Do female Persian cats have menses?

Answer 1

No, not as such, only humans and the great apes experience a true 'menstrual cycle'. Cats and most other lower mammals are subject to the alternative, 'oestrus cycle'. There are several physiological as well as behavioural distinctions.

Menses occurs several days after ovulation and signals an end to the fertile period of the cycle. If conception has not occurred during this time, the endometrium is shed along with it's accompanying egg. This is the discharge experienced during menstruation.

Oestrus, or 'heat', such as that experienced by the feline in question, signals the onset of the fertile, post-ovulation period and is normally accompanied by a time of sexual receptivity and arousal. This time of 'heat' will be unmistakable (nee unforgettable..) in your normally sanguine kitty! She will initially seem unusually affectionate with a seemingly endless capacity for attention. This is often signalled by a low, throaty mewling which may embarass the fastidious among us with it's immodesty. If not sated, this will ramp up to a near frenzied state and may or may not be accompnied by a slight bloody discharge. If conception does not occur, the cessation of the receptive state is marked by the reabsorption of the endometrium et al, consequently there is no period of discharge.

This experience, if frustrated, is at least as troubling to kitty as it is to you. If you don't plan on breeding your pet, be kind and spay