing up to the surface and raising her tail high. The tail may quiver, and she may perform the rhythmic treading described in step four.
6. If your female cat does not mate, she will go into oestrus as often as every two to three weeks, for several months each year, until she either mates or is spayed.