Male Or Female Cat: Which to adopt?
Deciding on getting a furry feline is indeed a special decision one can ever take. However, this is just the first step. The second hurdle pet parents face is deciding on which gender should their cat be?
Cats & humans have a long history. Humans have revered, worshipped & kept felines as pets since the Ancient Egyptian Civilization. To know about feline history, their relationship with & why cats make the best pets, read here. You can also check out a similar comparison between Male & Female dogs, here.
Cats make great companions & there’s a vast array of different breeds available in various sizes and colors. However, when it comes to gender, there are various stigmas & myths attached to this choice. Although, both genders make good pets, 2 factors matter most. Firstly, the temperamental, behavioural & physiological differences between male & female cats & secondly, the difference between the behavior of unneutered and neutered / spayed cats.
This blog aims at debunking myths revolving around male & female cats & educating readers on their respective differences on the basis of 4 broad categories, namely, Genitalia, Appearance, Urine Marking & overall temperament, personality & behaviour.
Male vs Female Cats: Genitalia
The primary, biological difference between the two feline genders is their genitals. It’s usually easier to differentiate among adult cats as compared to kittens. But, if you’ve gotten a kitten home & don’t know whether it’s male or female, look for these: -
Firstly, males have a penis & female felines have a vulva, with the anus above it. The easiest way to tell if a cat is female is to look for the upside-down exclamation mark, or “i” shape. Male cats look quite different and the anus and penis are much further with the testicles between them. The shape to look for in males is two dots, or a colon shape (:)
Male vs Female Cats: Appearance
The most noticeable difference between the two genders is size. Male Cats are usually larger & heavier than their counterparts of the same breed. This difference is even more pronounced if the male wasn’t neutered until after sexual maturity was reached.
Secondly, males tend to have more rounded faces than females, especially wider cheeks. Larger / wider cheeks are used to signal physical fitness & strength to other felines. Male cats often brandish their masculinity by confronting other males or to attract females.
Male vs Female Cats: Behavior & Personality
Possibly the biggest difference between the two genders is their personality, temperament & behaviour. However, whether or not they’ve been neutered / spayed or not also plays a big role. Unneutered males especially, are more likely to be aggressive towards other male cats, mark their territory more often & actively seek out females during heat. However, when neutered, they generally become more sociable, laidback, playful & affectionate. They form bonds with humans & animals much more easily.
Female felines on the other hand, are stereotyped as being aloof and standoffish. However, this is a myth. Females, especially in heat, search for a mate, yowl & can be pretty loving & attention seeking. Regardless of being spayed or not, female felines are generally more relaxed, have a nurturing instinct. Having said that, some females are less playful & tend to dominate other cats more.
Male vs Female Cats: Urine Marking
Urine marking is done for two reasons. Firstly, to mark territory & state their presence in an area. Males tend to mark their territory much more than females. Secondly, cats also use it to communicate, such as to advertise that they’re looking for a mate.
To conclude, a cat’s gender holds less importance than numerous other factors. The way they’re raised, their diet, the care, affection & attention they’re given, their circumstances shape their personality, temperament & behaviour, not their gender.