Expert: Jessica - 11/2/2010

Question
I adopted my cat Smokey June 22,2010 and he is about 4 months old now. He just started a few days ago "humping" my son's stuffed duck that talks. He drags it around the house and humps when he stops. He doesn't stay in one place to do it either. Afterward, he lays on his back all sprawled out with his legs in the air. I just wonder if he is too young and if he is actually "contaminating" this duck. I haven't let my son play with it since Smokey started because I didn't know if it could have anything on it. So the questions are: Is my cat too young? and Is he "contaminating" this duck? Thank you  

Answer
Hi Heather,

This behavior is rather common in both altered an unaltered kitties, although I am surprised to see it if he is truly just four months.  If you adopted him in June and he was at least a month old, then the timeline would make more sense, as most males mature around 6 months old.

Altered cats won't ejaculate anything, but they can produce small amounts of fluid.  It won't spread disease, but I understand that the idea might be bothersome to you.  Sometimes cats become aroused by one particular object, and getting rid of the object solves the problem.  Other cats will just find a replacement.  You may want to see how he does if you make the duck unavailable to him somehow.

Also, cats can become aroused because of fragrances from lotions, perfumes or detergents, especially those containing mint or bleach.  So if the duck has been cleaned or stored with anything that may have a scent like this, that may be part of the problem.

Unfortunately, it's just about impossible to stop this behavior, since it is natural.  But trying to keep tempting objects out of the cat's reach is the best solution.

Good luck!

Jessica