Can Male Cats Go Into Heat After Being Neutered – Everything To Know!

It is usually recommended that if you have a cat that spends time outdoors, you should get them spayed or neutered, especially if they are a male cat. Female cats have brief periods of being pregnant, and during these times, they cannot get pregnant again. Male cats do not experience pregnancy, so they can easily get multiple cats pregnant if they are allowed outdoors. Once they are neutered, they are then free to roam around as they please. That is, unless; can male cats go into heat after being neutered?

Male cats do not go into heat after being neutered.

Your kitty should be good to go back to spending time outside once they are neutered. If you notice your cat still seems to be going into heat after being neutered, here are some things to consider.

Can Male Cats Go Into Heat

Male cats do not go into heat the way that female cats do. When females go into heat, they become more vocal, often using a louder, lower-pitched tone. They also become more affectionate and attached to you. They will often roll around on the floor or elevate their backsides for attention.

Male cats reach mating maturity and are essentially ready to mate when they contact a female in heat. So they do not need to enter a state of “being in heat” themselves. Male cats will reach mating maturity somewhere between four and six months of age. Once they are past a year old, if they are unneutered, they will mate with a female whenever she is ready.

When male cats do reach maturity, there is a chance there will be a change in the odor of their urination. This is for a more potent effect when marking their territory. They may start to pee in different areas to try and mark their territory and assert their dominance. For both male and female cats, indoor cats may try to escape more frequently to look for a mate when they are in heat.

How Do You Know If Your Male Cat Is In Heat

While your male cat will not enter “heat,” their behavior will change if they are unneutered and looking for a mate. They will start to become more vocal in the hopes of attracting a female. Their meows may sound different from what you are used to. They are usually louder and use a deeper tone. This is their way of communicating with other females, as female cats will respond in the same tone.

Their urine will have a distinct stronger smell to it. This is to mark their territory and also to attract the attention of female cats. Female cats also experience a change in the scent of their odor when they go into heat. For cats that go outside, the scent of urine that is left behind can be a way for them to locate each other.

Male cats may also become more aggressive when they have reached maturity and are looking for a partner. It is possible that they will instigate more fights with other cats during this time. Especially if male cats are abundant and not as many female cats, fighting will be almost inevitable. Fighting can also occur if a male cat tries to mount or hump another cat that is trying to avoid them. 

Do Neutered Cats Still Have The Urge To Mate

Most cats lose all mating urges once they are neutered. However, this does have a lot to do with when you have them neutered. Neutering is a rather time-sensitive procedure, and most veterinarians will urge you to have the procedure done as soon as you can while your cat is young.

This is because cats are creatures of habit, and once they learn a behavior, it is doubtful they will unlearn it. So if you wait until your cat is five years old to have them neutered, they will likely still have the urge to mate even after the procedure is done. They just spent five years developing certain habits and behaviors that are now engrained into their personalities. Neutering them is not going to change this.

So, if you get your cat neutered while they are young, they most likely will never have the urge to mate.

Why Do Neutered Male Cats Still Hump

There are a number of reasons why neutered cats still hump. The major reason is the one just mentioned above, humping is a learned behavior of theirs, and if they have done it for a significant portion of their life, it is unlikely that neutering them will remove this behavior.

Health issues can also cause humping. In the first few weeks following your cat being neutered, it is expected that they will continue to hump and then gradually stop.

This is because there are already hormones circulating in their body that need to gradually flush out once they have been neutered. Urinary tract infections can also cause your cat to hump more frequently. If humping is something new or seems to be excessive after your cat has been neutered, it may be time for a trip to the vet.

Most likely, humping is a behavioral issue in neutered male cats. Stress and anxiety can cause cats to try to hump objects or other pets you may have. Cat’s are creatures of routine, so any little changes to their lifestyles could cause them stress. The actual procedure of being neutered may stress them out, and they may hump throughout their recovery. Humping is also occasionally a resort to boredom.

Cats will also hump to establish social ranking. If you have more than one cat in your home, it is likely even the neutered male cats will hump to establish dominance. Cats reach social maturity between two and four years old, so if you have multiple cats in this age range in your home, it doesn’t matter if they are neutered or not; they will likely use humping as a way to determine their ranking in your home.

Things To Consider

Any mating urges exhibited by male cats that have been neutered can eventually be trained out of them. To stop them from urinating on surfaces to mark their territory, you can use cat repellents. This will make the area unappealing to them, and soon they will learn to only pee in their litter box.

You can stop your cat from humping simply by reprimanding them. Loud noise when they start to mount something will scare them, and they will stop in their tracks. Rewarding good behavior is also beneficial in training to redirect their habits into healthy ones. If it seems like your cat is still “going into heat” frequently after being neutered and you are not sure what to do, it is best to contact your veterinarian for further recommendations.