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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Cat will NOT stop humping

18 replies

Humpingcat · 23/09/2021 11:37

DH and I got a rescue cat earlier this year. He is about 10 years old, and was found as a stray but has definitely been a pet before.
He has to be indoors as he is FIV positive. He is neutered. We give him lots of toys, attention and play time and he has puzzle feeders for dry food and treats to keep his mind active.
We both work from home so are around a lot and he is not lonely.

We love him to bits, however I wondered if anyone had advice on his increasing humping behaviour.

About six weeks after we got him he tried to hump my leg whilst I was wearing a fluffy dressing gown. I was a bit surprised having never had a humping cat before, but just stopped wearing that dressing gown. Then I caught him humping a fluffy throw we had on our bed, which we removed.
And as fast as I remove the fluffy things he was humps, he starts on something else. Currently it's a furry cushion in the spare room.
This behavior has increased. He now does it several times a day.

I've scoured the internet for advice on how to deal with it, if it's normal and whether we should be doing anything or just let him 'do his thing'.
It seems a bit inconclusive. Some sources say the cat might need more play time, attention or enrichment activities, but short of spending 24 hours a day tending to his every whim I can't think of how we can provide him with any more of these things!

We have tried picking him up and taking him into a different room to have a treat, or distracting him with a toy when he starts on the cushion, which seem to work, but he's still doing it loads!

Do any of you have humping cats?! Is it normal?
Should we do something to deal with it or just ignore him when he does it?

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Humpingcat · 23/09/2021 12:13

Forgot to mention, we also have Feliway plug ins.

I'm not keen to take him to the vets for this as he finds it very distressing, but maybe I should at least chat to them?

Any advice from anyone else who's had an amorous, humping feline would be welcome!

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GeidiPrimes · 23/09/2021 12:17

I have 2 humping cats. I understand it's a comfort thing (like thumb sucking, but grimmer). They've both mostly grown out of it. Yours will probably calm down of his own accord eventually, once he's needing to self-soothe less.

Humpingcat · 23/09/2021 12:26

Thanks @GeidiPrimes I think it is a comfort thing.
Hopefully he will stop it after a while, poor thing. He has had a tough time before he came here and is definitely happy otherwise! And I suppose we have only had him for just over six months.

My husband uses the spare room as an office and DCat has been spotted on his (supposedly very professional) work video calls merrily humping away on his cushion in the background Blush

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Fluffycloudland77 · 23/09/2021 13:47

Sorry but I laughed at that. Your poor dh.

Humpingcat · 23/09/2021 13:55

It is quite funny to be fair! @Fluffycloudland77 but not 100% appropriate Grin
He’s having to shut the cat out for important calls, which isn’t really fair when the poor thing is already confined to the house.

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Pudmyboy · 23/09/2021 19:22

husband uses the spare room as an office and DCat has been spotted on his (supposedly very professional) work video calls merrily humping away on his cushion in the background This made me laugh out loud on the bus!

Suzi888 · 23/09/2021 19:26

“merrily humping away on his cushion in the background blush”🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I had no idea cats humped! Sorry, not helpful.

TheHouseIsOnFire · 23/09/2021 19:31

I have a humping cat. Poor Neil the sofa sloth has PTSD, lying there with a smile fixed on his face as the cat paws at him and thrusts away, tufts of fur flying everywhere. It’s quite off putting!

My cat is about 7 or 8, also rescued so I presume potentially a bit late to be neutered in his previous home.

itshappened · 23/09/2021 19:31

I can't help with the humping but my cat likes nothing more than sitting in the sunshine and playing with his willy. He was neutered as a kitten and has had a very secure home life... it just seems he likes to have a fiddle when he is feeling happy! I had no idea cats did this or humping!

NaToth · 23/09/2021 19:34

I had a humper (I miss him terribly but not because of that).

He was neutered at just over a year and the vet wondered if some tissue had been left behind.

I'd not come across it before, but reading this thread it sounds as if it's quite common.

Toastytoads · 23/09/2021 19:36

The humping cat on zoom has made my evening ❤

Humpingcat · 23/09/2021 21:30

I’m glad this is at least giving people a laugh!
It does seem it’s relatively common then.
I spoke to my mum, a big cat lover who has had a lot of cats, and it turned out she had a humper once too. I honestly didn’t know cats do it!

As long as it doesn’t get worse I think I’ll just chat to the vet about it the next time we are there.
And maybe put the offending cushion on the floor out of shot when DH has important calls Grin

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thecatneuterer · 23/09/2021 22:25

I've got a pair of cats (well they didn't start out as a pair, but 'got into a relationship' when they met). Both are neutered. He humps her at least three times a day, and it's been going on for at least ten years. She tends to look a bit bored when it's happening but doesn't protest. They also sleep together, follow each other around and groom each other.

However he never tries to hump any of the other cats living in my house (and there are dozens of them) or any objects. Just her. It's quite romantic really.

I've also had a few fluffy throw and cushion humpers. Some neutered boys just hump it seems.

TheChip · 23/09/2021 22:31

I've got an old humping cat. Anything fluffy and he has a go at it. The most disturbing thing about it is that he likes to make direct eye contact with you while he does it. If I turn myself to look the other way he slowly starts edging closer and closer to try and lock eyes again. Such a perv

HopingForOurRainbowBaby · 23/09/2021 22:47

Mines 14 he still loves to hump is blanky, my teddy duvet, my dressing gown and basically anything else that's fluffy. He really is a Randy old man and if I'm not in the room at the time he will miaow loudly to tell me just what he is doing 😹 honestly that Cat sees more action than I do half the time

HopingForOurRainbowBaby · 23/09/2021 22:50

@TheChip

I've got an old humping cat. Anything fluffy and he has a go at it. The most disturbing thing about it is that he likes to make direct eye contact with you while he does it. If I turn myself to look the other way he slowly starts edging closer and closer to try and lock eyes again. Such a perv
Oh god yes so does mine!
floppybit · 23/09/2021 23:09

I can't get over the eye contact humping!! Nooooo!!! Confused

Humpingcat · 23/09/2021 23:15

Oh my god @TheChip I am really laughing at the eye contact!
I am feeling reassured it’s quite normal behaviour.

Cats are mental aren’t they?! Grin

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