Whenever the New Year is over and the weather gets warmer, looking at the scenery outside the window, the classic words of Teacher Zhao Zhongxiang in "Animal World" seem to echo in my mind: "Spring is here, everything revives, and it's time for animals to mate. season." Regarding the topic of mating, cats are different from animals in nature. Since cats are "greenhouse animals" and live in indoor environments all year round, as long as the temperature is suitable, cats will be in "estrus" at any time throughout the year.

Recently, many cat friends have asked me, "Can I give my cat the so-called "abstinence powder" medicine sold online?" But I am worried that eating it will have adverse effects on the cat's body. So let’s talk about this today. Are there really drugs that can suppress cats’ estrus? There are drugs that suppress cats’ estrus, but they are “three-part poison.” If you want to suppress cats’ estrus for a long time, you need to use drugs for a long time. For the health and safety of cats, It is recommended that sterilization surgery be the best option to solve the problem of estrus. At present, the drug that I can find that can effectively suppress cats' estrus is Depo-M (destruction and anti-ovulation injection). The active ingredient in it is mainly medroxyprogesterone acetate. The capacity of one bottle is 3ml. For cats, it is best to control the dosage to 1ml. The effect will last about 3 months.

It is a hormonal drug, and long-term use has certain potential risks. Excessive use will cause damage to the cat’s kidney function to a certain extent, so it is not recommended for cats with liver and kidney diseases. It will also greatly increase the risk of cats suffering from mammary gland, pyometra, osteoporosis and other diseases. It is undeniable that it is helpful in formulating the cattery's breeding plan and allows breeders to be more flexible in choosing the time for cat breeding. However, it is not recommended to use it unless necessary. For pet families, the best destination for cats is to have them neutered. There is no need to say more about the benefits of sterilization.

Can cats eat "abstinence powder" when they are in heat?

Have you ever thought that most of the "abstinence powders" sold on the market are IQ taxes? Anyone who has learned some knowledge about veterinary drugs knows that drugs that can control animal estrus contain hormones, which means that only hormone drugs are used. Only then can you control your cat’s estrus. The "abstinence powder" sold on a certain website is not the same thing. According to the merchant's description, it does not clearly state that it contains hormone drugs, and the ingredients are mostly traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. Let’s take a look at the traditional Chinese medicine ingredients contained in common “abstinence powder”:

Polygonum multiflorum vine: It is a traditional Chinese medicinal material that nourishes blood and calms the nerves.It has the effect of dispelling wind and dredging collaterals, and mainly treats symptoms such as restlessness, insomnia, and dreaminess.

Poria: Chinese medicinal material, used for edema and oliguria, phlegm and fluid retention, dizziness and palpitations, spleen deficiency and lack of food, loose stools and diarrhea, restlessness, palpitation and insomnia.

Ziziphus jujube kernel: Chinese medicinal material, often used for fatigue, insomnia, panic, palpitation and dreaminess.

You won’t know if you don’t look at it, but you will be shocked when you look at it. It is more like hypnosis than abstinence. With so many sleeping ingredients, it is still unknown whether it can suppress cats’ estrus. In addition, it is also unknown whether traditional Chinese medicine will cause toxic side effects to cats. But what is certain is that this will not solve the cat’s estrus problem at all. What’s interesting is that the addition of other ingredients, such as vitamins, trace element powder, chicken liver powder, etc., makes this abstinence powder look more like a nutritional supplement. I don’t know if it has any effect after taking it, but there are many cat friends on the Internet who have feeding problems. It’s better not to gamble with the cat’s health. Just take the pet to the family to neuter it honestly.

For breeding families, if drug intervention is not necessary for the problem of estrus, the following measures can also be taken: Isolation of male and female cats, interior design of catteries, male cat rooms and female cat rooms should be established from early on . This design benefit can slow down the number of times male and female cats go into heat. Breeding class: The "cotton swab method" for cattery population planning. Because female cats ovulate by insertion, using cotton swabs to simulate ovulation can stimulate the female cat to ovulate, causing a false pregnancy and thus stopping estrus. It is worth noting that if this method does not pay attention to hygiene, it will easily increase the risk of pyometra in female cats. "Out of sight, out of mind" does not make any intervention. Usually the female cat is in estrus for about a week, and will return to normal after that.