How long heat last? Please help!?

The entire heat cycle spans five stages. During proestrus, which lasts about two days, the cat is attractive to a male, but she is not willing to mate. A cat in proestrus may start becoming vocal, and raise her hind end. During estrus, the period when a cat's body is receptive to sexual activity, her behavior will be more affectionate, increasingly vocal and even frantic. Estrus can last from three to 16 days, with an average of seven days, before subsiding for three to 14 days. A cat only ovulates, or releases an egg from the ovary, if she mates; if no ovulation takes place, her body goes into interestrus, the time between estrus periods and then back to proestrus.

If ovulation occurs, diestrus follows. If the cat is pregnant, her body secretes progesterone. Her pregnancy will last around 60 days. If she is not pregnant, diestrus is termed a false pregnancy, and lasts about 40 days. During late fall and winter, when the fertility cycle diminishes, the cat's body is in anestrus, an inactive period.

I just got over the torture of having my female going into heat off and on. It's called Estrus actually. I finally got her spayed. She was driving me crazy! All the meowing, yowling, rolling around, butt up in the air just was TOO much. She's an angel now.

But as for your question. I can only go by my cat. And btw she's had a litter previously. I think that really matters and it's far worse if they've mated and had a litter than those females who haven't.

She would go into Estrus every 9 to 10 days and it would last for about 9 days.

It's great though that you will be getting her spayed because it is VERY uncomfortable for them to go through. Plus if you let them go continuously into estrus they can develop a very dangerous condition called Pyometra.

Pyometra is an infection of the uterus that usually occurs about six weeks after the end of the heat cycle of the female. During heat, the uterine immune function is suppressed, thereby allowing bacteria to enter the uterus and cause the infection. Once infected, the uterus will be swollen and filled with pus and toxins. Without treatment, the cat will die.

So I plan on getting my other three spayed as well, and kudos to you for doing the same!

heat can last a few days to a week or two

it is the same with most animals, horses, cows, ect.

until she get's a mate or releases the liquid that she keeps licking at.