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Avatar universal

One of my male cats behavior

Hi guys, to refresh you memory I had taken in 2 feral kittens from my yard. I recently took in a 3rd because he is the brother of the one and I felt bad. Plus the snow and all of that, couldn't see leaving him outside.

The 2 that I have had in the house before this last one get along great and are very close..They are all fixed..

okay here's my question,,,why would the male at times stand behind the female and grab the skin on the back of her neck? I thought he was getting reading to mate or something, but wondered why, as I thought he wouldn't look to do that being he is neutered. I asked April and she said it sounds like a dominance thing - Alpha. I did think of that too, but I was not sure as I have never had cats. It does seem to happen when the male is on the couch with me, so maybe it IS sort of a dominance or jealousy thing??, though he is very sweet and they do get along other than this weird thing he does now and then.

The latest one I took in is like a squirrel:) He is very much afraid yet and so he hides alot but he is starting to warm up to us too. They really are alot of fun. I never knew this about cats, that they can be very affectionate, well the one male is I should say...But they aren't as easy to take care of as I thought...I feel like I am mucking stalls as they seem to go alot as in amount I mean..

So if anyone knows why he does this biting on the neck thing and whatever your answer is, should I stop him from doing it when he does this?. I have stopped him but I didn't know if I was supposed to incase its some sign of affection or something?

Thanks guys!!;)
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Avatar universal
you've all been a big help.:)

Thanks for the tip on the comb too.
yeah margy my cats are indoor cats but I can understand your concern about tweety being around those other cats that you don't know after hearing this stuff. And "barbs on a cats penis" geesh.


Thanks again!

Helpful - 0
535822 tn?1443976780
oh brother I d know any of this I thought when fixed they all stopped doing anything, so my Tweety could be leapt upon by any male cats in the area I live in, she is inside/outside but never out at night, in the house by 6pm , I have noticed sometimes when cats are around ,and there is a new one arrived at a new neighbors house , she races into the house ,I have seen that cat and it is a big male ,I assumed he is fixed as the neighbor has 2 others old cats .and its hers ..Your info here explains some weird behavior when other cats are around .
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Avatar universal
Ok, pardon my venacular, but what he is doing is called dry humping.  Testicles are only a storage facility for sperm, they have nothing to do with an erection.

Yes, male cats (or dogs or other animals) often grab on to the scruff of their mate's necks to hold them in place.  There may or may not be penetration.  

Here is a short article on the subject:

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5530193_do-neutered-male-cats-erections.html
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134578 tn?1693250592
(She would scream and lash out because the male's penis has barbs on it.  You would know if he had penetrated.)
Helpful - 0
134578 tn?1693250592
I use those covered boxes with big lids, myself.  Yes, kitties' poops can be pretty darn big, about like a human baby, when you think of it, since they are the same size.  (Correction:  when my son came home from the hospital, he weighed 6 lbs. 12 ounces, and the cat weighed 8 lbs. and 14 ounces.)  If you have the space, the ones with lids are pretty nice.

I don't think there really is a sexual penetration going on, the female would scream and lash out.  Without testicles, a male is not going to be able to "get it up," anyway.

If you don't have one, get a really fine-toothed comb.  They make flea combs in England that look a lot like old fashioned mustache combs, and they are sold at pet stores.  My kitties love being combed with them, it makes them purr.

Snuggle the little guys for me.  
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Avatar universal
So you think it might be a sexual thing? hmm, but when they are having sex, do they grab the female by the neck like that?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes it does sound like dominance..

Yes I have heard others say that about males being the sweethearts and that is what I am finding, but the female is still learning to trust us, she gets this crazed look in her eyes sometimes :), so I have to move slowly around her as I go to pet her.
She doesn't let me pick her up, but the male, he loves to be held.. The new guy hides but if he is on the window sill in the downstairs bathroom he is sorta cornered then and he lets me pet him, but I have to train him to come to me when he is out in the open, rather than scurry when he sees me coming. "Lover Boy" sounds cute.

Yes I do have 3 litter boxes but they seem to all want to use the 2 more and the other one, they don't use that one much. Cat box sounds better, I should say that..
I have 2 on one floor and one on the other...I just thought they they go a little tiny bit, like rabbits or something. I really never saw cat poop before, just horse and dog poop:)
And yes I scoop daily. I have no choice as it grosses me and my husband out to have cat boxes in the house. But I am getting used to it. They are out of the way, but just knowing they are there is kinda gross. I had read a few years ago someone had bought a litter box called "Litter Robot" ( I think that is what its called) - it sounded like a good idea, but 3 would cost a fortune if I remember the price it was high..

Thanks Annie, I am having fun. I love these guys..
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Cats, especially kittens, still have adolescent raging hormones at times, even after they are neutered.  Just as in people, removing the equipment doesn't mean they don't still have sex, just that they don't procreate.  Young neutered males seem more prone to this than spayed females.  It should subside as he gets older.  As long as the female doesn't seem to mind, I wouldn't worry about it.
Helpful - 0
134578 tn?1693250592
It sure could be dominance stuff, dogs do that all the time.  Females mount females, males mount males, it's just a way of saying "I'm number one around here."

In my experience, the males are always the sweethearts.  Females sometimes, males very often.  I have a white cat who I simply call Lover Boy.  They also often have a more deep and musical purr, which is a really nice thing.

Have fun!

ps -- Three cats is a lot.  If you have space, get three catboxes, and get used to scooping daily.  It helps.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your kind words opus.
Yes these guys are so cute, I couldn't see leaving the last one out as he was very lonely without them, hanging close to the house all the time..
And I worried alot -I couldn't imagine leaving him out in the winter weather.

Its hard to say exactly how old he was - but he was a kitten when he first came around.  
He may have been 6 to 8 weeks or maybe a bit more when he first showed up?
Its hard, never having cats, its hard for me to guess age.
I can usually guess a dogs age on the money, but cats - no experience.
The vet guessed maybe 6 or7 months old when we had him fixed  - if I remember correctly.
I would have to ask my husband, I'm not sure.
But okay, now that I know it is a dominance thing, I will definitely stop him again when he does it.
He's very smart and I know he will catch on that he is not to do that to her anymore.

It almost seemed like she wanted him to bite her neck last night as she sat in front of him with her back to him.
The first time he did it I waited for a minute to see why he was doing it, but then she let out a squeak, so I quickly pulled him off her..

He is real sweet, I don't want to make it sound like he is a mean cat, he loves her and was fine when I let the last guy in the house.. but he is just so close to me and it almost seemed like he was jealous she came over to sit with us. Yet most times he is okay with us all sitting together or on the bed.
He is on my lap as I am typing this:)... I enjoy that he is affectionate because he reminds me of having a dog.

yes the work is worth the love they give and they are so funny. Plus they are alot less work than a dog. No daily walks in cold weather:)

Thanks so much for your help. I'll let April know she was right:)
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
that was a very kind and considerate of you to take the last little one in, winters are so very hard on these poor little guys, I'm so glad there are people like you still around.

can you tell me was the male older than 5-6 months when he got fixed?....it mainly is a dominance thing yes, but it can also be due to not getting fixed at a young enough age...I have a male like this too, he was 6 months(so they said) when I got him and immediately had him neutered,  I had a female in the house up until 2 yrs ago and he always tried to breed her long after he was fixed.....

I really don't think there is anyway to stop this behavior that I know of...

yes they are alot of work, but hon they will give back to you many times in entertainment, affection and unconditional love, love and nourishment is all they ask in return...small price to pay.♥
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