Cat Problems - New Female Kitten in Heat, 4yr Old Neutered Male Mounting Her

by Crystal
(Charlotte, NC)

Our new 6 month old kitten started into heat today before we could get her fixed. The 4yr old male cat, who was fixed before the age of 6 months (before he started spraying) is trying to mount and scruff her. Should we separate them and how long will this last? Can he penetrate her or hurt her?


Reply from Liz (Editor): Cat problems like this sometimes do occur with neutered male cats. Although their testosterone levels are very low, certain things can sometimes stimulate them into wanting to mate. In this case, clearly your female cat in heat is the cause.

It's likely to go on until the female is spayed, and as long as she's in heat. Female cats can go into heat every one to three weeks from mid-winter to the end of Summer / early Autumn. The actual heat cycle can vary from a few days to a couple of weeks. So in other words it could be virtually constant until she's spayed!

It will, I think, be pretty frustrating for the pair of them if it goes on for any length of time. It may be worth separating them for periods just to give her a break, but she will likely be very keen to get back with the male and there's a good chance she'll yowl like crazy and even start spraying if she's kept away from him for too long.

I think (though I'm not absolutely sure) that he can still penetrate her, I believe a neutered male cat can still get an erection. I guess with repeated failed attempts at successful mating, he could hurt her, including by excessive biting of her neck.

My best advice to stop these cat problems is to have her spayed as soon as you can. You may find even after she's spayed that they still have the odd attempt at mating, but it will be much less frequent. Good luck!