Determining Sex Through Other Differences
How To Know The Age Of A Cat
It is very important to know the age of your cat to give your pussy the care it needs. Often the date of birth of a pet is not known because it has not been with us since birth. If you do not know when the pussy cat was born, you have to approximately calculate the cat’s age through certain observations. Even the best cat experts may get it wrong, so it is quite complex to determine a pussy’s age. In this fascinating article, we explain on OneHowTo.com how to know the age of a cat.
The best way to tell the age of a cat is by looking at the pussy’s teeth. This is considered the most reliable method to estimating a cat’s age. To look at the teeth, you have to lift up the pussy’s lips gently.
Young cats have 26 temporary teeth which are like the milk teeth in humans. They will have 14 teeth in the upper jaw and 12 below. At birth, cats have teeth which start appearing within two weeks of birth but they can take up to four weeks to appear.
The hair on your cat can also give you a rough idea of the pussy’s age. A very young cat has short and thick fur. When it grows older, the coat becomes thinner and softer until the cat gets old and then his fur becomes dense, thick and grey in areas.
One way to know how old your pet is, is to observe and feel the cat’s muscles. Caress your pussy to determine how thin or muscular it is. Normally, older cats have saggy skin and protruding shoulder blades. When a cat is young, it is usually more toned and fit.
How To Determine The Sex Of Your Kitten
Your cat just delivered a litter of adorable kittens but how can you tell the boys from the girls? It can be difficult to distinguish between the genitals of male and female kittens, especially when the babies are only a few days to weeks old. By learning about the reproductive anatomy of cats and comparing between male and female kittens, you have a better chance of telling them apart. Be aware that even breeders and veterinarians have made errors when trying to sex very young kittens.
All kittens should be born with two anatomical openings just below the tail. One is the anus and the other one is the genital area. The primary way to tell a female kitten from a male kitten is by comparing the distance between the anal opening and the genital opening. Rarely, a kitten may be born without an anus. This is a birth defect and is considered very serious and life threatening. If you notice that your kitten only has one opening under the tail, contact your family veterinarian and have the kitten examined as soon as possible.
For male kittens, the space between the anus and the tip of the penis is longer than the space between the anus and the vagina. This extra space allows for the testicles to descend out of the body cavity and into the scrotal sacs later in life. After about 4 to 6 weeks of age, the testicles can be palpated. They would feel like small peas in the space between the anus and penis.
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How Do You Determine The Gender Of A Kitten
I was looking at a litter of kittens, and it looks like they are all girls. Is that possible? How can I tell for sure what gender the kittens are?
- 3Part of me is like “you just LOOK!” but then I remember how I was convinced my cat was a girl for the first week or two I had him! AshJul 20 ’14 at 18:29
It’s a bit tricky to tell male from female when kittens are young. It’s very easy to tell when they’re born, but they quickly grow more fur and it gets trickier. As they get older, the testes get larger and it gets easier to tell. At 6 weeks old it’s very subtle but possibly visible. At 12 weeks old it’s a small, but reasonably obvious, bulge. At 8 months old it’s blatantly obvious. Between 1 day and 10-12 weeks old it’s tricky)
I believe it’s possible for a litter to be all females, but it’s pretty unlikely.
When they get their first vet visit, the vet will typically identify the gender as part of the routine examination. That’s the surest way to know, since vets are very experienced with kitten gender identification.
If you have a litter, it’s going to be a bit easier, since you’ll most likely have both genders to look at.
How To Tell The Gender Of Your Kitten
The genitals of a cat are just below its tail. To tell the gender of a kitten, you will only have to lift his/her tail and do a visual exam.
Look for the anal hole that is below the tail and the urinary opening. The young male kittens have not yet developed the penis or testicles, but you can see that there is more distance between the anus and the opening where they pee, approximately 2 or 3 cm. In the case of female kittens, both openings are close together.
When the kitten is about a month and a half old, you can see that his testicles are more evident, and you can tell if it is female or male unequivocally.
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Determining Kitten Gender By Distance
Every kitten has an anal opening and a genital opening, and the distance between the two is your best clue to the sex of any kitten.
