Why Does a Tom Cat Bite a Female’s Neck While Mating?

Posted by Jennifer Copley Jul 14, 2009

Female cats transport their kittens from place to place using their teeth to hold them by the scruffs of their necks. Kittens have an instinct to stay completely still when their mothers pick them up by the nape of the neck, and adult cats don’t entirely lose this innate response. The tom cat uses this neck bite to hold the female immobile and to protect himself if she decides to bite or claw him. While some find this behaviour alarming as the mating appears forced, in reality male cats only have the opportunity to mate when females allow it.

Why Do Female Cats Shriek After Mating?

The female cat’s shriek also gives the impression of a forced mating. Many have speculated that females howl at the end of a mating session because the small spines on the male cat's penis (which are required to induce ovulation in the female) cause pain as he withdraws. However, a number of experts have come to believe that the female cat’s shriek at the end of a mating session is a defensive gesture, much like the male’s neck bite. In other words, she is warning the male off in case he begins to behave in a predatory fashion because she is in a vulnerable position with his teeth clamped on her neck.

For answers to other cat behaviour questions, see Why Does My Cat Do That?

Reference: Seidensticker, J., & Lumpkin, S. (2006). Cats: Smithsonian Q&A: The Ultimate Question and Answer Book. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books.