How To Tell If A Cat Is A Boy

What To Look For To Determine The Gender Of A Kitten

The most obvious first step to find out the gender of a new cat is to look under their tail. This is easier to do with short-haired kittens, so you may have to comb away any extra fur if you are examining a long-haired kitten. Make sure the kitten is lying flat on a towel and lift the tail gently to avoid injuring the animal. Never lift a kitten up by the tail!

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Choosing A Gifted Mouser Cat

Aloof demigod or cuddly cutie-pie, your cat is descended from countless generations of fierce predators. Under the right circumstances, almost any cat will kill a mouse. However, some cats seem to live for the hunt while others prefer to wait for the occasional mouse to stumble directly into their food bowls.

If you live in an area where mice and other rodents are a problem, here are a few guidelines you can use to find a cat who will eagerly seek out such prey.

What to Look for in a Mousing Cat

1. Observe the cat, not the breed.

2. Watch for hunting behavior.

3. Know where the cat came from.

Urine Marking In Cats

The most common behavior problem reported by pet parents of cats is inappropriate elimination. Its estimated that 10% of all cats will eliminate outside their litter box at some point in their lives. Quite a few of these cats have issues with some characteristic of their litter box , but approximately 30% dont have litter box problems at all. These cats are urine marking, and urine marking isnt a litter box problemits a communication problem. Urine marking is a form of indirect communication used by cats.

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Home Girl Vs Gentleman Adventurer

Myth: Male cats wander far and wide but female cats will always stay close to home.

Reality: This really comes down to whether or not your cats been neutered. Both male and female cats will ;roam away from home looking for a mate. Sometimes they forget their way home and get lost for a few days. If you get your boy neutered, he wont get this urge to roam and will be as much of a homebody as any of the girls.

Male Cat Responsiveness To Kittens

Not all males will attack kittens but research has found that males are definitely less responsive to kittens in distress than females. Kittens that are anxious and call out urgently to their parents will get a quick response from their mother, whereas males may respond but will not step up the speed of their response based on the arousal of the kittens. This may be due to the fact males generally do not assist with raising kittens and hence do not have an instinctual response to care for them in the way the mother does.

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Male Cats Vs Female Cats: Is There A Personality Difference

When choosing a cat, do you stick to a particular gender? You might be missing out on a lot of affection.

We always had cats when I was growing up.

Our parents never said no, so my brother and I just kept dragging those cats and kittens back home with us ;from our grandparents farm, from outdoor flea markets and occasionally from some family friends who just happened to have a spare kitten.

Somehow the male cats always seemed more affectionate. But is there really a personality difference between male cats and female cats?

Only when I got Christy, a sealpoint Siamese kitten, in junior high school did I finally get to experience how loving a female cat could be.

But at the time, I assumed this affection was just the Siamese personality.

Male Cat Body Language And Communication

Tomcats are prepared to fight to defend their territory, but this is usually the option of last resort. This is because fighting risks injury, and an injured cat can’t hunt and feed himself. The answer is a complex language of body postures, which signals the cat’s intentions in the ultimate game of call my bluff. The first tool in the tomcat’s artillery is scent, hence all that spraying and scratching to claim ownership.

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Carrying On A Tradition

One of the most popular ways to pick a cat name is to delve into your past. Many people choose to name their cat in memory of a beloved childhood or family pet. In the same manner that people pass on family names like Junior, providing your new addition with a recognized family pet name will make them feel right at home in your family.

Male Cats Engage In Fighting

Fighting is not strictly a male behavior, but males do seem to receive the most attention for getting into scrapes with other toms they encounter. This is mainly due to a desire to defend or gain territory, but breeding behavior also drives males to spar with each other. Sometimes these fights are more about posturing, but on many occasions, these boys will do some significant damage to each other. Keep your cat at home is the best way to eliminate fighting with other cats.

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Need More Help Sexing Kittens

I hope that my kitten sexing guide helped you determine the sex of your kittens. If you need any further help sexing your kittens then please feel free to contact me via the contact page, social media or by using the comments section below. If you can send me photos of your kittens sex organs as in the photos above then I should be able to let you know the sex of your kitten.

Ross

About the author

Ross writes extensively about cats and kittens and has been featured in magazines such as Your Cat and Our Cats and has also guest authored on newsletters for various cat organisations. He is also a guest speaker at cat seminars.

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Does Neutering Lead To Any Adverse Effects On Health Or Behavior

“Male urine odor is particularly strong and pungent.”

There are many misconceptions about the effects of neutering on health and behavior. Neutered males are no more likely to become fat or lazy provided they receive a proper diet and adequate exercise. With less roaming, fightingand mating activity, calorie intake may have to be reduced and alternative forms of play and activity provided. Behaviors that have developed independentof hormonal influences such as hunting are not affected. Regardless of ageat which it is performed, neutering does not have any effect on physical development . Although neutering before puberty appears to have similar effects to neutering post-puberty, every attempt should be made to neuter before puberty before the cat develops problems, experiences, and habits associated with sexual maturity.

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How Do I Know If My Cats Male

A male cats genital area comprises the anus, the scrotum and the penis.;

The scrotum or scrotal sac contains the testicles, and is covered in fur. In newborn kittens the testicles are very small, about the size of a cherry stone. By the time the cat reaches adulthood, theyll be around the size of a cherry itself. So if there are testicles, you should be able to see and feel them.;

The penis is located right above the testicles in a little tuft of fur. You can see it between the cats back legs.;

In adult cats youll find the anus some three centimetres from the penis. In a newborn kitten, this distance is reduced.;

Is It True You Can Determine A Cats Sex By Colour

It is true that almost all tortoiseshell and calico cats are female.

