If you have caught your dog humping your cat, you might have a million questions. For example, “Is it normal behavior?” and “How to stop this?” Fortunately for you, you’ve found the right place to look for answers.
Dogs sometimes do things that look disgusting and unnatural to a mere human. Like sniffing butts or eating poop. But is it normal for a dog to hump a cat? It certainly looks disturbing, especially if it’s a common occurrence. And it could cause you a lot of embarrassment if it happens while you’re having guests.
So, let’s talk first about the driving force behind this behavior.
LOVE DOGS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, HERE!
Why dogs hump?
At first, when you see your dog mounting the cat, your initial thought is about sex, right? Of course, humping is a natural part of the sexual act between two dogs. And when you have a young, unfixed dog, he is very likely to masturbate, especially if he has just reached puberty.
But the interesting things is that female dogs also hump. And pre-pubescent ones, too. So, it’s not all about sex and sexual gratification, even though it certainly plays a role in some cases.
Dogs will hump objects and other animals due to one of the following reasons:
- Sometimes dogs get overexcited when they play with other dogs or by themselves. And this energy has to go somewhere. So humping is a way to deal with the excitement.
- People sometimes bite their nails, play with their hair or rub their palms when we’re anxious. Dogs hump. This is called displacement behavior.
- Mounting another dog in some cases has a clear purpose – showing the other dog who is the alpha and establishing the pecking order.
- Seeking attention. Some dogs might hump on purpose if they don’t get enough attention during the day.
- When dogs play, they chase, wrestle, stalk, mount and hump. According to some experts, play time gives dogs the opportunity to practice moves that they might need one day to survive. And mounting could be a way for them to practice for real sexual intercourses.
- If your dog is used to humping, he is probably not going to stop even if you fix him. But there is no reason to interrupt him if he is not bothering anyone.
- Medical condition. Urinary tract infections and itchy genitals might be behind your dog’s humping.
Is your dog humping your cat a normal behavior?
A dog humping is cat seem strange, but it’s a very common occurrence. Just do a quick search on the Internet, and you’ll find tons of videos. And it’s completely normal for a dog to mount and hump dogs, other animals, your legs, pillows, stuff toys and whatever else comes to your mind.
Observe the dog and notice in what circumstances he starts mounting the cat. Is it during playtime? Then he is probably overexcited and overstimulated. Is the cat not paying him any attention? Lucky might also be trying to engage the lazy feline to play with him.
It’s also possible that your furry friend is trying to show the cat who the boss is and establish his dominance. But overexcitement is much more likely.
The important thing is that if the cat doesn’t mind, e.g., there is no hissing, scratching and growling, you shouldn’t worry. It’s completely normal. Just let Rover have his fun or try to redirect him to a more appropriate object.
How to prevent humping?
Even though humping is a natural behavior, the object of the humping, in our case your cat, might not be pleased with the attention she is getting. And someone might get hurt if the dog doesn’t leave the cat at peace. Or if he tries to hump a strange dog.
So what can you do to stop or at least limit this behavior? Here are some tips:
- Neuter/spay your dog if you haven’t done so. If you neuter your pet on time, there is a huge chance that he will stop humping if his behavior is sexually related.
- Provide enough stimulations so that your dog doesn’t have too much excess energy.
- Try to locate a possible source of anxiety that could be triggering your pet.
- Teach your dog to leave possible humping objects on command. If the dog doesn’t obey, remove him from the situation.
- Pay enough attention to your dog and make sure that he has everything he needs.
- Observe your pet and when you notice he is about to hump something, distract him.
- Visit your vet to rule out a medical condition.
Dog humping is something completely normal for your pet. And he might not understand why you’re getting so frustrated with him. Punishment is not going to work. If you can’t handle him, consult an animal behaviorist to help you.
So what do you think? What about your dog? Does he hump the cat? Tell us in the comments, don’t be shy.
