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Why does my cat collapse when trying to mate? Is she sick?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Persian | Female | unspayed | 7 lbs

I have a female queen in heat readily accepting a male to mate; however, when he gets to the point that he has slid down far enough to actually mate her, she will suddenly collapse her hind legs and sort of fall to the side making it difficult for him to get access. Have you heard of this before? Is it a maturity issue, and do you think she would eventually figure it out that she needs to stay upright long enough for the sire to get to her.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Linda G,  MS, DVM

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 29th, 2019

Hello. It is important to have a thorough physical exam done on this queen to make sure there are no underlying physical or medical reasons for her lack of acceptance to the tom. Your veterinarian should do vaginal cytology to confirm her point in the estrus cycle. If no abnormalities or problems are found, sometimes a very light dose of a mild sedative can be used. If all else fails, artificial insemination can be tried, but it can take up to 3 months to train a tom to cooperate. But first, make sure Patches is totally healthy & pain free. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
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