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Expert: - 3/26/2010


Question
we have 6 de-sexed mixed breed rescue cats.
a 12 yr old girl
3 x 30 to 36 month old boys
a 10 month old boy
a 10 month old girl


one of the 30 month old boys has been repeatedly trying to mount the female "kitten"....she is about 10 months old now.
everyone has been fixed, prior to leaving the shelter.
the action is only between these two and she really flirts specifically with him all day long!
there is lots of grabbing and biting (not hard) and singing and running around.
is this ok?

we've never run across this behaviour before in any of our cats.

Answer
Catlover,

It is not unusual for a neutered male to go through the motions of mating with a female in season. However, it is not very common for a neutered male and a fixed female to go through this.  On the other hand, it very well may just be rough play. No harm will come of it and, if there are no signs of the female's neck being chewed up, I would not worry about it.

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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