Why is my unneutered male cat's penis exposed when I pet him?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As long as he isn't licking down there more often than he as before then this is normal. When they groom around their penis it can become erect. It may also be time to get him neutered. If he is excessively grooming down there he should see a Vet and have his urine tested. I hope this helps!

This can be completely normal, especially in pets that are intact. Intact males have high levels of testosterone that causes an erection during times of excitation. I wouldn't be too concerned unless it remains out afterwards and doesn't go back in, or your cat starts vocalizing and is seen straining to urinate (signs of a urinary blockage). You can still opt to get him checked out by your vet just to make sure he is physically ok; however he is likely just fine.

Male cats will tend to do this behavior if they have not been neutered. If your cat has been neutered I would check with the vet who performed the surgery to ensure that both testicles were retrieved at the time of the surgery and that your cat does not have a retained testicle or is what we call a cryptorchid. Some cats fail to descend a testicle and it remains in the abdominal cavity. One of the signs that this has happened is latent "sexual activity such as "masturbation activity" such as your cat is doing. Not all cats who do this have retained testicles, but it can often be the case. If you and your vet know for 100% certainty that he had both testicles removed, then this may just be a behavior that your cat does. Your vet may have some suggestions to dissuade your cat from doing this, but it is generally nothing harmful and the cat is just acting out, will finish and there is nothing else to it. If the cat did retain a testicle, the vet can go in surgically to remove it. It is important to remove the retained testicles because they can become cancerous. I myself have a cat who does this (he had both his jewels removed successfully) so we just call it making "dirty biscuits". There really is no reason for his behavior, he just does it... But I made sure that there was no medical reason first! :) Usually I have a nice water bottle on hand and that seems to work great :)

It can be normal, though most people don't notice it. If Mosey seems uncomfortable, is having trouble urinating, or he can't retract his penis, seeking vet care is best. If he can't urinate at all or is in severe distress this could indicate a blockage which is a medical emergency.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It may be that they are heading towards sexual maturity or the female cat expressed her anal glands. Most neutered male cats will lick themselves while their penis is out. I would consider neutering him sooner, as long as he is 5 lbs I think it is fine to do before 6 months of age. Good luck!

Kittyanu is masturbating. It's a normal behavior, and he's learned that it feels good. If he kneads on you and starts this behavior, immediately put him down and ignore him to teach him you do not like that behavior and you will ignore him if he does it.

I see that Chubbs isn't neutered. This is going to be gross for you to read, but what you are seeing is likely sperm. He is masturbating when he is kneading and humping, and he's doing it to ejaculation. If you want him to stop ejaculating on you, the best thing to do is have him neutered as soon as possible. Keep in mind as well that an intact cat will start urinating around the house to make his territory, and that smell is very difficulty to get out. He may continue the masturbation behavior even when neutered because he's learned it feels good, but at least he won't ejaculate on you afterwards! I hope this helps!