Can Male Cats Go Into Heat? Everything Kitty Owners Need To Know

Cats are reserved feline creatures who do not like new environments and can be aggressive with new acquaintances.

Male cats do not go through a heat cycle the same way female cats go through heat cycles. Females' heat cycles allow them to become pregnant and raise a litter of kittens.

Male and female cats in heat are known to express their fertility desires during the breeding season and usually become anxious by showing symptoms of urine spraying, fleeing, and noises such as yowling. Both female and male cats are known to go into heat cycles and show similar symptoms before they mate.

There are many different factors that affect their behaviors after attaining sexual maturity.

A vet consultation must be your priority if you spot urine spray around the house as it might also be indicative of urinary tract infection. This is not always the case, and it might vary from cat to cat. During the mating season, when your cat matures sexually, you should always be considerate about your cat's health.

If you enjoy reading this article about cats' behavior, then do read some other interesting and surprising fun facts articles about if cats bleed when they are in heat and how often cats go into heat.

What makes a male cat go into heat?

Unlike a female cat, a male cat does not go into heat. A male cat shows some symptoms which makes it look like a male cat in heat.

The heat cycle in a cat is mostly observed during the breeding season among female cats who have reached their sexual maturity. Once reproductive organs such as ovaries and the uterus grow in female cats, they go through a cycle called the heat cycle or estrous cycle.

The heat cycle takes place in mammals when eggs are released before mating, and this period is called ovulation.

The behavior of the female cat is a little different, and eggs are only released until the time they do not breed. A female cat in heat is a sign that the cat may breed. While you might never observe a male cat in heat, some symptoms similar to those of a female cat might be evident.

Male cats in heat show different signs such as aggressiveness, spraying, and fighting. Pet male cats may even confine their territory and become more affectionate towards their owners. Outside of their mating season or weeks of estrous, males are known to show the same signs of behavior until they have gone through the process of neutering or spaying.

When do male cats go into heat?

The male cat is in a heat-like period during mating season when its female counterpart goes through the heat cycle, taking other factors into consideration, such as health and breed.

Both male and female kittens reach their age of sexual maturity when they between four months old and six months old. You usually see a female cat in heat when it is a minimum of six months old, but it might vary from species to species, somewhere between 4-12 months.

It is similar in the case of male kittens. The health and a cat's breed also matter a lot.

Cats generally go into a heat period for a few weeks during the time of seasonal mating because they are polyestrous by nature. In the northern hemisphere, cats breed from February to October.

Male kittens naturally have a surge of testosterone when they are born, but the required testosterone level is attained when they are three months old with growth in their reproductive organs.

It is necessary for cats to mate during the female's estrus cycle. The male kitten matures fully by six to seven months of age and its reproductive organs reach their required size by then as well.

The male cat's sperm can then impregnate female cats and pregnancy can occur in females from their very first heat cycle. The heat in males occurs in respone to the female's behavior to mate in her heat cycle, and cats naturally calm down once they have mated.

Can neutered or spayed male cats go into heat?

No, if your pet male cat has gone through the process of neutering or spaying, then it will not go into heat cycles.

To spay or neuter your male cat is one of the best ways to calm your male cats, especially during the mating season. Many times, it really becomes difficult to handle aggressive male cats or kittens because they want to mate with female kittens or cats in heat.

If a female cat is in heat, then no doubt her behavior will induce the male cat's behavior too.

Different behaviors of a cat are evident, such as urine spraying, vocalizing, and estrus posture. A neutered or spayed male cat is the only option left to calm a cat down.

Once the male cat spots the female cat, it becomes restless until these cats mate. Once you have spayed or neutered your male pet, then you must also be aware of behaviors that a male or female kitten or cat might show.

Visiting a vet is a must. If the vet suggests you spay your cat, then you should go for it.

Neutering a male cat generally reduces the chances of testicular cancer and other prostate problems are also reduced. The health of your pet cat must be the utmost priority. Whatever steps you take to calm down the heat in a cat, its health must not be ignored.

Can male cats cause female cats to go into heat?

No, a male cat will never cause the female cat to go into heat. A female cat in heat can cause the male cat to get restless in order to mate.

The female cat in a heat cycle provokes the male cat in order to mate and get pregnant. Even if you do not have a female cat at your place, your male cat can sense and smell female pheromones if there is a female cat in heat outside your house or in your yard.

A cat in heat shows different behavior and signs.

If your male cats become restless, they might even feel pain until they mate with females. They might become aggressive. Male cats stress out and show anxiety, which could create health issues for the litter of kittens. Be smart when it comes to cats and their health.

Signs That Your Male Cat Is In Heat

A female cat in heat is backed by science, but a male cat in heat has not been observed. However, they do resemble some signs similar to those of a female cat in a heat cycle, such as excessive licking, rolling on the floor, spraying urine, vocalizing, wanting to go out, and displaying mounting behavior.

A male cat never goes through the heat cycle. Female cats are known to go through the heat cycle.

The heat cycle of the female cat ensures her pregnancy. Both sexes are known to exhibit some signs in order to attract each other prior to pregnancy in females. The female cat will call out to the male cat using vocals such as meowing.

Both the male and female will spray urine to mark their territory and males will smell pheromones of females. Male cats generally get restless and crazy once they sense female cats in and around their area. They might turn aggressive due to pain in their reproductive organs which could also turn into a urinary tract infection.

They might even show their willingness to go out of the house. Excessive licking of reproductive organs is also evident in these animals. Noises like crying and meowing increases during the nighttime.

They become intolerant of new animals around them. This might stress out any other cat in your home and cause it to become anxious. Many times, a vet consultation is recommended in these cases.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for can male cats go into heat, then take a look at how to deworm a cat or ragdoll cat fun facts for kids.