There’s no denying it—your kitten is growing up. Every day she looks less like a kitten and more like a gangly teenager. And with these outer changes happening, another important inner change is also starting to take place: puberty.
We know it may seem really early to talk about the birds and the bees, but kittens grow much faster than people and reach reproductive maturity surprisingly quickly. The average cat has her first estrus (heat) at 6 months old. This means that if you haven’t yet, you may see your kitten go through a heat cycle soon. You might be surprised by how your kitten changes during this time, so make sure you know what to look for.
In cats, the most obvious changes during heat are behavioral. Your kitten will typically become more affectionate, persistently rubbing against you and wanting attention. She will roll often and knead her paws. She will also become very vocal, yowling rather loudly. Your kitten may also mark on vertical surfaces in the house, using the pheromones in her urine to attract male cats. Surprisingly, cats have almost nphysical changes, such as vaginal bleeding, during heat. The average heat cycle lasts approximately a week.
If constant yowling and urinating in the house sounds unpleasant, the bad news is that your cat will keep going into heat about every 3 weeks for the entire breeding season, which can vary by region but generally lasts from January until late fall. Some indoor cats may even cycle all year round!
Unless you‘re a breeder by profession, we recommend spaying your kitten to prevent accidental pregnancies, not to mention to save your carpets and stop the constant yowling.
Spay procedures can be added on to a CareClub® membership. Annual exams, rechecks and sick appointments1 are all included along with the vaccines and yearly preventive services2 your pet needs to support their best health.
CareClub Memberships are preventive pet health care plans and not pet insurance. CareClub Membership covers only the selected health care services and products which are specifically identified in the applicable CareClub Membership agreement.
1. Covered services vary by CareClub plan. Unlimited exams are any exams during regular business hours, excluding specialty, emergency and telemedicine exams. Urgent care exams are available through CareClub until December 31, 2024, at select VCA Animal Hospitals Urgent Care locations.
2. Vaccines may include rabies, feline distemper (Panleukopenia), feline respiratory virus (Rhino, Calici) and feline leukemia (FeLV), depending on your location. Lab work checks for issues like diabetes, liver and kidney disease, parasites and general infections.
