Do Female Cats Get Periods?

1 Do Female Cats Have Periods?

First, to discuss whether they do, we must understand human periods.

In short, menstruation is bleeding from the shedding of an unfertilized egg and some thickened uterine lining cells.

In fact all placental mammals have a cycle, but medically only primates (humans, chimpanzees) experience what is called menstruation; in other animals it is not called estrus.

Is estrus the same as a period?

In fact, if a cat mates during estrus to stimulate ovulation but is not fertilized, the egg is destroyed by uterine white blood cells and not expelled, so there is no bleeding like in humans – unlike human females.

Cats are special during estrus, using a unique ovulation method to maximize a limited number of eggs.

Unlike humans and many mammals with cyclical ovulation, cats must receive mating stimulation during estrus to release eggs.

Why? In nature cats are mostly solitary, so during breeding season they rarely find a mate. To avoid wasting eggs, they ovulate only after finding at least one boyfriend.

Compared with a kitten’s estrus, human periods are gentler. Unlike human women who want to lie down, shop online, and drink warm water, an estrous queen is driven by instinct to find a mate, showing these behaviors:

Uncontrollable loud vocalizing

Spraying urine to attract a mate.

Hormone-driven poor appetite and restlessness, ready to go at any time

A queen’s estrus begins in spring as days lengthen and stops as it cools. Each lasts about 7-14 days; if not pregnant, it restarts in 14-21 days – more diligent than a period.

So these symptoms likely mean estrus; to avoid it, spay your cat – care for her starts with scientific spaying.