Expert: Norman Auspitz - 12/15/2009

Question
OK this is weird. Freddy, a 2-3 yr old unaltered male cat, was found on the street. Sarah kept him for 3 weeks, then I took him for two. Then Sarah had him for another two. During this time he was good as gold, very sweet and normal. She did say he`d get a little nuts when she came home with female cat scent on her clothes. Now I have him back. The first thing he did was sniff my knapsack, which had been in contact with a 9 month old neutered male, for ten minutes. Then he ate his food. Then he began to attack me.  My clothes are perfectly fresh and do not smell like the other cat.  If I tried to pet him he bared his teeth. Then he was chewing and carrying my sock (never did that before). Next thing I know he`s on my bed and I think hes going to bite me but he begins chewing on my blanket and padding his paws and purring. He`s not usually very demonstrative. Next he is rolling his hind quarters-- but not spraying-- and he has an erection. He seems to be having sex with my blanket. What the heck is going on? OK he stopped now, is still purring, but when I go to pet him he still makes as if to bite me. And he is chewing on my pajamas. I`m not sure what to do. Dang! Now he jumped up on my leg and bit me again! What the bloody heck?! I`m on the bed now and he is jumping up and biting me! Help!

Answer
Natasha,

This is normal behavior (if you can call anything whole male cats do normal) for a whole male who is over stimulated by something.  There could be a female cat in season calling that you cannot hear, but he can. Some male cats get so attached to female humans they treat them as if they are female cats in heat<sigh>!!!!!!!!!!

So, the simple and appropriate solution is to get him neutered.  It will take a few weeks for the hormones to dissipate, but he will make a much better pet with much more appropriate behavior.  

Also cats tend to get attached to a territory, so I am not sure the changing where he lives every couple of weeks is a good idea.  It is probable that being in different households every couple of weeks exacerbated the behavior.

Best regards... Norm.