Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/odd male feline behavior?

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 8/20/2008


Question
I have 2 cats; a male and a female, both turning one year old this month.  
They are both going through some personality changes.  Her becoming more
friendly,  And he becoming more passive-aggressive.  I understand that this
is him trying to assert his dominance.  He was a very affectionate, cuddly,
kitten, but now he can't seem to make up his mind wanting to be pet, and
pushing away.  A bizarre behavior that I have noticed is that while being pet,
he moves his body as if he wants his genital regions pet.  Is this a concerning
behavior of an internal problem?  I have not noticed any unusual stools or
squatting.  Or is this behavior part of a natural progression of growing up?

Answer
Jen,

Have you gotten both cat spayed and neutered? If not that would explain part of the behavior changes.

At one year old they are 15 years old in human years. Cats also go through a kitty form of the teenage years and growing up. They are caught between being a kitten and being a cat.

Your cat may like his back scratched by the base of the tail. Some cats love to be petted there. That is also the area that fleas bite so scratching there feels good to some cats. No, it isn't a sign of an internal problem.

Tabbi

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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