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Reproductive behaviors of the female cat, or queen, vary depending on the stage of her estrous cycle. High levels of estrogen are necessary for ovulation and initiation of estrus, or “heat” phase. As estrogen levels start to rise early in the cycle (proestrus), the queen shows courtship behaviors, such as increased activity and the appearance of a distinct estrus call vocalization. She also displays frequent rubbing of cheeks, head, flank, and back on various substrates as well as rolling and spraying urine to advertise her estrus status. Another defining queen behavior displayed during courtship is the lordosis posture—crouching with perineal area lifted vertically and back legs treading. Estrus behaviors occur regardless of a male cat’s presence. In the proestrus phase, the queen displays courtship behaviors but acts aggressively if the male (tom) cat tries to mount. She only becomes immobile and allows mounting and biting of the neck as she enters the estrus phase and estrogen levels rise. Felids are induced ovulators, meaning physical stimulation of the vagina is needed to trigger release of an egg from the ovary (Hart and Hart 2014b).

Tomcats are drawn to the estrus female via olfactory cues. His courtship behavior is a sequence of genital sniffing, displaying the gaping or flehmen response, and then using teeth to grasp the nape of the queen’s neck before mounting. The tom also treads his back legs during mounting and intercourse. The female reacts strongly at the time of intromission, likely a result of hyperstimulation or discomfort from the tomcat penile spines. She produces a loud shriek accompanied by dilated pupils and darting away from the male (Houpt 2018).

Natural mating behavior consists of frequent copulations (approximately every 10 minutes for several hours) of less than 1 minute. In a free‐ranging cat environment, this mating strategy provides an opportunity for multiple males to mate with a queen during estrus. Numerous toms surround the queen and try to displace each other during or between copulation. Thus, multiple paternity within litters is common. Estrus ends about two days post‐ovulation, but an unbred cat will cycle approximately every three weeks throughout the breeding season, which is January through October in the Northern Hemisphere (Houpt 2018).