Gently turn your kitten on its back while holding its scruff to maintain some control. Now, look just under the tail. This is the anal opening. Next, look for the genital opening which is located closer to the kitten’s abdomen.
- In male kittens, there is almost an inch of space between the genital opening and the anal opening, so compare how close they are.
- In female kittens, the space between the anal opening and the genital opening is much closer with only about one-half-inch in between.
| Male kitten | Female kitten |
Sexing Cats Based On Genitals
The only really reliable way to determine a cats sex is to look at the genitals. This is easier in older cats. In very young kittens, the males and females can be quite hard to distinguish if you dont know what youre looking for.
To see the cats genitals, youll need to gently lift up the tail. If the cat is relaxed and amenable to being handled, this is easy enough. Its a good idea to sit down with the cat on your lap, so you wont drop the animal if things dont go well. If the cat doesnt co-operate with you lifting the tail, try scratching the animals back at the base of the tail. This often causes the cat to lift up its tail instinctively.
A more nervous or hostile cat can be tricky to handle its better to have someone else hold the cat while you perform the examination. It might be necessary to wrap the cat in a towel or blanket.
A male cat will have a scrotum and penis located just below the anus. In an entire tom, the testicles will also be visible. Neutered toms still have scrota, but theyre smaller and less pronounced. A female cat will only have an anus and vagina.
Whatever the cats sex, its important that the cat be spayed or neutered as soon as possible. Your vet can advise you on whether the cat is old enough for the procedure. Its usually carried out at around five months, but may be performed earlier in some cases. De-sexing cats makes them happier and easier to care for, as well as protecting them against various diseases.
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Feral Cats When Trapped
One thing you may notice is that they actually do have their own set of actions that come about when they are trapped. Usually, there are barriers when you trap them, and with feral kittens, along with the mom, its the same thing. Some of the factors include the following:
- They wont be touched and are refused to be touched, even when youre giving care
- Unlike stray cats who come to the front of where the cage is, a feral cat will try to stay as far back as possible and will retreat to the back of the cage
- They tend to not actually touch the cage, except if theyre frightened and jolted, where they may start to climb, rattle, and shake the cage
- They will be unsocial and tend to not actually relax over time
- They will ignore people, and toys, possibly even food if theyre older
- They wont be interested in sounds within the household, except in the case of if youve been feeding the cat and they respond
- They will be aggressive
- Will tend to lash out when theyre cornered or threatened, usually having the ears back and the eyes dilated
When handling feral kittens you may see this too, especially if youre looking to trap them and socialize them.
Some of them may not be inclined to socializing. If thats the case, thats a sign that it may be a bit more feral than you expected, and in that case, it might be best to return them to the colony.
Determining A Kitten’s Sex
Visual cues will help you determine if a kitten is male or female. While this distinction may be difficult to tell with newborns, it’ll become easier the older they get. Knowing the sex doesn’t make any difference in how you raise them, and only determines whether the kitten will eventually need to be spayed or to be neutered.
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Four Weeks Old Kitten
Its been one whole month! Its amazing how quickly these helpless kittens have grown up over a four-week period. Darling, Denby, Corduroy, Tweed, and Wembley are thriving babies, starting to explore the world around them and play frequently with friends and toys.
At four weeks old, Corduroy is ready to explore!
Three Weeks Old Kitten
If you are bottle feeding, youll notice the kittens are drinking much more at each feeding, but at fewer feedings, probably four to five times a day. At this age you can start introducing solid fooduse wet food at first, and try mixing it with kitten formula. By the end of the week, their weight will have increased to close to 15 ounces. They are walking steadily, without too much wobbling.
Tweed is three weeks old!
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Male Or Female Kitten
| In female kittens, the urinary orifice and anus are close together. | Contrasting both sexes can be helpful. The space between the anus and urinary tract opening in the male is greater than in the female. | In male kittens the urinary orifice and anus are not close together and an undeveloped scrotum may be visible. |
When In Doubt Ask Your Vet To Check It Out
Kittens don’t always cooperate and may even scratch you in an effort to break free, so getting a good look might be difficult and leave you still guessing. If you’re still not sure which sex your kitten is after examining it, don’t despair. Your vet can determine the sex for you. Simply ask him or her to check the kitten on your next scheduled exam. Why not make use of your vet’s years of expertise? The veterinarian in the video below demonstrates exactly how to determine a kitten’s gender.
