Can Dogs Sense Cat in Heat?

[rodriguezpoultry]

I found my 110 lbs. Lab um...attempting with my 5lbs. cat. She is due for her spay next week. She is approximately 7 months old. She has never been in heat before and I have never had a cat in heat before.

There are no male cats and she is not allowed out of the house at any time.

Is it possible that he can sense she is in heat? Marley is neutered, but wasn't neutered until 3 years, I'm not sure if he was used for breeding purposes.


I can't get the image out of my head and I can no longer look either of them in the eye.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Only YOU, RoPo!! No seriously though, I doubt a dog is enticed by the hormonal scent of a cat in heat. I can't say why he'd be showing "interest" in the kitty.

 

[Tiramisu]

I have no idea on that, just hope that she's not because you'll have to wait a bit longer to get her spayed then

 

[they'reHISchickens]

I would not put it past the dog to *know*. My dairy farmer friend had a bull that would go crazy every time the wife or daughters were having a period. They literally had to stay out of that area of the farm.
Now to say it was enough to do the deed? Thank heavens you got him fixed!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Nope, no waiting. The spay clinic can spay even with a cat in heat.

He's NEVER humped...anything. And he was almost on the floor...I caught him mid-well, you know what. I dropped my load of laundry on the floor. Even when the Shih Tzu comes into heat, not any interest at all.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

they'reHISchickens :

I would not put it past the dog to *know*. My dairy farmer friend had a bull that would go crazy every time the wife or daughters were having a period. They literally had to stay out of that area of the farm.
Now to say it was enough to do the deed? Thank heavens you got him fixed!

Yep! I could have been the owner of the newest litter of catdogs.​

 

[AinaWGSD]

Vets won't spay a dog in heat unless it is an emergency. Cats will cycle continuously if not bred, so once they go into heat, they will continue to go into heat every few weeks and there really isn't any way for a vet to reliably spay them "between" cycles. Vets, all vets, even students in vet schools, spay cats in heat all the time. The risk of spaying a cat in heat are significantly less than those of spaying a dog in heat and the surgery and recovery is pretty much the same regardless of where in their cycle they are.

As for why? Who knows, dogs are weird. I'm sure that with their noses they can sense the same changes that attract male cats. My 85lb german shepherd will only attempt to mount things that are much smaller than he is. Probably because every dog he's ever known that weighed more than 10lbs would have kicked his butt if he had tried. But I have seen him sweep the cat (one cat in particular, a neutered male at that!) with his front foot so that the cat is underneath him and then he humps the air! It's pretty funny, but we do discourage it every chance we get. I've also seen him do this to my dad's papillon. I seriously doubt that it's a sexual thing with him as he was neutered at 13 weeks (before we adopted him from rescue).

 

[dainerra]

Some vets will spay a dog in heat, there is just an extra charge the same as if a dog is pregnant. Here I think it is an additional $25. The price is the same for cats in heat.

I do know many that won't though, because of the increased bleeding in the area.

Humping isn't just about sex in the animal world. It is also a dominant behavior. I've seen rabbits that would hump cats, female dogs that hump male dogs, etc etc Of course he can smell her, but if he doesn't respond "that way" to the shih tzu, then it's not likely that the cat is exciting either.

 

[debilorrah]

If you have question if she is in heat, then she most certainly is NOT. There is no sound worse that a female cat when she comes into season. that God awful wailing 24/7 - she would already be spayed if she went into heat.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Had a bull once that had a very high libido. We kept a mare in the same pasture with him and his 20-30 cows, and she almost severely injured him the first time she went in heat... She didn't like his "extra attention."