Male vs Female Cats

Identifying Male and Female Cats

It might sound irrelevant but being able to identify the sex of your preferred fur ball is very important. Most people might not be able to tell the physical different between male and female cats. Which is why, before you go chasing your preferred gender, you should know how to check if a cat is male or female.

The easiest way of checking if your cat is male or female is by checking the anus and the urinary orifice. In female cats, these two features are very close. In males, this is not the case. While the location is more or less similar, the distance between the anus and the urinary orifice is much greater in males.

Depending on the age of the male, you may also see an undeveloped scrotum on younger cats and in older ones, the scrotum is going to be more defined.

After you’re able to identify whether a cat is male or female, you can take your debacle of weighing male Vs female cats to the next level by considering a number of characteristics. It is important to note that there are some behaviour in cats that are a matter of personality and not gender.

Temperament

By default, female cats tend to be more temperamental. But, this is because of their maternal instincts. Unlike males who are more intent on pleasing their owners, female cats are more about caring for their kittens and reproducing. They may appear to be more detached from their owners than male cats.

Male cats on the other hand are more affectionate towards the pet owners. Typically, they appear to be more loving to their owners. However, some male cats can have a high tempered personality but this is less likely compared to the female fur balls.

Heat Period Changes

As a pet owner, you want to know everything that will happen to your cat and how they will react when they are sexually active. Around this time, cats are edgy and understanding what you need to do can be a challenge. The different sexes also tend to behave differently.

Males seem to undergo the most drastic changes when they are on heat. The will not only hiss, but they also fight, bite and aggressively mark their territories. Around this time, they have no problem even peeing on furniture to make sure that you fully understand you are in his territory.

Female cats have their own share of problems but these are largely vocal. There are breeds like the Oriental Shorthair that are naturally noisy but during this time, the yowling and meowing can get unbearable. Even the most silent cats can get quite vocal around this time.

Territory

If you’re the proud owner of the laid-back and very friendly American Shorthair cat breads, you may not have a problem with territorial behaviour but, this is not always the case.

Males are notorious for marking their territory. They also have a knack for protecting what is theirs and the area that surrounds it. The case can be even more serious with breeds like the male tomcat.

Females on the other hand will more than likely share their homes and the surrounding areas with people and other animals. But, like any other animal, even the female cats will aggressively protect what they think is theirs and will even go as far as marking its area to defend it from nosy animals and people.

Like dogs, it is possible to train your cat to be friendly regardless of the gender. This can greatly improve its tolerance to sharing with people and other pets.

Lifespan of Both Genders

You definitely want to have a long and comfortable life with your feline furball. The longer the better. Just like humans, the female cats are able to live longer compared to their male counterparts in general.

However, it is important to note that this is not entirely a male Vs Female cats issue since the lifespan of cat is largely determined by the breed. If longevity of life is a big concern to you, the Siamese can live up to 20 years and would be the best option for you. The Abyssinian has a much shorter lifespan of between nine and 14 years.

Even though some breeds tend to live longer, emphasis on the longevity of life is determined by the lifestyle of the cat. Typically, outdoor cats tend to have a shorter lifespan of about 16 years compared to indoor cats that can live up to 18 years. Other factors that affect how long a cat will live include the level of healthcare it receives, mood and the presence of genetic diseases among other factors. The food you give to your cat also plays a vital role in its longevity and above all availing the cat with different tools like the Cat Tree Deluxe Condo Furniture Play Toy Scratch Post to keep the cat in great shape and healthy.

Size

With disregard to breed, size is the second most distinctive features in male Vs female cats after the sex. Typically, male cats are heavier and bigger than females in almost all breeds.

However, you should also know that the size of the cat can be influenced by the type of food you feed it and its genetic composition. It is possible to find female cats which are bigger and heavier than their male counterparts of the same breed.

It is clear that there are a lot of problems that arise from the gender of the cat especially during the type they are on heat. It can be a daunting time for the owner. Luckily, there is a solution available that can great improve the mood and behaviour of the cat.

To neuter/spay your Cat or Not?

One of the ways you can manage the behaviour of your cat is by neutering or spaying them and there are plenty of benefits that come with this. In females, once they have been spayed, they don’t go into heat. As a result, they are less focused on their maternal instincts and protecting young ones and more about creating a bond with their owner.

Neutering male cats has been proven to make the cats more loyal and less territorial. There is no question that neutering or spaying the cat significantly changes their behaviour especially right around the time they are on heat. The process has been shown to significantly change the behaviour in male cats a lot more than the female cats.

Neutering or spaying can be safely done to any cat once they have reached reproductive age and can offer huge reprieve to the furball’s owner.

When adopting a cat or looking to make a new addition to your feline family, you should always prioritize its healthcare, personality and temperament than the gender.

If the greatest concern in having a cat that is unfriendly, you can opt for breeds that are known to be friendly by nature. Nonetheless, most of the differences that arise as a result of gender can be resolved by neutering or spaying the cat.​