Can Cats Be Sexually Attracted To Humans?

You adore your little cat friend so much. When you get home, he jumps all over you the minute you swing the door open.

He can’t seem to stop cuddling and sleeping with you in the same bed.

You equally enjoy hanging around him, carrying him in your arms, and petting him.

However, of late you’ve noticed that your charming feline buddy displays behavior that seems odd to you.

Perhaps he follows you around everywhere and when you settle down, he’s only interested in mounting you.

He does it on your hands, legs, and anywhere else. When you assert your dominance and display your displeasure, he likely gets upset and scratches or mows at you (in a not-so-good-way).

That can be truly worrying. As much as we love our cats and kittens, no one is down for any kind of romantic or sexual attraction with them.

They are pets and should be attracted to members of their own family just like you are to your own.

But is this behavior normal? Can a cat be sexually attracted to humans?

Sexual Behavior in Cats

Before we delve into the topic, it might be useful to look at the sexual behavior of feline creatures at a glance.

Once a male kitten reaches 12 weeks of age, the cat reaches the puberty stage, and testosterone kicks in.

By the time he’s seven months old, he can mate. This is when he actively seeks out a female to mate with.

His fathering instincts kick in at this point too. He will spray to mark his territory, roam around the outdoors, and fight other males.

A female cat is a little bit more complex. For one, her true age of puberty is affected by a number of factors including the presence of a male, the time of year of her birth, the length of the day, and the presence of another in-heat female.

On average, she will enter puberty anywhere between 5-7 months.

Some can start early and others as late as 18 months old.

When she’s on heat, she will act flirtatious around a male cat. This happens once every three weeks.

Sexual Attraction to Humans, Is It A Thing?

Not really.

A cat on heat can display certain characteristics that humans sometimes interpret wrongly.

For instance, when a male is on heat, the testosterone levels mount and he can be real trouble at home.

An unneutered cat is worse for obvious reasons. The sexual drive will cause him to hump on you, the sofa, and everything else on sight.

Even an unneutered male still has a small amount of testosterone and will act the part as well. 

They can be very affectionate and attentive to their owners in a way that is rather alarming.

If there’s a female cat around, the instinctive behavior to mount will awaken. This causes him to mount on close objects and people.

For the most part, a female cat on heat is affectionate towards her owners. She will follow them around and pester them to give her rubs all day long.

If you don’t know how to handle this, it can be quite frustrating.

Imagine your cat being on your case asking you for plenty of attention when you are hosting your parents or colleagues?

How about having her go over to one of your guests for the same reason?

In summary, cats cannot have sexual feelings towards human beings. They are just not made that way.

If yours displays odd behavior, it could be that they are just looking for a channel to expend their sexual energy.

Neutering helps things to a greater degree. As a matter of fact, most neutered male cats hump out of habit, not for sexual reasons at all. Perhaps he is looking for attention.

In such a case, find ways to let him release the energy. And the best strategy is taking him outside to run around and play.

Let him climb on trees and claw on them. Allow him to supervise his territory.

If you can, ward off stray cats around your home if he feels threatened by them.

Finally, look for a few hiding spots and high-hides from where your make cat can feel on top of his security.

Watch out for your female cat to see if she develops her super-affectionate behavior round the clock or once every three weeks.

If it’s the latter, it simply means the neutering wasn’t complete.

Once in a while, a little ovarian tissue can remain in her system and awaken sexual feelings.

Go back to the vet and the problem will go away once and for all.

Final Thoughts

Can cats be sexually attracted to humans?

The answer is a big no.

However, they can act strange around their owners either because they need to channel some sexual energy or just out of habit.

Whatever the case, don’t ever be freaked out by the behaviors—your adorable cat just loves you platonically.