Do female cats bleed?

Do female cats bleed i.e. have periods? Domestic cat in heat. Photo: Vetbook.org

The question in the title is a roundabout way of asking if female cats have periods. As female cats come into heat in cycles (the estrus cycle) we have to make sure we understand what a human period (cycle) means in terms of menstruation and ask if cats have the same thing.

Women obviously know what a period is but some men might not. If pregnancy does not occur, and except during pregnancy, it is the monthly discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the lining of the uterus via the vagina.

Cats don’t do this. They don’t have ‘periods’ as described. They are induced ovulators – the physical act of mating causes the female to ovulate rather than it automatically occuring. Therefore the answer to the question is that female cats do not ‘bleed’ in this meaning of the term.

However, Drs Llera and Yuill at VCA Hospitals write online that uncommonly you might observe feline vaginal bleeding during estrus. I’ve added that bit of information for completeness but it does not change the answer as stated in the paragraph above.

The most common signs of estrus in cats are behavioural and you can read about that by clicking on this link. Click on this link to read about feline pregnancy.

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