Special Note! This site contains affiliate links. If you click a link AND make a purchase we MAY make a small commission. The process costs you nothing. It is just how the company spends its advertising dollars.
Darwin’s law of evolution states that the main purpose of sex is to reproduce. Humans, compared to cats, have high intelligence, which is why we have a range of complex emotions when it comes to love and sex.
I am sure you wonder if this also applies to the animal kingdom. Can two male or female cats display gay or homosexual behavior when mounting each other, or is it an entirely different thing?
You may have seen a male cat that is often dominant, mounting another male cat leaving you to wonder if female cats are attracted to each other. Cats are used to grooming, playing, and sleeping with each other.
Sometimes they display sexual behaviors with the same gender. This is common among house cats as they do not have partners. If you have made such observations with your cat, you may be wondering if they are gay or homosexual.
So, Can a Cat be Gay or Homosexual?
Sexual interaction between cats of the same gender does occur from time to time. Yes, cats can be gay or homosexual. The answer as to why they are, however, is still confusing. It is also hard to tell if it is the cat’s long-term preference or if it just loves engaging in same-sex acts.
Research on homosexuality in animals was carried out in 2012, and it was concluded that animals express homosexual behavior more than we can imagine. Over 1500 species exhibit homosexual behavior. Like lions, male feral cats are also known to mount each other.
Why Would a Cat Display Gay or Homosexual Behavior?
- Sexual frustration
The research was done on the male-to-male mounting behavior in cats in May 1999 in Ainoshima, japan. Cats have a mating season or periods where female cats are in heat. When these female cats shun male suitors, the male cats get sexually frustrated.
It was concluded that when they smell the heat on female cats and cannot get to them, they possibly take their sexual frustrations out on the next available cat, even if it is male.
- Practice
A common reason same-sex pairing in cats is not unusual is that they practice it. Kittens are known to mount anything they find on their way, especially if they are raised alone. Because of this, cats may grow up mounting same-sex cats.
- The need for social bonding
Though not like humans, cats are intelligent animals. Their need for social bonding results in same-sex mating. Factors such as the need for food and defense tactics promote this kind of lifestyle.
Home cats are used to having humans come and go as they please, and those within the same neighborhoods are forced to interact with each other. Homosexuality can also be a way to form friendships among them.
- Neutering
Neutering and spraying decrease male behavior, such as aggression in male cats, and spraying reduces female cat pheromones.
Though neutering helps in avoiding an unwanted number of kittens and other hostile behaviors in male cats, the urge for sex never really fades. The fact that spraying female cats makes them lack strong pheromones causes an enigma.
It leads to sexual aggression between cats of the same gender.
- Dominance
Cats often display dominant behavior, especially males. These feral animals force fellow male cats to assume the female mating position to show dominance. This is common among cats living in unfamiliar and stressful environments.
To reduce sexual aggression in your cat, it is advised to be gentle when introducing them to new environments.
How to check if a cat is homosexual
- Mounting
Mounting among cats and other animals is a display of dominance. Sometimes it may not be anything sexual. Both genders mount each other quite often.
Male to male cat mounting may be innocent, but this is the most common way male cats show that they may be gay in most cases. Just as in dogs, this behavior is common in cats.
- Sleeping together
Sleeping together and cuddling are how cats show their bonding. Cats of the same sex can cuddle each other with no sexual agenda, but this could also display their sexual nature.
- Grooming
Mutual grooming among cats can also be very confusing to us humans. Grooming among cats is a social aspect, but between the same sexes may also mean that the cat is exhibiting sexual motivation.
To keep potential conflicts away and maintain bonding, cats groom one another, especially if they live together or close by.
Comparing human sexuality to a cats sexuality
As we said, human sexuality is complex. It comprises attraction, individual sexual behavior, sexual desires, and feelings. Lesbian or gay humans are attracted to people of the same sex.
However, we cannot use the same basis when talking about a cat’s sexuality. The main reason why is because they are animals and not human beings. Cats engage in sex without human factors such as feelings and attraction.
They hardly spend time thinking about sex, and so they do whatever feels comfortable to them at the moment.
Conclusion
Cats act on instinct, and attraction between them may occur but not as in humans. Sometimes cats may be gay or homosexual due to frustrations, need or aggression.
We cannot compare home cats to wild cats as they live in bigger territories. Home cats tend to forge intense bonds and friendships with the few cats around them. They also easily adapt to new ways, which may affect their sexuality, making it more complex than we can comprehend.
You May Also Like:
