Why Do Cats Roll Around After Mating?

Feline body language can sometimes be pretty baffling, especially seeing that certain actions can often have more than a single meaning. If you notice your female cat rolling around on the ground post-mating, however, you can be pretty sure that she's not trying to express her trust in you, but rather partaking in a normal mating after reaction.

  1. Rolling as an After Reaction

    • Female cats usually allot tomcats roughly half a minute to mate with them. Once the mating is finito, female cats promptly and often temporarily change gears, frequently behaving aggressively and fiercely. They then usually start frantically rolling their bodies around over the floor -- their way of cleaning up. This rolling behavior is often accompanied by licking of the private regions, also for cleaning purposes. The duration of the rolling is usually a maximum of 10 minutes.

    Repeated Mating

    • The frenzied rolling around on the floor is in no way an indication that the female cat is done with mating for the day. It isn't uncommon for cats to mate over and over again over the span of a day. If a cat is willing to mate again, she'll make it abundantly clear to any waiting tomcats who happen to be in the vicinity. She might do this by lightly brushing or pressing her body against his, for example. The "break times" for mating vary greatly. Some are as brief as five minutes, while others are as lengthy as half an hour. Note that the breaks tend to be a lot shorter in the beginning.

    Tomcats After Mating

    • Rolling around post-mating is not a behavior that is characteristic of tomcats, only of the girls. Once male cats are done with mating, they instead typically leave the scene promptly -- perhaps to boast about their "accomplishment" to any other felines in the area.

    Estrus and Rolling

    • Funnily enough, rolling around is a typical female cat behavior before and after mating. When female cats are in estrus, they frequently express their urge to mate by rolling over on the floor, too. This rolling behavior is often seen in conjunction with other "estrus signs," including elevation of the rear end and excessively "loving" behavioral patterns in general. Excessive vocalization also is a key sign of a cat in estrus, whether through meowing, purring or both.