My kitten was just neutered. Why is he still humping my other cat?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sounds like Prince is still experiencing some signs associated with the male hormone testosterone. The testosterone levels drop after the neuter and should be decreasing now. Hopefully this behavior will ease up as the remaining testosterone gets out of his system. If things don't resolve or his signs worsen, I would advise that your veterinarian take a look at both of them to assess any problems. I hope this gets better soon.

It does usually take a few months for all the hormones to dissipate post neutering, however if the cat was neutered at a much older age, he may still have some of the behaviors/interest even without the ability. Keeping the cats separated if this behavior occurs, or even adding in a pheromone diffuser (such as Feliway) may help with inter-cat interactions.

Male cats that are neutered after they reach sexual maturity are more likely to continue to exhibit behaviors that were caused by testosterone even after they are neutered. These behaviors can include urine marking and humping types of behaviors. That is one of the reasons that we recommend neutering before sexual maturity. If the shelter neutered him before you adopted him, then I would not doubt that he is neutered, but you certainly can have your veterinarian examine him just to be on the safe side. Cats that have testosterone in their system will have physical characteristics that your veterinarian will be able to determine on exam. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Well, it can take about 60 days for the hormones to leave his system after neutering, so some may still be hormonal. However, cat’s will often have inappropriate urination if they are stressed about other things or if they are painful or otherwise upset. If the marking doesn’t improve in the next month then I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon to discuss options. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello. This is just a way for your older cat to demonstrate dominance over the younger one. It is not sexual. As the kitten matures, this will put everyone on more equal ground & the behavior will stop. Just shoo the cats apart ( don't get loud or angry because you do not want to make either cat fearful of the other ), or distract them with a toy or treat, & eventually they will learn to live peacefully with one another. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfotunately, male cats are sexually mature as young as 6 months of age and typically act accordingly starting about then. I do not expect his “tomcat” behavior to stop until he is neutered or is geriatric (12+yrs). The behaviors could be especially bad any time there is an in-tact female anywhere nearby. Of course you can’t control that. Temporary distraction with toys, training, laser pointer, etc. may or may not work. Long story short, do yourself a favor and get him neutered sooner rather than later. Best wishes to you and Fuego!

Hello, & yes, this may be normal behavior for a young neutered cat. In most cases it is an appeasing behavior, or attention seeking. If when Duncan does this & it helps him settle, & he is doing no damage to himself, toys or the environment, then let him be. He may need more enrichment & toys to occupy him, using food toys are a good idea. Most cats quit within a few minutes. Do not punish him or take toys away as this may make the behavior worse. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.