There’s no hitting around the bush—Cats love to hump. Occasionally their humping target can be their favorite toy, sometimes it can be your arm or your leg or sometimes it can be that pretty- cute cat in the garden.
Regardless of your discomfiture, it’s significant to know that cat humping is a perfectly natural behavior. Neutering is known to prevent high-spirited incidents, but it may not always be sufficient to eliminate all the undesirable behavior of your male cat: like humping.
Neutered cat hump for several reasons and not all humping causes are sexual. Residual hormones, late neutering, or recent neutering can be one of the reasons for cat humping behavior in neutered cats.
If you are still reading the article then the chances are higher- that you have a neutered cat who still indulges in habit of humping, despite sterilization.
Don’t worry, I feel your ache and puzzlement.
To understand why your neutered cat still humps, keep reading the article further and check out the logic behind cat humping and why neutering isn’t always a hindrance.
Key Takeaways
- Humping in cats is a common behavior that may continue after neutering.
- It can take 6-8 weeks and occasionally, months or even a year for the humping to stop.
- Neutering a cat does not instantly halt humping behavior.
- Other factors that may be responsible for humping behavior in neutered cats include: recently neutered cats, power, overstimulation, a way to play, early neutering, and health issues.
- To reduce humping behavior in neutered cats, owners can try: increasing physical exercise and mental stimulation, denying humping behavior, distracting the cat, giving rewards for not humping, and visiting the vet for professional advice and medical treatment.
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Do Neutered Cats Still Try To Hump?
Most of us assume that once our cat is neutered, the humping habit halt entirely.
But is it so?
Well, in most cases this is valid, neutering alone may not stop your cat’s humping behavior. Vets suggest it can take up to 6-8 weeks after neutering for excess testosterone levels to leave your cat’s body.
Now you must be relaxed, “hash!! Just 6-8 weeks then my cat won’t hump anymore”
Sorry for breaking the fantasy, but your cat can still continue to hump even after that time span of hormonal deactivation. Sometimes cats may hump out of stress or anxiety, excitement or affection, boredom or dominance.
Must Read: Why Do Neutered Male Cats Try To Mate With Spayed Female Cats?
Is It Normal For Neutered Cat To Hump?
Yes, humping is normal and acceptable conduct in your neutered Tom.
As humping is not always linked to mating or sexual desire. It can occur due to uneasiness, anxiety disorder, or over-excitement.
If you have a neutered cat you must have noticed that he humps your leg when you get ready to go for an evening walk (he is feeling excited to go out with you), or he humps you when you have any new kitty around (he feels anxious), or he humps his toys when he has nothing to do (he is feeling bored)
So, it’s not always about being neutered cat or not, it’s about being a cat- and that’s enough reason to hump.
But as a pet parent, it’s your responsibility to redirect the humping behavior in your neutered cat. First try to train him to follow your basic orders – like sitting, eating properly, walking by your side, etc.
Once you feel he is listening to your command, use that achievement to redirect the habit of humping.
In supposition, neutering should eradicate humping in male cats because once sterilized, their testosterone level declines. But the fact is that neutering may not entirely halt the humping conduct in a large ratio in your feline.
Though neutered, a male cat is still a ‘he’ by nature. He gains tiny spurts of testosterone from defused sex hormones too.
But let me be clear, being male isn’t the only reason for humping behavior, even females or spayed females get involved in humping.
Interesting Read: Why Do Female Cats Hump?
Neutered male cats are better behaved than their intact cousins, and their character is down to individual personality, genetics, and socialization rather than hormones. The behaviors described below are typical of an intact adult male cat.
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Why Does My Neutered Cat Still Hump After Being Neutered?
Humping in cats is apparently a little bizarre behavior, but it’s not at all uncommon.
In common cases, the humping habit of cats ceases after being fixed. The humping may not halt instantly after neutering.
It can take 6-8 weeks and occasionally, months or even a year.
Though after neutering your cat will have a dramatic reduction in testosterone levels but that doesn’t mean, there are no sexual hormones in your Tom- It is there but too reduced to be concerned about, for example, reduced progesterone in female cats.
