cat attacking older cat

Question
QUESTION: We have two cats, a 12 year old female and a 6 year old male.  Both are fixed and have lived together for 4 years.  The male has no front claws (we adopted him this way) and is usually docile, never hurts people.  Every once in a while when the female cat is sleeping on the floor the male cat will walk up to the side of her and grab the side of her throat and repeatedly bites it.  He never mounts her or does anything sexual but usually her will just keep attacking her as she screams and we have to yell at him to separate them. He then runs under the coach and will hide for a hour or so.  We are not sure how to fix this problem or what is causing it.  The female cat never approaches him to fight and it normally only happens when she is sleeping.

ANSWER: Beth,

Some male cats even though they don't have the physical parts still have the 'male mentality'.

My guess would be that there is a female cat in heat in the neighborhood that he can smell, and he is semi-reacting to it with your female. He may do this when she is sleeping because in his mind she is 'laying down' for him.

It may confuse him when you yell at him, because he is just doing something natural to him. I would just separate them without scolding him and get his mind on something else. Play with him for a while would be the best thing.

Some cats are very vocal and your female may be one of them. He probably is not hurting her, just making her mad.

There are some neutered cats that are really bad about it. Some have stuffed animals that they constantly try to have sex with, and some cats will hump people's legs, or any dog or cat around them! You are lucky he just grabs her neck!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We live in a 6th floor apartment and he never goes outside.  Is there really a chance that he is smelling a cat in heat.  He has never had any humping behavior with any person or stuffed animal.  It has just never seemed to be sexual aggression to me.  And yes my female cat is just about the most vocal cat anyone I know has ever heard, so it is good to know that he might not actually be hurting her.  This behavior has just been happening at multiple locations where we live and so I am curious whether this could really be related to another female.

Answer
Beth,

A male cat can smell a female cat from a long distance, sometimes blocks. And even if he does not go outside. There may be a cat in heat in your apartment building. Most neutered cats don't react to this, yet some do.

Call your veterinarian, he can give you further info on this.

Tabbi