The menopause is the term used to explain the cessation of reproductive agein the human female. Ovarian depletion and decreased hormone levels cause the withdrawal of menstruation. Our reproductive cycle bears little or no resemblance to that of a cat, so, Do cats have menopause?
If you want to know how old kittens are, some age-related changes in mood and/or behavior of cats, we will answer these and other questions in this article on our site.
Puberty in cats
Puberty is marked when the kittens have the first heat This occurs between 6 and 9 months of age in hair breeds short, which are earlier in reaching adult size. In long-haired breeds, puberty can be delayed up to 18 months. The onset of puberty is also influenced by the photoperiod (daylight hours) and the latitude(northern or southern hemisphere).
Cat reproductive cycle
Cats have a Seasonal Pseudo-Polyester Cycle of Induced Ovulation This means they have Multiple estrusthroughout the year, which usually start between January and February and end between June and November. This is so because, as we said before, the cycles are influenced by the photoperiod, so when the days begin to lengthen after the winter solstice, their cycles begin and, when the hours of daylight that the day has begin to decrease after the solstice of summer, female cats begin to stop their cycles.
On the other hand, induced ovulation means that, only when copulation with a male occurs, the ovules are released in order to be fertilized. Due to this, each copulation will give rise to a kitten, each brother being able to be from a different father. As a curiosity, this is an effective method that nature has to prevent infanticide by males, who do not know which kittens are theirs and which are not.
If you want to delve deeper into the reproductive cycle of cats take a look at the article on our site "All about heat in cats - Male and female".
Menopause in cats
From the age of seven we can begin to observe irregularities in the cycles, in addition, the litters become less numerous. The fertile age of cats ends at around twelve years. At this time, the cat decreases its reproductive activity and stops being able to keep offspring inside the uterus, therefore, they will no longer be able to have kittens. Because of all this, cats don't have menopause, just fewer cycles and the inability to have puppies.
Until what age do cats have kittens?
During this long period between when reproductive cessation begins and the cat finally stops having litters, there are many hormonal changes, for what will be very common to begin to observe in our feline changes in its behavior. The most striking will be that they will no longer be so jealous and that they will also not be so often. In general, she will be calmer, although in this critical phase different behavioral problems may appear, such as aggressiveness or more complicated pseudopregnancies (psychological pregnancy).
He alth problems associated with old age
Linked to these hormonal changes, cats can develop very serious diseases such as breast cancer or feline pyometra (uterus infection, fatal if surgery is not applied). In a study by the scientist Margaret Kuztritz (2007), it was determined that the non-sterilization of cats before their first heat increased the chances of suffering from malignant tumors of the breast, ovary or uterus and pyometra, especially in the Siamese breed and the Japanese domestic breeds.
Joined to all these changes will also appear those that are linked to the aging of the cat. Normally, most of the behavior changes that we will see will be related to the appearance of diseases, such as arthritis in cats or the appearance of urinary problems.
This species, as occurs in dogs or humans, also suffers cognitive dysfunction syndrome This syndrome is characterized by impaired of the nervous system, mainly the brain, which will lead to the appearance of behavioral problems due to a decrease in the cat's cognitive abilities.
Now you know that cats do not have menopause, but they go through a critical period where we must be more aware of them and thus avoid major problems.