Research shows that only 1 in 1,000 calico cats are male.

This is because these colours require two X chromosomes to be present and females have two X chromosomes.

A male of these colours would have a genetic aberration of two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome.

People also say all ginger cats are male but according to Science Focus around three quarters are male and one quarter are female.

So, while it is more likely for a ginger cat to be male, its not 100% certain.

Ginger colouration is a less reliable indicator of sex in cats but generally ginger males are more likely to occur than ginger females.

This is something that provides a rough guideline, it is by no means foolproof and we highly recommend using other methods to find out the sex of your cat rather than judging solely by the colour of their fur.

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Common Differences Between Male And Female Cats

Being spayed or neutered severely affects each gender. Moreover, the cats breed also plays a significant role in its appearance and character.

Vocalization and level of affection are among the most notable differences between males and females, but as we said, each kitty is unique and not all cats follow these loose rules.

The Differences Between Male And Female Cats

Many people think that male and female cats act differently and swear that boys or girls make the better pets. But is that true?

A lot of cat lovers swear that their boy and girl cats behave in different ways. So, is there really a difference between the ways boys and girls behave, or is it more complicated than that?

Our vets have delved into some common myths to find out more!

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Wild Toms Vs Mild Moggies

Myth: Boys are fighters and will often get into a tussle with other tomcats. Girls will avoid confrontation where they can.

Reality: Unneutered male cats are much more territorial and will defend their patch if another cat wanders in. This can end up with them getting hurt in fights and they could catch a life-changing infection like FIV . However, there are a lot of other things that can also make your cat aggressive and which arent to do with their gender.

Any cat can get aggressive if they meet a stranger in their territory, or are scared or confused. Female cats will stand up for themselves just as much as males and neutered male cats can still get into the occasional scrap. It really depends on how many cats are in your local area, as well as on your cats personality and mood. It could also come down to the health of your cat theyre more likely to lash out if theyre frightened or in pain.

Treating Urine Marking Caused By Conflict In A Multi

The first step in fixing any elimination problem is to rule out medical problems. Although there is no medical problem that contributes specifically to urine marking, physical problems can create increased anxiety in a cat, which can contribute to marking. Once your veterinarian has determined that your cat doesnt have a medical condition or issue, consider the following guidelines:

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Male Cats Have Wanderlust

Of course, one of the most infamous behaviors toms are known for is their propensity for wandering. This wanderlust can sometimes lead them miles from home, and you may not see your pet again for days. More often than not, your tom will nonchalantly return home looking for his dinner, but that doesn’t keep you from worrying in the meantime. Factors that drive this behavior include:

• A desire to increase a male’s territory
• Seeking out a female in heat that he has caught scent of more than a mile away
• Hunting behavior especially if you live in an area with lots of prey opportunities
• Curiosity; the male wanders because he can if given the opportunity

Although opinions will vary, it’s safest to keep your pet indoors only and eliminate their ability to wander. Male cats that roam can get into fights with other animals, be run over by cars, stolen, or contract deadly diseases. They also can contribute to pet overpopulation if they’re not neutered and encounter females.

Assess Their Grooming Habits

Cats are very meticulous when it comes to grooming, and most younger cats will keep their coats looking pristine. However, once cats reach a certain age, they might not be as thorough with their grooming as they once were.

Many factors can contribute to a cat losing the ability to groom themselves well. Dental issues in particular can cause a cat to stop grooming because it is painful. They also could gain weight as they get older, which in turn makes it harder to reach certain spots, Dr. Horvath says.

Arthritis can be another factor since the contortions necessary to reach everywhere on the body become painful. Losing the ability to groom is more obvious in medium-haired and long-haired cats, adds Dr. Horvath.

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How To Determine The Gender Of Your Kitten

Until they are 3 weeks old, it is very difficult to know the sex of a baby kitten. The external genitalia are not yet fully formed, and the female babies are very similar to the male kittens.

It is when they are 21 days old when we begin to appreciate some differences between female and male cats. Although it is common for many people to be wrong when venturing to say the gender of a kitten when it is barely a few weeks old, with a simple visual examination you can get an idea of whether it is a male or a female.

Discover how to differentiate if a kitten is male or female with two very simple and practical techniques.

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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Neutering And Spaying Vs Leaving The Cat Intact

Spayed female cats have a tendency to be calmer and more affectionate compared to their intact counterparts. They dont go into heat, and they can focus entirely on their bond with their owner.

On the other hand, neutered male tomcats are less territorial and protective of their homes and pet parents. In a sense, they wont feel as protective of their surroundings. Regardless of this, feline experts agree on one thing the behavioral changes in neutered male cats are much more prominent than the ones in spayed female cats.

Male Cats Spray Urine

Probably the worst offense attributed to male cats is the habit of urine spraying. Males spray their territory as a warning of the boundaries to other cats. Toms also spray as an advertisement of their sexual prowess when seeking females to mate with. An anxious cat may also spray to comfort himself by spreading his own scent.

That said, urine spraying is not always behavioral by nature. A case of kidney stones can drive a cat to spray in an effort to pass the blockage and gain a little relief. Likewise, a urinary tract infection can also lead to disturbing urinary behaviors.

If your cat is spraying, get him checked out by a vet to rule out medical problems and clean up after him with a product like NOse Offense to help remove his scent. Neutering may also help if the spraying is related to mating behaviors. Some owners also find pheromone diffusers and sprays like Feliway can help reduce spraying.

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