How To Tell If A Kitten Is Boy Or Girl

How Can You Tell When A Cat Is About To Give Birth

When a cat is about to give birth, you will be able to feel the kittens moving when touching your cats abdomen. Shortly before giving birth, a cat in labor will appear restless, hide or stop eating. For more about cat labor, we recommend reading our article where we discuss how long does it take for a cat to give birth.

How To Tell The Sex Of A Kitten: Complete Guide

Most cat people find it very difficult to tell the sex of their kittens, particularly when it comes to newborn kittens. They often resort to asking their local vet to help sexing a kitten for them.

But, thanks to Kitten Lady, aka Hannah Shaw, you can work out how to tell the sex of a kitten all by yourself!

In the video below, Hannah will show you in a quick and easy video everything you need to know about how to tell if a kitten is male or female, so that you can tell the the sex of your kittens. All done with the help of super cute rescued kittens Velouria, Margot, Phillip, Winston, and Barnaby!

If you want more detail weve set out the complete guide for how to tell kitten gender under the video and in our illustrations below.

What Is My Kitten’s Gender

Determining the sex of a cat can be difficult at times, especially if there is no other cat with which to compare the anatomy. So how can you tell if you have a Merlin or a Misty, a Rex or a Ruby? Here are a few steps to tell what your kitten’s gender is

If you’ve established a good relationship with the cat, pick him or her up and lift its tail. If the kitten isn’t responding well, you may want to solicit the assistance of a friend or family member. If the cat still isn’t lifting its tail, try scratching it where the lower back meets its tail most cats lift their tails if you do this to them.

Once the tail is up, you should have full view of the cat’s genitals and anus. A male will have a much greater distance between the genitals and anus than females ½ inch apart on a male kitten or over 1 inch apart on a male adult cat. Conversely, if the two are almost adjacent on a kitten or less than 1/2 inch apart on an adult, its a female.

Need some more help determining the sex of your cat or kitten? Check out the pics below.

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But Im Having Twins When Do You Find Out The Sex Of Twins

So youre having twins? Lucky you: You have double the love to look forward to! The downside? You might have to wait longer than some mamas to find out the sex of your babies. Because tests like MaterniT screen for chromosomal abnormalities, theyll tell you what chromosomes are present in your blood. If the Y chromosome is present, youre having a boy. What the test cant tell you? How many Y chromosomes are present. So if a Y chromosome is detected, the test can only tell you that one of the babies is a boy. The other baby could be a girl or a boy! On the other hand, if there is no Y chromosome present, youll know both babies are girls!

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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The Shape Of Your Bump

Will it work? Probably not

Feel like youre carrying somewhere in the middle, so the height of your bump is no help? Then perhaps this is slightly different old wives tale is for you. Lore suggests that a round, ball-like baby bump means theres a baby boy in your future, while a wider bump that kinda looks like youre carrying all over the place is a surefire girl.

Was Your Pet Food Recalled

While stressing that cat personalities vary widely, she says, Many male cats have a cuddly lap cat personality. Female cats are often more cautious and may take longer to trust you.

Some people clearly still have strong feelings on the subject.

I came across an online discussion recently where the commenters frequently described female cats as bossier and more independent. Others said female cats were more possessive or changeable in their moods, even neurotic.

Sometimes, the feeling has a lot to do with what were used to.

I never had a female Abyssinian, says Carla Wong. Her male cat loved me to pieces. He was the best company ever, loved being groomed, loved a piggy-back ride. I would get another male.

On the other hand, Wendy Ratza says she always had female cats growing up because we worried about males that sprayed, and we didnt want to deal with that.

Her fear was warranted because research demonstrates that male cats are more likely to spray and fight if they are in households with female cats than with other male cats.4

Years later, a male cat named Leo joined her female cat in the household. Fortunately, Leo turned out to be just as affectionate and well behaved as the breeder had promised.

Ratza says Leos affectionate personality totally changed the way she thought of male cats.

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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!

The Wedding Ring On A String Trick

Will it work? Probably not

This test requires you to slip off your wedding ring a needle would work too and slip it on a string. Lie down and hold the string over your belly. If the object swings in a circular motion it’s a girl a pendulum-like motion equals boy. Don’t get up too fast when it’s over this test can make a preggo dizzy!

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Are You Currently Pregnant Have You Tried The Healthy Mummy Pregnancy Smoothie

The Healthy Mummy Pregnancy Smoothie is designed to complement, not replace, your prenatal vitamin intake. Our nutritionists ensured that the vitamins and minerals in the smoothie are at a low level so there is no risk of doubling up on any pregnancy vitamins.

It is ideal as a high-protein, high-calcium snack in pregnancy. You can download the Pregnancy Smoothie Label here.

Once Youve Decided That Its The Right Time Gently Pick Up Your Kitten And Proceed To The Next Steps

To determine your kittens sex, raise their tail to observe the shape and position of the anus and genitalia.

