Curious about a behavior...(Surprise! NOT Wimsey this time!)

[badgerpup]

:hi:
Right off the bat I'd like to state that this isn't destructive or aggressive, and I haven't seen any other cats do this.

Riktor is now seven years old and has become the senior male of the clowder.
He started out in the junior position when Misha ('The Boss', alpha cat and senior male) brought him home as a 5-month old (near as the vet and I could make out) kitten and informed me that he was now part of the household and would I please make the necessary arrangements.
He officially became the 'Baby' of the clowder with the adoption of Esme (4 years his senior).

The Behavior: He would go up to the senior cats and bite them on the neck. No 'mounting' behavior, not a bite on the back of the neck, but on the side or front. Misha and Esme tolerated this and did not behave as though it caused them any discomfort. They'd hold still for a minute, then move their heads, breaking the hold; "Alright, Riktor, that's enough."

He does this still with Esme (Misha's waiting for us at the Bridge)...and also with the two junior members of the clowder, Wimsey and Finnegan. There's no aggression or challenge in the behavior; it seems to be part of the greeting ritual in fact. Sniff...whiskers...check out ears...bite neck...but only Riktor does the biting.

Does anybody else's cats do this, or is this just a 'Riktor' thing? :shrug:

Thanks! :pals:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Maybe he thinks he's a vampire?

I haven't noticed this sort of thing in my clowder, but one of mine occasionally does the mounting thing on one of the others (the other boy), who just looks bored and annoyed when it happens. I'm sure it's a dominance thing. Maye that's what Riktor intends, too, but he bites the sides of their necks only because his aim is bad.

[Kookaburra]

2. I've seen my male cats do that when they're playing

Maybe it's a show of affection or something like that.

[emilyg]

3. My males do it - I think it's

playful affection.

[njlib]

4. My Kingsford does that, too!

But he only does it to Baby, who's the teenie weenie of the group. I just watched him before...he gave her some kisses on the nose and the side of her face, then went for her neck. She'll give a little yelp and then run away from him. It doesn't seem to be mean-spirited, but when she's had enough, she'll go under the woodstove until he decides to behave. He's also the most playful one and will go berserk if he sees me with his favorite toy. They're my cellar dwellers, the leukemia cats. My two upstairs, mother/daughter, don't do that. Wonder if it's a male thing? Or maybe a feral thing? The cellar dwellers were all strays that just showed up on my doorstep one day. Kingsford's turned out to be a big mush, loves to be brushed, hugged, kissed, etc. Piglet will occasionally let me pet & brush her for a bit. Baby still won't let me touch her and it kills me. I've had them for 2 1/2 years and would love to be able to pet/hug/kiss them all.