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How To Tell The Gender Of A Kitten
While its exciting to meet a litter of newborn kittens, it can be tricky to tell if your fluffy new friends are male or female. Even experts can have trouble distinguishing the gender of a kitten. There are a few tell-tale signs to look for, though, and once you know the difference between the genitals of male and female kittens, its much easier to work out which they are.
How To Tell The Sex Of A Male Kitten
For a male kitten, youll find a small hole near the base of the tail, but there will be a second rounded shape a bit further down than with female kittens. Because the anus and scrotum have a bit of space between them, there will be some fur between them. As a male kitten gets a bit older, their testes will grow larger and be easier to distinguish.
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Leave The Kittens Alone For The First Few Weeks
When kittens are under a month old, its best to leave them with their mother. Taking a kitten away for too long can be distressing for the kitten and their mother cat. Some mother cats may abandon their kittens if theyre handled too often.
As kittens get used to your presence, you may be able to start handling them at 2 weeks old, but its safer to wait until theyre 4 weeks old, if possible. Its also extremely difficult to tell the gender of a kitten under 4 weeks old, so you may be putting both the mother cat and the kittens under unnecessary distress.
Five Weeks Old Kitten
Showing their independence, Darling, Denby, Corduroy, Tweed, and Wembley are beginning to demonstrate their individual personalities: Darling is a talker Denby is always up for adventure and a good wrestle Corduroy is brave and confident Tweed is sweet and loves belly rubs and Wembley is a cuddle bug and full of silly mischief.
Corduroy, brave and confident!
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How To Tell The Sex Of A Kitten: Examining The Genitals
Many breeders describe the appearance of male and female kittens genitals as punctuation marks. We know this sounds a bit odd, but bear with us!
A male kittens genitals look a little like a colon. The round anus sits at the top, with a gap between the anus and another rounded opening for the penis. Between the two sits the scrotal sac. This will be very small in young kittens, but its still possible to feel the testicles if you palpate this area gently. You should feel two small oval-shaped testes underneath the skin.
As a male kitten develops, it becomes easier to see and feel the testes as they grow in size.
Female kittens genitals look more like an upside-down exclamation mark. The round anus sits at the top and is closely followed by the vaginal slit.
The gap between the genital opening and the anus is more pronounced in male kittens than females. You may find that as you examine different kittens, it becomes easier to tell the difference between males and females.
It’s Always Good To Know Your Kitten’s Sex
If you have future breeding plans for your kitten, knowing the sex is essential if you’re looking for a stud instead of a queen. Even if you don’t plan to breed, you’ll want to know the sex if it makes a difference in the name you’d like to choose. Sexing a kitten only takes a few moments, and now you know just how easy it can be.
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How To Tell Cat Gender By Face
It can be tricky to tell the difference between male and female cats without peeking under the hood, as it were. Sometimes you dont have an opportunity to sex a cat by looking at the genitals. Although its not an exact science, its possible to tell the difference between male and female cats by other means. Cats exhibit a degree of sexual dimorphism, with this being more or less pronounced in different breeds. Females tend to be smaller than males. Perhaps most distinctive, though, are the facial differences between male and female cats. With practice, you can often distinguish between the sexes.
How to tell cat gender by face: Male cats tend to have a more rounded, fuller face than females. The cheek pads on a male cat develop more, especially in an entire male, giving these cats a jowly look. Female cats tend to have a few narrower face with a more delicate muzzle.
Youve landed on this page because you want to learn how to distinguish between male and female cats. Perhaps you cant get near enough to perform a genital inspection. Maybe the cat is a stray and wont let you get close, or perhaps youre curious about a neighbours pet. Maybe you spotted a kitty in the shelter and youre thinking of adopting. Keep reading to find out all the answers: how to tell a cats sex from the face, and from other characteristics. This article has all the information that youre looking for.