We have just adopted a 6-month old female kitten and find that our neutered 2-year old male is attacking her, biting her neck, and attempting to mount her. Is this normal "neutered male cat" behavior?
Hello Deborah
Congratulations on your new addition to the family!
Mounting and humping is a natural behavior that intact male cats display.
Neutered male cats may exhibit mounting for several reasons:
- Humping may be related to social stress and anxiety due to environmental changes like introduction of a new kitten.
- Health related problems
- Competition for resources in multi-cat households.
- Territoriality associated.
Please don’t’ place both cats together straight away. Set up a dedicated room and introduce them in several stages, please follow this advice: https://cats.com/how-to-help-cats-get-along .
Reduce anxiety and stress with the aid of a Feliway Multicat (please plug it continuously for 30 days) and enlarge both cats territory by increasing vertical space with elevated walkways and high cat trees.
Another way to tackle the mounting behavior is to redirect him to another activity by tossing a toy or playing with a favorite game.
Lastly, provide multiple resources in several locations to reduce competition for both cats with the addition of hiding and calming spots.
Ultimately try to distract and refocus the cat's attention before he engages in the behavior and avoid any type of punishment once the introduction is complete. If all else fails, please consult your vet or a qualified cat behaviorist.
Hope this helps
Melina
@melina-grin Thank you for your advice!! They've been together for 3 months, and the "mounting" activity just began about 1 month ago. We'll keep an eye on them, follow your advice, and consult a vet if nothing else helps. Thanks again!!