When a cat mates, it sounds more like a fight than a romantic encounter.
Sexual maturation and mating season
female cats reach sexual maturity and begin breeding as early as 4 months old. Male cats are usually slightly larger before entering puberty, usually around 6 months.
Longer days and warmer temperatures turn on the breeding season for cats. This season usually lasts from February to October in the Northern Hemisphere and from October to February in the Southern Hemisphere. However, artificial lighting and indoor temperatures mean that some indoor cats may breed year-round.
estrus
When a female cat can accept the attention of male suitors and prepare to reproduce offspring, it is called "estrus period" or "season". This is when the noise starts. Female cats in estrus will make very loud noises to attract males to mating. Their behavior also starts to be a little weird, and even looks like they may be painful or distressed (don't worry, they don't!) Signs of female cats in estrus include:
- uneasy
- loud tremolo or wail (call)
- rub and roll hind (lower her front end and hold her tail in the air)
estrus cycle lasts about 7 to 10 days, repeated every two to three weeks during the breeding season until the cat becomes pregnant (or spay). Tomcats may call back and often compete and fight against each other for females.
Although the screams are a little noisy at this time, the real scream only begins after the mating begins.
Mating behavior
During mating, the male rides on the female and bites her neck to keep her still to show her advantage. Male cats do this to protect themselves—biting is believed to be to relax the female cat and prevent it from turning around and attacking it.
Female will scream during or at the end of mating, and males will join in as a response. Cats’ sexual intercourse is purely functional, so there is no time to fall in love here!
Once the mating is over, the male cat starts to remove his penis, and the female cat’s behavior will become very crazy: her pupils will dilate, and she will cry very loudly or meow. This is not a loss of love, as the female cat often turns around and attacks the male cat and then starts licking her genital area for a few minutes. Normally, she would roll a few times and recover.
Stimulation of ovulation and multiple mating
Cat is a stimulus-based ovulation animal - a female cat needs to mating to release the eggs from the ovaries and be ready for fertilization. Most cats need to mating three to four times within 24 hours to stimulate egg release (ovulation), so they are unlikely to become pregnant after the first mating.
Female cats usually mated with many different males in a short period of time to increase their chances of ovulation and pregnancy, so a litter of kittens may have several different fathers. This may sound a bit messy, but it's all part of the natural way to ensure reproduction success and species survive.
A large amount of mating means a lot of screams, but why is that?
female cats and male cats make sounds when mating, but female cats tend to make some more exaggerated sounds. This is not surprising considering the structure of the male cat's reproductive organs.
The feline's penis is covered with many tiny keratinized spines that trigger ovulation when they are inside the females. These barbs also help to keep the penis in place during mating. This anatomy is a basic anatomical feature that increases the chances of successful mating and pregnancy, but it also brings a tingling experience, so it is part of the reason behind the female cat’s screaming, especially when the penis is removed at the end of mating.
Female cats will also experience hormonal shock during or after mating. This rapid hormonal surge is also believed to play a role in screaming and crazy aggressive behaviors of males after mating.
Can you make your cat stop screaming?
The mating process of the cat is far very quiet. Female cats will get estrus every two to three weeks (or earlier). Both male and female cats are looking for mates, and fighting between male cats is common because they are fighting for the female cat's attention.
This is quite annoying for both cats and their owners.If you are not planning to let your cat breed, the most effective way is to castrate them.
Summary: Cats will scream very loudly before mating, but during mating, they will take this expression to a whole new level. Screaming is part of a normal, healthy mating ritual, even if it seems a bit disturbing or strange to the uninformed. The prickly cat penis, hormone changes, screams and competition among male cats all play a role in making the cat mating process.
