Very strange behavior...our black kitty, Ozzy. Advice needed!

[leather_lace1979]

Little background:

We have a 5 kitty household, 3 females, 2 males.

All are fixed but our youngest, Ozzy. He's a year and a half now. We've also been bad cat parents this time around and haven't gotten him his shots either :'( we know that's terrible, but we're hoping that has nothing to do with the current issue.

We've had no issues with spraying or anything, but he does like to pounce on his brother & sisters a little too rough & hold them down & bite. Especially with the furrier two...otherwise a very loving & smart kitty.

Starting yesterday morning though, we noticed a change in behavior. He started mewling, not just meowing, mewling, and obsessively following around our one specific female (again, fixed). His pupils are very dilated, and we were thinking it was because of him not being fixed finally, but he isn't really attempting to mount her. He just stares at her intently and follows right behind smelling her, & has pounced only a couple times like he usually does. He's completely ignoring the other 2 females tho & his brother. He also goes downstairs to where the litter boxes are and mews much louder than he ever has, & is constantly laying by our backdoor (out of character) when not able to pursue the female. He also would usually come to us whenever we called him & chirp at us, but now he isn't coming & when we go to find him & ask what's wrong he makes a very loud & strange meow...

What does this sound like to anyone???

[booktigger]

His behavior is likely due to being unneutered, any reason why you havent had him done?

[nanny pamy]

I'm no expert but the poor guy sounds utterly frustrated. Probably with not being fixed

[leather_lace1979]

I'm no expert but the poor guy sounds utterly frustrated. Probably with not being fixed

Just one random day though, after a year and a half of no issues? Wouldn't he be fixated on all our females? Just confused...

[leather_lace1979]

His behavior is likely due to being unneutered, any reason why you havent had him done?

Honestly just tight on money this year...I know it's not an excuse, but after he turned a year we were somewhat nervous about getting him fixed at that point.

[LittlePenBigHeart]

It sounds to me as though it's related to him being unneutered. He's reached sexual maturity and if one of the female cats is coming into season then he'll be able to sense it (you haven't said if the females have been spayed). If they have been spayed then it's probably just a fixation. Either way, it all sounds very much like typical unneutered male cat behaviour and I'm afraid it'll likely continue until he's been fixed.

[MarySkater]

(you haven't said if the females have been spayed).

Yes, OP said in the first post,

All are fixed but our youngest, Ozzy.

I did wonder if the one female he's following is producing some measure of hormones, despite being spayed. I agree, though, it sounds like the whole household (including Ozzy) will be happier once he's neutered.

[booktigger]

Traditionally, kittens start being born in March, cats are pregnant for 9 weeks, so now is the time females start coming into season - as someone else mentioned, the female he is fixated on could be giving off a slight scent. Might be worth speaking to your local Cats Protection to see if they could help with the cost. The longer you leave it the worse he will get - I'm surprised you don't have an issue with the smell of his litter tray

[Lilith]

after he turned a year we were somewhat nervous about getting him fixed at that point.

Two of my cats were feral toms who moved in with me and were neutered in middle-age. Rescues all over the planet are neutering mature males as a matter of routine. You have nothing to fear.

I gather somehow that you're in the States - there are grants for neutering here in the UK if money is tight; can you get a simlilar grant from an animal charity in the US? I had to use one of these once - then paid it back when finances improved.

The longer you leave him though, the greater his testosterone build-up and also his potential for aggression, which may be turned on the other cats - and you.

Also spraying. This is a normal habit of the unneutered male and a matter of manly pride. One day you'll wake up to a funny smell and a sticky patch on the cooker ... within the week your whole house may have funny smells everywhere and be totally polluted

Get him done now while the going's good. His macho behaviour won't disappear overnight but he'll begin to calm down as his testosterone levels fall and soon you'll have a loving placid errrm pussycat back on your hands.

Another benefit of neutering is that they fill out and become great big glossy tigers; he'll be a smasher

[LittlePenBigHeart]

(you haven't said if the females have been spayed).

Yes, OP said in the first post,

All are fixed but our youngest, Ozzy.

I did wonder if the one female he's following is producing some measure of hormones, despite being spayed. I agree, though, it sounds like the whole household (including Ozzy) will be happier once he's neutered.

Quite right. Apologies for being confused.Bad week obviously affecting my eyesight.