Everything You Need to Know About Cat Humping

Source: © Shutterstock

Cats do various strange things sometimes. Many are the times when they cuddle when you have put all your focus on something important. One of the behaviors that many would not like to discuss as they view it as awkward is cat humping. You might have noticed your cat humping another cat if several cats are in the house. The cat may also hump his blanket and other soft surfaces. This leaves you concerned, especially if your cat is neutered or spayed.

According to Pet Guide, both male and female cats can hump. If the word humping is mentioned at one’s hearing, many will think about the act of sex, which is partially true to cats. A normal male cat should hump a female cat during the standard reproductive cycle. Humping or mounting in cats is a common occurrence. According to Ask My Cats, humping is a common occurrence even in neutered male cats (castrated cats) and neutered female cats (spayed cats), and it happens as a result of many things, including hormones.

Male cats normally hump female cats, which is evidence of sexual activity. The male cats may also hump other males, which experts consider a dominant trait. Female felines may hump kittens, and experts consider it a disciplinary measure, especially if the kittens have intolerable actions. The raison d’etre of this article is to highlight everything you need to know about cat humping.

What causes cat humping in neutered cats?

As aforementioned, there are various causes of cat humping. As many may assume, and this is right to some extent, humping is sexual behavior that is normally associated with unaltered cats, and it may not raise a concern to many. In some cases, this behavior is also seen in neutered cats. Humping is more common in male cats than in female cats. Let’s look at the reasons why your neutered cat may hump.

Late alteration

If you happen to see your neutered cats humping, chances are such cats were not altered at a tender enough age to keep them from developing the sex hormones responsible for triggering this type of behavior. It could also be that your cat was altered at the right age, but the surgery was performed recently. The cat would still have sex hormones in his body six to twelve weeks after the surgery.

Health-related issues

In some cats, urinary infection disease may cause humping behavior. Therefore, when you notice humping behavior in your cat and are concerned about it, it is important to have an appointment with your veterinarian to determine whether it could result from a health problem. If the veterinarian says that your cat is healthy, then humping could result from behavioral issues.

Changes in the house

If you notice that your cat has started humping from the blues, it could result from changes in your household. There is usually a catalyst that triggers this, for instance, a new addition to the members of your family or even a new house cat. Adding a new member like someone moving in or an infant that you have just welcomed in your family can make your cat anxious. The anxiety can lead to behavioral changes like humping.

Boredom

Some cats also hump as a result of boredom. To prevent the humping that comes from boredom completely, you need to play with your cat. You can use a fishing pole toy to make your cat charge up and allow him to play with the toy. You can also groom your cat to keep it from being bored.

Being ignored

Your cat can also start humping if you ignore it. If the humping results from being ignored, you can easily solve this by paying more attention to him. You can also take more time to cuddle your cat and encourage it to keep hopping in your lap. This way, you will be giving him the attention that he needs.

Sexual hormones in the cat’s body

As aforementioned, it will take some weeks for all your cat’s sex hormones to get eliminated after the cat has been neutered. Therefore, if the cat likes humping and it has just been sterilized, the humping should not bother you just then. You should give your cat some time first. After some time, the hormones will go away, and the humping, if nothing else, is triggering it. It is advisable to keep an eye on your feline and take the necessary steps if the humping continues twelve weeks after the surgery because, at this time, the sexual hormones should have disappeared.

Ingrained good times memories

Even after being neutered, felines tend to remember how good it feels to hump as they get old. This means even after the surgery, the personal past experience of such felines may make them consider humping as a daily routine. Most experts claim that controlling humping, especially if it is a result of experience, maybe tricky. Therefore, it is advisable to sterilize your pet once it reaches the appropriate age. This will not only prevent excessive humping but will also help avoid troubles such as random urinating and dynamic roaming.

The unexpected addition of new felines

Most adult felines go through stressful moments if their owners adopt new felines without giving them proper introductions. Your feline may tend to think that the adopted cat may steal water, food, and affection. For them to combat fear and anxiety, such pets resort to humping. The humping may also be a way of showing the new cat whom they are in the house. However, as time goes by and the cats get to know each other, the humping should go away. If the behavior continues even after the cats get used to each other, it is advisable to consult with a veterinarian.

A lot of pent-up energy

Like in humans or any other animal, lack of exercise can lead to the buildup of physical energy, leading to erratic behavior. If you have not been engaging your cat in activities and he starts humping out of the blues, it is high time you set up play sessions for him. With these play sessions, most of your cat’s energy will be used up such that no energy to hump things will be remaining at the end of the play sessions. This method is effective, especially for energetic cats, because they will think of relaxing and not humping after the session. When setting up the play sessions, it is advisable to do it in a way that shall not interfere with your daily routine.