Basically, you can say that neutering a cat also isn’t the end of feline humping behavior, particularly not overnight. A lot of additional aspects could potentially turn on humping in your kitty, those factors can consist of depression and less exercise.
Here are some of the other factors that may be responsible for humping behavior in neutered cats.
1. Recently Neutered Cat
If your cat is recently neutered, then the chances become higher that he will continue his habit of humping other cats, toys, or even you.
When a cat is neutered, his high levels of testosterone don’t necessarily drop fully. As a consequence, you might still observe highly hormonal activities e.g., blanket humping by your neutered cat, especially in the initial 6-8 weeks, after neutering.
You might worry that this unsought behavior of humping in your neutered will be continued forever.
But the good news is that he will reduce humping after a couple of months. The humping behavior of your neutered cat will go on decreasing with the decrease in his hormone level.
2. Power
Your Tom believes in dominating, doesn’t matter if he is neutered or not. Humping is a way for your neutered cat to say – “Hey, I’m the bigger cat, I have the power, don’t try to poke your nose in my territory”.
In case someone or some other pet is causing him to sense insecurity or susceptibility, then don’t be amazed if he reacts by humping.
As well as humping is a way to mark territory in cats. Cats are solitary animals they believe in securing their territory from other cats. Humping helps them to feel secure about their social realm.
3. Overstimulation
Mostly humping isn’t a mating behavior in neutered cats. Excitement, anxiety, and stress are enough to initiate humping.
Try to be clear that this is positively a normal part of being a cat and think of methods to de-stress or settle down an over-excited Tom as a form of prevention.
Neutered cats use humping as self-stimulation. Whenever you notice some sudden changes in your neutered cat be alarmed that he is up to start humping.
Signs That a Cat is Becoming Overstimulated
According to feline behavior resources overstimulation in cats
The cat’s pupils start to dilate (become larger and rounder). The ears go flat or face backward or to the side. The cat’s skin starts twitching. The cat makes a quick head turn to watch your hand while you’re petting them.
Interesting Read: Can A Neutered Male Cat Bite A Female Spayed Cat?
4. A Way To Play
Humping can sometimes be a sign of playful behaviors in dogs, nothing more and nothing less. This is particularly common in canines who didn’t receive a lot of interactive play experience as puppies, whether alongside their littermates or any other young dogs.
It’s not uncommon for neutered cats who love playing, to take turns humping one another as they flub around, more out of playing than sexual impulses. Redirecting your cat from this behavior will be the best way to handle it.
5. Early Neutered
Late neutering means your cat already knows about humping behavior. So, it is normal that he will continue this behavior even after neutering.
In most cases, owners think that early humping can be problematic for their cats.
But the fact is that your cat enters sexual maturity after 5 months. So, it’s best to sterilize your cat before reaching the maturity period.
Cats reach sexual maturity at about 5 months of age, more and more people are advocating lowering the spay/neuter age to 4 to 5 months (early spay/neuter) and support early spay/neuter in animal shelters.
Dr. Bushby, a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, is a board-certified surgeon
6. Health Issues
Health issues are a common wrongdoer behind humping behaviors in neutered cats. Nevertheless, make any presumptions as to why your neutered cat might be humping.
A few of the diseases that are often related to feline humping are skin allergies, flea outbreaks, feline urinary incontinence, and UTIs.
Be very active to discuss your concern with your vet, as any of these ailments can be risky in coming future.
Interesting Read: Why Is My Male Cat Attacking Spayed Female?
How Long After Neutering Will My Cat Stop Mounting?
It may take weeks, sometimes even months or years for your cat to stop mounting after getting neutered.
When most cats are neutered, this type of behavior ceases.
However, the behavior may not stop immediately after castration surgery.
It could take weeks, months, or even years in some cases.
After neutering, testosterone levels drop dramatically, but the hormone remains present.
Even after being neutered, the male may become stimulated enough by the scent of a nearby female cat in heat to try to mount her.
Even a neutered male can engage in mounting behavior with a spayed female.
According to veterinary experts, this could be due to the fact that the female does not smell like a male.
