Do Cats Masturbate?

Humping and masturbation is a trait that is often attributed to canines. Most individuals don’t know whether cats masturbate and if the behavior is normal or not. If you have a male cat in your household, you might catch it moving the hips and rubbing himself on various objects, including your lap. While some might get slinked out by this act, masturbating is significantly normal for most animal species. Here is an exclusive look at whether cats masturbate and when and if this is a sign of concern.

So, Do Cats Masturbate?

If you are still wondering whether cats masturbate, it’s time to answer the question; yes, they do! While this behavior is not as noticeable and as common as in dogs, all cats can engage in self-pleasuring. Whether your cat is a neutered or intact male or a spayed or intact female, they can all engage in masturbation. However, the behavior is commonly found in intact males.

Signs Your Cat Is Masturbating

Some of the signs that your cat is masturbating or intends to masturbate include;

• Grooming their genitals
• Humping stuff
• Licking itself too much
• Extreme kneading
• Rubbing their genitals on your lap or objects such as blankets

Why Do Cats Masturbate?

Now that you know cats do masturbate, you are probably wondering why they do it. Why cats masturbate is mainly similar to humans. The cat has gotten pleasure from it in the past, so it continues doing it. Most cats will masturbate less as they mature, and some may stop doing it altogether.

If you have neutered male cat that keeps masturbating, do not panic. Cats masturbate a lot when neutered. This might take various months until testosterone levels drop and the cat stops feeling the strong urge of masturbation. Although neutering get rids of the source of hormone production, it does not mean the male cat immediately stops having testosterone ultimately. The hormone takes time to disappear, but as the levels go down, so is the level of masturbation.

In case the masturbation continues after neutering, that’s not a cause of panic. Some cats will continue to masturbate, and there is nothing wrong with it. However, here the cats masturbate because of habit and not because of hormones. If the masturbation becomes too regular, you should make sure the cat does not have compulsive behavior problems.

What Should You Do If Your Cat Masturbates Too Often?

While cats over masturbation might make you uncomfortable, you should let your feline friend be. He is just a cat and will probably never understand why he should not masturbate, whether when they are alone or in your company. However, this is as long as the behavior does not become too frequent. Once the cat starts overdoing it, you should try to stop it. Over masturbation can cause irritations or inflammations, which might hurt your cat. Some of the ways you can do to try and stop your cat from overindulging in this behavior include;

• Ignoring Him

To start with, you should avoid having a strong reaction when you catch your cat masturbating. Otherwise, they might get this as a sign of attention, making them masturbate more often. It is essential not to make the cat feel he can get attention in addition to pleasure from masturbation. This mistake may cause your cat to develop compulsive behavior. Therefore, always avoid giving unnecessary attention to your cat.

• Neutering

Testosterone hormone is responsible for sexual behavior in all-male animals, and cats are not an exception. If your male cat is masturbating too much, you should consider neutering him. This helps to eliminate the primary source of testosterone production, which eliminates the strong sexual urges. This is an excellent option if your cat has lots of testosterone, making him overindulge in masturbation. However, this will not solve the behavior if some medical condition or stress caused it.

• Consult A Behavioral Therapist

A behavioral therapist may help to find out why your cat is masturbating too often. They will help understand what is stressing him out or whether it is a sign of proving dominance and guiding you on what you should do. Maybe, you might need to change the position of your things at home, or you will need to make your cat work out more.

• Visit The Vet

Sometimes, masturbating too much might be due to a medical condition. In this case, you should consult with your vet. Some of the conditions that can cause your cat to masturbate include brain tumors and various UTIs. The veterinary will help to find out what the issue is and provide sufficient therapy.

Conclusion

While cats are seen as clean animals, they sometimes indulge in gross behaviors. Most cat owners don’t even know that cats masturbate and how to find out the behavior. Unfortunately, cats love to do this on your lap and might even leave a wet stain on your lap. However, masturbation is not a harmful or destructive behavior on its own and is caused by sexual urges. However, if your cat begins to masturbate too often, it should be a cause of concern. The cat might be stressed out or suffering from a health condition. So if you think the behavior is strange for your feline, consult your vet as soon.

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