Desire for attention

It is natural for humans to observe felines, and some of the felines may take advantage of this trait to achieve what they want. Therefore, if you have been reacting to the humping of your pet before, he may hump now and then to attract your attention. For you to curb the humping that comes from a desire for attention, it is recommendable to treat your cat firmly. However, you should never resort to physical punishment because felines do not change unwelcoming behavior when punished. Instead, they become more resentful.

Common signs of Impending humping

You could be wondering whether there are signs that show that your cat is about to hump. Yes, there are some signs that you could look out for. Here are some of them:

• Excited meow, knead and purr: if your feline friend makes lots of noise all of a sudden, especially if you are petting it, chances are he is planning to hump. You should stop petting him and put him on the floor. This way you will have distracted what he was about to do.
• Dilated pupils: As a pet owner, you should check the pupils of your feline friend once in a while. If you find the pupils start to dilate then there is a possibility of him humping in the next few seconds. If you notice this when holding the cat, you should put him on the floor and ignore him.
• Overly affectionate: it is natural for cats to hang around their owners. However, when your feline friend gets overly attached to you out of the blues chances are he is preparing to hump.

How to control humping in cats

Before you start thinking about how to discourage humping behavior in your feline friend, start by asking yourself if it is really necessary. Come to think of it, although humping can be embarrassing and annoying, it is probably hurting no one. To address the issue effectively, you should take time to understand the cause of the behavior. Different cats should be treated differently, but you should have these rules in mind always.

• Rule 1: Never rely on punishment; Hitting your feline friend because he fails to act the way you want is not wise. As aforementioned hitting, the cat will make him more resentful instead of changing. When punished, most felines feel you failed to reflect on their behavior.
• Rule 2: Embrace positive reinforcement; whenever your cat stops humping after you have warned it, you should appreciate it by giving him hugs, pats, and treats. This will encourage your feline friend to keep away from humping.
• Rule 3: Consult a vet if you have doubts; if you don’t know why your cat could be humping or how to go about it, you should seek the advice of a veterinarian. These professionals are highly knowledgeable about felines, and they can provide you will all the necessary assistance.

Once you have these rules in mind, you can consider taking these steps to curb humping in your feline friend based on the reason for humping. If the humping in your cat results from a medical problem, the first step to take when solving the humping issue is to have the condition treated. Dealing with humping that comes from behavioral causes is not that easy since you have to understand how the feline world functions to work with his instincts.

You should reduce these triggers if your cat is humping due to boredom, stress, and anxiety. See that you provide your cat with all the necessary attention, the exercise he needs, and mental stimulation. As aforementioned, you should also set time to play with your cat at least daily. Generally, it is advisable to deal with anything that causes your cat stress once you pinpoint it. You can also curb humping by offering your cat deterrents or distractions. For instance, if you see your cat preparing to hump, you can disrupt it by maybe dropping a book on the floor or clapping your hands loudly. The other way to stop humping is by expanding your cat’s territories. Giving your cat more space will play a role in curbing the humping, according to Animal Path.

Enlarging the cat’s territory will also help ensure that the pent-up energy in your cat has been used. According to Zoo Awesome, if you have two or more cats, you can provide them with separate window perches and cat trees because they like climbing. You can also provide them with their personal space for their basic requirements.

For instance, ensure that you have placed water and food bowls in different locations to keep the cats from fighting. It is also advisable to follow the litter box rule, which is two plus one, which means that you should provide two cats with three boxes. Additionally, you can install elevated walkways in your cat’s territory for him to explore.

You can also prevent humping by exercising your pet, keeping him busy throughout the day by getting him lots of toys to play with. As aforementioned sudden changes trigger humping in cats. It is advisable to avoid such changes. For instance, if you want to introduce a new cat, start by keeping the cats in two different rooms.

After a day or some hours, switch your feline friends so that one occupies the room the other one was in. This way, the cats will be familiarizing themselves with each other through scents. If you are moving to another home, make sure you maintain your pet’s routine. For instance, you can keep his old stuff and toys to comfort him in the new environment. When curbing humping behavior in your feline friend, the most essential thing is to be patient with him. Give your pet time to change the behavior, and do not be harsh with him.

You can also read:

• Can Cats Eat Dill?
• What is Cheristin for Cats?
• How Your Cat’s Tush Can Give You a Sense of Their Health
• What Smells Deter Cats from Peeing?
• What Is Dinovite for Cats?