Because intact males can detect the odor of a female in heat from a long distance, the female, even if not emitting the scent of being in heat, may have enough of a scent to trigger the male.
Interesting Read: Why Does Your Cat Hump Blankets? Understanding the Reasons
High levels of social stress can cause mounting behavior as well as urine-marking behavior.
Mounting behavior in neutered cats can also be interpreted as an attempt to reinforce status.
If you let your neutered cat out, he may come into contact with an unspayed female, and her scent may be enough to set off the behavior.
Some cats exhibit the behavior toward objects such as pillows or toys, while others engage in embarrassing situations such as humps on a human’s leg.
This behavior could indicate that the cat needs more attention and productive outlets for his energy.
Interesting Read: Can A Neutered Cat Live With An Unneutered Cat?
When Does Your Neutered Cat Humping Indicates a Problem?
| Problem | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Compulsive disorder | Compulsive disorder in cats is a behavioral disorder, in which they keep repeating their odd behavior such as humping. |
| Urinary problems | If your cat struggles while urinating and continuously licks his private part with humping behavior. Then be aware it’s not normal humping -it is a urinary infection. |
| Depression | One of the common reasons for humping in neutered cats is depression, take him to the vet for anti-depression treatment. |
| Skin Allergies | Humping even shows the possibility of skin allergies in cats. Especially if your cat continuously rubs his body on you. |
Comparison Of Neutered Cat Humping And Unneutered Cat Humping
| Neutered | Unneutered |
|---|---|
| Humping is less likely to be related to mating behavior | Humping is more likely to be related to mating behavior |
| Humping is more likely to be related to dominance or marking territory | Humping is less likely to be related to dominance or marking territory |
| Humping is less likely to be influenced by hormonal changes | Humping is more likely to be influenced by hormonal changes |
How Do I Stop My Neutered Male Cat From Mounting?
Here are a few things you can do to stop your neutered male cat from mounting: –
1. Do Not Punish Him
It should go without saying, that punishing your cat, whether physically or verbally, will not improve the situation.
It may cause your cat to become more stressed, exacerbating the situation. Never punish a cat for mounting because it will only increase stress levels.
If a cat who is attempting to mount due to social stress in the environment is physically or verbally punished, it will become even more anxious.
2. Increase His Playtime
Your cat loves playing as it helps him to release stress and anxiety. As a responsible cat parent, it is your duty to spend good quality with your neutered kitty to help him to release excess energy on a daily basis.
Though while playing with him, you might feel that he is not a sports lover but somehow playing helps neutered cats to stay physically and mentally fit.
Try experimenting with new toys and cat trees to understand what your kitty loves playing with. It will help you to indulge him in playing more. Provide her windows to see through, ladders to play with, and kicker toys to pounce.
Increase her territory by providing him more space to play. Give him space to jump and run, you can even take him to the park to give a change in the playing environment.
You might find that after a long play session, your neutered cat will be tired rather than irritated and bored. That means there is a high chance that now he will eat and sleep instead of looking for an opportunity to hump.
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Must Read: Will Male Cats Try To Mate/Hump With Other Males?
3. Give Him More Space
Cats enjoy roaming, and one study discovered that pet cats have an average “home range” of 4.9 acres!
If your cat lives indoors, he may benefit from a larger territory.
Of course, I am not suggesting that you provide your cat with a large outdoor area to roam in, but there are plenty of ways to expand your cat’s territory throughout your home.
You can experiment with adding more vertical areas, such as shelves, ladders, and cat trees. These provide a safe place for your cat to sit up high and feel like the king of his castle.
Including an outdoor cat, the enclosure is a fantastic idea. You can either buy them ready-made or make your own.
They allow your cat to enjoy the outdoors while ensuring their safety at all times.
Some cat runs are attached to your house, while others stand alone. Many indoor cats enjoy spending time in their enclosures.
4. Increase The Number Of Litter Boxes
You’ll want to make sure your cat’s litter box is always clean and full of a brand of litter he enjoys using, as well as that there are enough boxes to go around.
