Heatiness

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As Rolligkeit or Raunze refers to the period of sexual receptivity in cats . In this section of the sexual cycle , the follicle rupture takes place, which in cats is usually only triggered by the act of mating ( provoked ovulation ). However, cases have also been described in which visual and olfactory stimuli are sufficient to trigger the follicle rupture; in rare cases it occurs without external stimuli.

First heat

The first heat marks the entry into sexual maturity . It occurs in house cats between the fourth to twelfth month of life and is influenced by various factors such as time of year, length of daylight, state of health and breed. Long-haired cats often do not become sexually mature until they are eleven to 21 months old. In general, a body mass of 2.3 to 2.5 kg is necessary.

behavior

The preliminary phase of heat (proestrus) is mostly inconspicuous in cats. Sometimes the cat is already rolling on the floor, the licking of the head or vulva by the cat is already tolerated.

In oestrus , the cat is constantly rubbing against objects, often rolling on the floor, screaming loudly and persistently, holding up its bottom in a challenging manner and laying its tail to one side. Occasionally, a small amount of whitish vaginal discharge occurs. Covering with a hangover is tolerated. At the end of the oestrus, the cat still allows the cat to climb up, but no longer allows the penis to be inserted.

Annual cycle

Cats are seasonally polyestrial , that is, there are several sexual cycles and thus heat cycles per year, with a resting phase from October to December. If daylight is less than 14 hours long, the cycle pause ( anestrus ) is extended, and less than eight hours, cats fall into sexual rest (anestria). Indoor cats can get in heat all year round under the influence of artificial light.

The duration of a sexual cycle depends on whether the cat is covered, i.e. whether a follicle rupture occurs. If a cat is not mated while it is in heat, the next heat will follow after an average of 9 days, and possibly even permanent heat . This does not lead to the classic sequence of the sexual cycle with metastrus and diostrus, but to a phase called postostrus . If the follicle ruptures, but no conception occurs, the next heat occurs after an average of 39 days. After a pregnancy, the next heat can already occur one to two weeks after the birth.

Hormonal changes

In the first phase of heat (proestrus) the concentration of 17β- estradiol increases and reaches maximum values ​​of over 50 pg · ml −1 in the phase of readiness for breeding (estrus) . The progesterone levels are in the basal level.

Whether there is an increase in LH depends on whether a follicle rupture (ovulation) is triggered. When covered once, only around 21–50% of cats ovulate. The height of the LH peak also depends on how often the cat was mated: Only after about three copulations per day is there a full release of LH.

literature

  • Sandra Goericke-Pesch and Axel Wehrend : cycle, heat suppression and termination of pregnancy in cats. In: Kleintierpraxis 53 (2008), pp. 553-562.
  • Theresa Conze and Axel Wehrend: Cycle and cycle determination in cats . In: Kleintiermedizin No. 4, 2015, pp. 178–183.