Older cat sniffing new kitten

[sandie_lasvegas]

Help! This may sound Xrated but my older, 11 yrs old, neutered cat Butch is sniffing my new female kitty's anus and also I caught him trying to lick her there. He likes her, he's also licked her ears, & head. He tolerates her vim and vigor. Why is he doing this licking? I always thought that if they were neutered they wouldn't bother females.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Hi and welcome to PT. This is normal behavior so please don't worry. He's probably just trying to get used to her scent and he may also be trying to wash her bottom. My furkids do this to each other all the time.

I always thought that only dogs would sniff each other bottoms but cats do this a lot too. I'm glad to hear that your older cat likes his new baby sister. I'd love to see some pictures of them.

[largeheartedgirl]

I agree with Krazy on this one. He may be taking a fatherly role toward the new kitten and cleaning up after her.

And it is typical for cats to sniff each other's anal secretions as a form of greeting and information gathering (things such as gender, age, general health, and suitability for breeding).

My only concern with a new kitten is that if she's a rescue, she may have worms and/or ear mite. With your other cat grooming her, he may be at risk for picking up these parasites, so make sure she is well vetted.

We use Revolution on our cats every six weeks (though they recommend every month--our kitties are strictly indoors). This keeps tapeworm, ear mites, some intestinal parasites and fleas down. You can buy it cheaper at PETSHED.com than at your vet or other on-line stores.