Having one more box than cats is a good idea. So, if you have two cats, provide three boxes, and so on.
5. Reduce Boredom, Stress, And Anxiety
Your neutered cat should get all the physical exercise, and mental stimulation, he needs. Try to keep him involved in different activities so that he doesn’t get enough time to feel bored.
As boredom is an enemy of every cat because boredom gives them depression and other mental disorders.
Take them for a walk, socialize them with other cats, and allow them to run and jump. These steps will help your cat to feel less anxious. Less bored and less stressed kitty means less humping.
Interesting Read: Why My Cat Humps Me? Is It Normal For Cats To Hump Their Owner?
6. Add Enrichment
Making sure your cat has enough to do is part of your job as a responsible pet parent. New toys, scratching posts, and cat trees are examples of such items.
Enrichment can be provided by ensuring your cat can see out of a window. Placing a bookcase or chair next to the window, along with a comfortable cat bed, is a great way to keep your cat entertained.
Many cats will gaze out the window for hours, watching the world go by.
Try hanging a bird feeder outside, colorful strings that sway in the breeze, and anything else that might catch your cat’s eye.
Feeding puzzles or toys that encourage your cat to hunt for food can be used. This will keep him occupied for a much longer period of time than simply eating from his bowl.
Some intelligent cats enjoy short training sessions with their owners.
Cat clicker training is an excellent method for teaching your cat new tricks such as waving, sitting, and fetching toys.
This will ensure that your cat receives both physical and mental stimulation.
Grooming your cat is a great way to bond with them while also providing an enrichment activity that both you and your cat will enjoy.
Must Read: Why Do Cats Hump?
7. Deny Him
When you see your neutered cat humping something, you need to instantly distract him. The simple way is to train him.
Say, him ‘NO’ whenever he tries to hump anything or you. ‘NO’ should be verbal and physical. I mean express denial body language as a response to the humping behavior of your neutered cat.
So that your cat can understand that humping is not correct conduct and that his owner is not liking it.
8. Distract Him
Whenever you notice dilated pupils or over-excitement in your neutered cat, then immediately be alarmed to distract him from humping.
If you notice your kitty is obsessed with any particular toy or stuff for humping then try hiding that stuff. It will help him to forget about his humping obsession.
Whenever you see him humping other cats or your pillow, start clapping or drop something on the ground so that he gets distracted from humping.
9. Give Him a Reward
If you see your cat is listening to your command and reducing his humping habit, then definitely he deserves a reward in exchange.
For example, if your cat is in a habit to hump your new guests but when you directed him not to do it and he followed it, then give him a new toy or his favorite fish.
Through this approach, he will understand that not continuing humping is providing him more benefits. Because by avoiding humping he is getting rewards as well as appreciation and love from his beloved owner.
10. Visit The Veterinary
If you are really struggling with the humping habit of your neutered cat then it’s time to book an appointment with your vet.
As he might be suffering from some dangerous physical or mental disease, so don’t ignore the importance of professional advice and medical treatment
Interesting Read: Cat Humping While Kneading (Reason And Solution)
Frequently Asked Questions
How to use positive reinforcement to stop neutered cats from mounting?
Positive reinforcement training is an excellent method for assisting your cat in breaking the cycle of humping. To begin, you’ll need something your cat enjoys, such as a favorite toy or treat.
When you notice your cat about to start humping, lift them away and distract them with a treat or toy.
Rewarding your cat for desired behavior rather than punishing it for undesirable behavior is a far more effective method.
When Can I Neuter My Cat?
Cats reach sexual maturity around the age of five months. Cats should be neutered around four months old, after they have received their primary vaccinations, to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Final Words
Humping is frequently an indication that something isn’t quite right in your cat’s life, so taking the time to figure out why they’re humping after being neutered and what you can do to stop it is a worthwhile exercise.
If you have any doubts, it is best to speak with your veterinarian and ensure that your male cat is in good health.
If you have any questions, ask us in the comments section.
Interesting Read: Can A Male Cat Still Impregnate After Being Neutered?
Interesting Read: Why My Cat Humps My Dog?
