I believe you all know the benefits of neutering your cat. This might decrease some of his unwanted behavior, like wandering away from home to find a female in heat.
Also, neutering is the only way for you, as a responsible cat owner, to prevent unwanted offspring. I’m sure you’re aware of the huge number of stray cats out there.
Neutering your cat can even prevent him from getting testicular cancer, since, according to Northeast Georgia Humane Society, neutering entirely eliminates the region in which this cancer might grow.
If you have decided to sterilize your male cat, I bet you would also like to know if a neutered cat can still mate.
Well, neutered cats can still hump on females, and try to impregnate them. So, a neutered cat might still mate, or try to mate, but this won’t be a successful mating, since it won’t result in offspring.
However, even though a neutered cat won’t be able to mate for reproduction, he might still show sexual urge.
This usually happens due to two reasons, so, let’s look at them.
1. Neutering Happened Too Late
It’s commonly recommended to neuter a male cat at the age of six or seven months. But, according to some opinions, this should be done even earlier.
According to Philippa Welsh [1], neutering a cat at four months of age shows lower complication rates, shorter surgical duration, and even quicker recovery rates.
The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe suggests that no kitten should be neutered before they are weaned, which is usually around 8 weeks of age. They also imply how early neutering has undeniable advantages, such as better control of the cat population and less probability for cats to be abandoned.
The time you decide to neuter your cat might have something to do with his desire to mate even after sterilization.
If the male cat has mated with females before the sterilization, this can cause him to still have a sexual urge even after his testicles have been removed.
Male felines usually become sexually active when they are 4 to 6 months old. You’ll notice this by signs such as your cat running away from home to find a female in heat to mate with.
If you neuter your male later in his life – after he has already mated – there’s a chance he will still show sexual behavior after sterilization.
2. Testosteron Residue
You might be disappointed by noticing your male cat still humping females days after neutering him.
Well, this is completely normal and you shouldn’t be worried. Cats might still have testosterone (primary reproductive hormone) in their bodies days, or even weeks, after neutering.
Eventually, the testosterone level will decrease, and you’ll notice less aggressiveness and humping behavior in your cat.
So, sexual behavior will not just disappear in your male cat the same second the surgery procedure is done. This especially goes for cats that are neutered at a later age.
Can A Cat Impregnate After Being Neutered?
This question might seem odd, since the basic purpose of neutering a cat is to stop it from reproducing.
However, in some rare cases, a male cat can impregnate a female after he has been sterilized.
As Small Door Veterinary suggests, a neutered cat might still retain sexual urges and try to mate. If he’s been neutered later in life, he’ll still have testosterone in his system than can induce sexual activity. It may take weeks or several months for the testosterone to leave the cat’s body.
If they come in contact with a female in heat during this period, they may still produce offspring.
So, if you want to avoid this scenario, do your best to keep your male indoors for some period after the procedure.
Why Do Neutered Males Keep Showing Sexual Behavior?
Seeing your male cat humping a female makes you think he is trying to engage in intercourse.
But, this doesn’t always have to be the case. Cats mount other felines due to some additional reasons rather than just to reproduce.
Some cats might show humping behavior due to stress or anxiety; this could be their try to relieve discomfort.
Humping can also be a sign of dominance among cats. If you want to know which one of your cats is dominant, look for the one that’s trying to sit on or hump other felines in the household!
You see, you can expect neutering to reduce some of the unwanted behavior in male felines, such as urine spraying and the risk of roaming.
But, neutering isn’t likely to drastically change your cat’s temperament and habits, such as his desire to be dominant. Some cats might even be extremely active after neutering, since they usually recover just a few days after the procedure.
Neutered males might also continue to show humping behavior due to some health issue, such as the urinary tract infection.
Therefore, if your neutered cat continues with the humping, you should check whether this could be due to behavioral problems or health reasons.
The Final Verdict
Some neutered cats might still show the urge to mate, or even do it, but without producing offspring.
The sexual drive in your cat will eventually vanish after neutering – for some cats this might happen in a couple of weeks, while some of them could hump females even months after the sterilization!
You don’t have to worry whether something has gone wrong or perhaps your cat’s neutering was unsuccessful. This is likely to happen with male cats that have reached their sexual maturity before neutering.
You see, hormones are powerful, and it will take some time for them to completely leave the cat’s body.
References:
[1] Welsh, P: Neutering pet cats at four months of age (or less). DOI, Retrieved April 18, 2023.
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