• Place the kitten on its front on a soft non-slip surface like a towel.
• Lift up the kittens tail so that you can visually inspect the perineal area .
• Both male and female kittens have two orifices in the perineal area. The top opening is the anus, and the lower opening is the genital opening: penis or the vulva . The key characteristic to note is the shape of the genital opening.

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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!

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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How To Tell The Sex Of Kittens: The Basics

The first thing you need to know about how to tell the sex of kittens is that when you go about identifying their gender, you need to be gentle.

Dont disrupt the important bonding moments between your Momma cat and her babies during the first few weeks of life. Generally, youll want to stay mostly out of the way of your feline friends during this critical stage.

Remember, if you handle a kitten too much during the early weeks of life, the mother can sometimes abandon it and refuse to nurse it entirely. Although you might be keen to know the sex of your kittens, its best to wait until theyre at least 3 to 4 weeks old before you start handling them.

That means you shouldnt be looking to tell the sex of newborn kittens or even baby kittens.

Its not fair on them or the momma cat to disrupt them by trying to sex newborn kittens. Ideally you should wait at least 3-4 weeks after birth before you attempt to determine the gender of a kitten. And, at that point, again be sure that the mother cat is clearly comfortable that you are going to handle kittens before you do.

If you try to interact with a kitten and it seems either incredibly nervous or stand-offish, then its best to hold off until a later date. You can always start with a different member of the litter and come back to the one thats feeling shy.

About Dr Pete Wedderburn Dvm

Dr Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet from Edinburgh in 1985 and has run his own 4-veterinarian companion animal practice in County Wicklow, Ireland, since 1991. Pete is well known as a media veterinarian with regular national tv, radio and newspaper slots, including a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph since 2007. Pete is known as “Pete the Vet” on his busy Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, regularly posting information on topical subjects and real-life cases from his clinic. He also write a regular blog at www.petethevet.com. His latest book: Pet Subjects, was published by Aurum Press in 2017.

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Some Old Wives Tales To Help You Guess Your Babys Gender

Cant wait for the 20-week ultrasound to find out the gender of your baby? Or perhaps youve decided not to find out but are secretly dying to know.

These old wives tales may just be legend, but I swear a lot of them were true for me, and for several other mums in the Healthy Mummy community.

And while these old wives tales are not backed up by science or technology, they have been used for thousands of years.

Plus, they are fun to do. I mean, who doesnt want to pee in a cup and see if the urine fizzes?

Can A Neutered Kitten Still Be A Female

Also, many kittens are neutered at a very young age these days. Therefore, a lack of testicles doesnt necessarily mean your kitten is female. Sexing kittens who are under 8 weeks of age is even more difficult because the structures you are looking at are tiny and relatively underdeveloped.

Sexing kittens who are under 8 weeks of age is even more difficult because the structures you are looking at are tiny and relatively underdeveloped. Thankfully, kittens this young should still be with their littermates, and comparing same-aged individuals can really help you determine what male and female kitten anatomy looks like.

Therefore, a lack of testicles doesnt necessarily mean your kitten is female. Sexing kittens who are under 8 weeks of age is even more difficult because the structures you are looking at are tiny and relatively underdeveloped.

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What Does A Negative Fiv Test Mean For A Kitten

A negative FIV test should be confirmed, but for all intents and purposes, a negative FIV test in a kitten strongly suggests that the cat is not infected with the virus. FeLV is spread to cats through direct contact, such as licking, grooming, fighting and sharing food bowls, water bowls and cat litter boxes.

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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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.

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.

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Tips On Sexing Kittens

So you have a kitten and can’t tell if it is a boy or a girl? This is a common situation and it can be difficult for the novice pet owner to figure out.

The term “sexing” is commonly used to describe the process of determining the gender of a kitten. Some tips that might help are:

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How To Tell The Sex Of Your Kittens

This kitten sexing guide will show you how to tell if a kitten is a boy or a girl at a glance. After reading this short guide sexing kittens will never be a problem for you again.

When your new kittens are born and mum and babies are settled down it is not unusual to want to know what sex the kittens arein fact I would say sometimes that some people find it vitally important to know just what sex their new kittens are!

Your queen and the new babies could not care less though and as far as I know still do not come with little labels on so I thought it may be useful to put down my experiences on this page.

When comparing a male and female kitten together the differences are usually fairly obvious but imagine having a litter of boys or a full litter of girls!!!!

I find the best time to determine a kittens sex is either when they have just been born still wet or when they are about 2 3 weeks old. I personally prefer to check them when they are born.

For the purposes of this article I have decided to use 3 week old kittens in the photographic examples in conjunction with diagrams to try and show the clear differences that can be seen in a small kittens genitals.

So how can you tell if a kitten is male or female?

More…

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