Why do female cats scream during mating?
It is well observed that a female cat will scream, screech or become very aggressive during or just after mating with the tomcat. When cats mate they caterwaul and it can be quite loud.
The reason for this aggressive behaviour is that the tom cat’s penis has little barbs or spines on it.
When the penis is inserted the spines lay flat, but when withdrawing the penis, the spines cause a raking action on the female’s cat’s vagina, causing pain, and so the female reacts by attacking the male.
Why does the tom cat’s penis have spines?
Female (virgin) cats who have not mated do not ovulate. The pain caused the first time the female cat mates causes shock, initiating the ovulation cycle (this will take a little over 24 hours to actually begin).
The female is then ‘on intense heat’ for around 3 days. A queen may mate as quickly as 30 minutes after the first copulation.
Why does the male (tomcat) bite the female on the neck during mating?
This all explains why the female cat is so angry and tries to swipe the male, and also why the male has to be very careful not to get injured – hence why he holds the female by the neck (scruff of the neck).
How does the male cat know when the female is ready to mate?
When the female cat calls (this means she is in ‘oestrus’) she will roll over and cry out, especially if there is a male around. She will hold her tail up and at one side, she may also take on a crouching position. The male can then grasp her by the scruff of the neck and mount the female. The number of times a cat comes into oestrus varies dependant upon the breed and whether the cat is an indoor or outdoor cat. In outdoor cats the season usually lasts between January and August, indoor cats may ‘call’ throughout the year without the natural stimulus of the outdoor environment.
It is unusual for cats to refuse to mate. Female cats normally reach puberty at around 5 – 6 months old, although this can be up to a year old for some breeds.
What is the ‘brotherhood’ in cat mating?
Cats can mate several or more times, up to ten times in one hour.
The female cat may mate with more than one tomcat.
The successful male may have other hopeful tomcats waiting to mate with the female cat when the first male cat becomes exhausted.
Waiting male cats hoping to mate are known as the ‘brotherhood’.
The female cat will display signs (provocative behaviour) to another male and then allow him to mate.
Mating does not last long and can be over in a minute or less.
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