Male vs Feminine Cats’ Appearances, Personalities, and Behaviors

Female and male cats could have some variations in look and persona. yakub88 / Shutterstock.com

Ladies or boys? Queens or toms? Some cat fans want one over the opposite, believing sure persona characteristics are related to organic intercourse. Perhaps you’ve heard that male cats are extra loving and feminine cats are extra unbiased—or that male cats are much more likely to pee round the home.

So what’s reality and what’s fiction? On this information, we’ll duvet the diversities in look and persona between female and male cats.

Male Cats vs. Feminine Cats: Organic Variations

Intact male cats frequently increase pronounced cheeks known as tomcat jowls. Tony Campbell / Shutterstock.com

Bodily variations between the 2 are provide at beginning, similar to genitalia. It may be tricky to inform the organic intercourse of a kitten when they’re first born however there are some telltale indicators to search for.

Feminine kittens’ genitals are very on the subject of the anus. The vulva looks as if a vertical line proper underneath the anus, form of like an upside-down exclamation level (¡). In male kittens, there’s more room between the anus and the genitals. This additional area is for the testicles to additional increase. The penis looks as if every other small circle underneath the anus, so male genitals glance just a little like a colon (:).

Those variations stay thru maturity, however an grownup male cat’s testicles are actually a lot better. On the other hand, if a male cat is neutered, it may be tricky to inform if he’s a male or feminine. The hot button is to have a look at the form and site of the hole underneath the anus.

Alison Gerken, DVM, a veterinarian with the San Francisco SPCA Conduct Provider explains, “Male cats have a better distance between the anus and the genitals (about 1 inch) in comparison to ladies, which can be about one-half inch.”

Any other bodily variations between woman and boy cats come with:

• Measurement: When in comparison to feminine cats, men are usually better in measurement, particularly in the event that they achieve adulthood prior to neutering. This measurement distinction is extra pronounced in some breeds, such because the Maine Coon, Norwegian Wooded area Cat, and Ragdoll.
• Coat: Intact male cats may increase an extended, extra lush coat than feminine cats. That is specifically noticeable in some breeds by which men have a thick ruff (mane) across the neck.
• Colour: Some colour patterns are sex-linked, so feminine cats are available in some colours that male cats infrequently do. The calico and tortoiseshell patterns are simplest noticed in feminine cats. Calico is a patched tricolor trend in orange, black, and white (or the dilute variations of those colours: cream, grey, and white). Tortoiseshell is a mottled trend of swirled colour in orange and black or the dilute cream and grey). Additionally because of chromosomal patterns, 80% of orange cats are male.
• Face and head: Male cats that experience no longer been neutered frequently have larger heads and thicker skulls than feminine cats. In addition they increase thicker whisker pads and feature very huge, pronounced cheeks known as tomcat jowls.
• Existence span: Feminine cats usually have longer existence spans than male cats. The place ladies are living a mean of 15 years, unneutered male cats have a mean existence span of 13 years. On the other hand, neutered male cats are living 62% longer than intact men.

Some bodily variations between female and male cats are extra noticeable when the cats are intact (no longer spayed or neutered). It’s because spaying or neutering disrupts or adjustments some facets of organic building, particularly in terms of early spaying and neutering.

“Male cats who’re neutered prior to attaining sexual adulthood—round 5 to 7 months of age—don’t increase hormone-related bodily adjustments,” Dr. Gerken mentioned. “Those cats have smaller heads and not more muscular our bodies. They don’t increase penile barbs and they’ve less-active tail odor glands—in different phrases, they aren’t as pungent!”

Male Cats vs. Feminine Cats: Persona and Conduct

Genetics and early existence reports affect cats’ personalities and behaviour greater than their intercourse. Margarett24 / Shutterstock.com

Dr. Gerken issues out that habits and persona are influenced by way of many stuff, together with genetics, surroundings, early existence reports, vitamin, and sickness. Female and male cats have some basic behavioral variations, however those may simplest be obvious in cats that don’t seem to be spayed or neutered.

Probably the most primary behavioral variations between feminine cats and male cats come with:

1. Tendency to Roam

Intact male cats are much more likely to roam additional outside as a result of their hormones pressure them to discover a mate. Some intact male cats wander some distance distances and disappear for days prior to returning house. Spayed or no longer, feminine cats are a lot much less more likely to roam as some distance, despite the fact that they will attempt to discover a mate once they’re in warmth (estrus). Neutering a male cat can considerably scale back roaming habits.

2. Social Conduct

Pleasant interactions between cats are referred to as affiliative habits and are supposed to increase or handle bonds. Examples come with cats grooming every different, rubbing towards one every other, or touching noses.

“Earlier analysis demonstrated that whilst each women and men have interaction in affiliative habits with different cats, feminine out of doors cats exhibited affiliative habits extra regularly than men,” Dr. Gerken mentioned. “On the other hand, the analysis didn’t to find the intercourse of the cat to be an element that influences the frequency of affiliative habits demonstrated between indoor cats.” In feral cat colonies, teams of ladies frequently are living in combination, which will have influenced the frequency of those behaviors in those teams.

3. Tom cat Aggression

Aggression is noticed in each female and male cats for lots of causes. On the other hand, Dr. Gerken issues out that unneutered male cats could be much more likely to showcase aggression towards different men as they compete for territory or mating alternatives. In some circumstances, spaying or neutering the cat can lower aggression.

4. Warmth Behaviors

Feminine cats that don’t seem to be spayed frequently show very explicit behavioral adjustments when they’re in warmth. Feminine cats in warmth are frequently extra affectionate, vocalize excessively, appear stressed, roll round at the ground, and groom excessively. Spaying feminine cats removes behaviors related to going into warmth.

5. Urine Spraying and Marking

You could be shocked to be informed that intact cats of both intercourse can automatically urine spray. This standard cat habits is a type of communique, marking territory and attracting associates. Urine spraying can also be diminished or eradicated by way of spaying or neutering the cat.

On the other hand, even some spayed and neutered cats have interaction in urine marking. Analysis has proven that about 10% of neutered male cats and 5% of spayed feminine cats proceed to spray into maturity, without reference to what age they have been spayed or neutered.

“That is most likely as a result of different motivations, apart from the territorial and sexual connotations, exist for urine spraying,” Dr. Gerken mentioned. Cats may spray according to pressure, shifting to a brand new house, adjustments of their regimen, an insufficient clutter field setup, or as a result of a bodily illness.

6. Colour-Connected Persona Characteristics

Some folks suppose tortoiseshell cats showcase highly spiced and sassy attitudes, one thing that even has its personal title: tortitude. Many cat fans imagine calico cats are simply as feisty and that orange cats are the friendliest. However are those perceptions actual or only a delusion?

Analysis on this house is restricted. One puppy proprietor be taught discovered that calico and tortoiseshell cats have been much more likely to turn behaviors like hissing, chasing, biting, swatting, or scratching when interacting with people.

On the other hand, Dr. Gerken recommends taking those findings with a grain of salt since they have been in keeping with the subjective reviews of the cats’ house owners. “Preconceptions about color-linked persona characteristics will have led to the house owners to note and record those characteristics of their cats,” Dr. Gerken mentioned. “Every cat is a person with their very own distinctive persona without reference to coat colour.”