Cats are known to be independent creatures who don’t always get along well with other animals.
If you are considering bringing a new cat into your home and family, you may need to consider whether you want a male or a female cat.
As a result, you need to learn the difference between the two, so that you can make the right decision for yourself.
In this article, we will uncover Male Vs Female Cat: What are the differences between a male and a female cat.
Contents
Physical Difference Between A Male And Female Cat
As we have mentioned above, we are talking about neutered and spayed cats. As a result, neutered male cats have their testicles removed, while a spayed female cat has your uterus removed.
It is suggested that you have your male or female cat either spayed or neutered before they are around 5 months old.
This is before any hormones develop and prevents any behavioral problems from occurring.
Although you can still spay or neuter a cat after this age, it will still have a huge effect on your cat’s behavior.
It is important to remember that if you purchase your cat from an animal shelter. Then the cat will typically be neutered or spayed before you can bring them home.
Male Cats
Another physical difference between a male and female cat is that male cats are often larger than females.
Males will normally be much larger if they haven’t been neutered until after they have reached sexual maturity.
Alongside this, male cats that haven’t been neutered will regularly have bigger and fuller cheeks and rounder faces. This is due to the testosterone in the male cat.
However, these fuller cheeks are also a sign of fitness towards other males and to impress females.
Once a cat has been neutered, they may keep these larger cheeks, but they are not as full as they once were.
Also, male cats are known to be much prone to urinary problems.
Even though it may be considered a more female issue, male cats suffer from urine infections a lot more as they have a much smaller urethra compared to female cats.
As a result, this can lead to more trips to the vet.
While also, you may have to change the diet for your male cat to help reduce the development of any urine crystals which keep causing this difficulty.
In some very extreme and rare cases, a male cat will need to go through an operation to widen its urethra. This is to prevent this issue from happening as often.
Female Cats
It is known that female cats have their own traits that male cats don’t.
Female kittens are known to be able to open their eyes much earlier than male kittens. Alongside this, female cats will reach sexual maturity much quicker than male cats.
Female cats will reach sexual maturity between 7 and 12 months, while it takes 9 to 12 months for male cats.
Now, it is also believed that female cats will live much longer than male cats. However, there are numerous reasons why this could happen. This can include the breed of the cat, which could affect its lifespan.
Behavior Differences Between A Male And Female Cat
The behavioral personalities are vastly different between a male and a female cat.
Research, carried out, found out that female cats were much more scared and aggressive towards other cats or humans. Compared to male cats who are seen as a lot more affectionate and social.
They also like to play a lot more, so will be seen running around your house. This then also supports the fact that male cats will spend more time roaming your house, while female cats like to stay put.
As a result, a male cat will get along with other cats that you already own much easier than introducing a new female to your household cats.
Male cats will get along with any gender of cat, then they will form a strong bond with the other cats that you already own.
However, if the male cats aren’t neutered, then the male cats will be quite aggressive towards one another.
This is because male cats that aren’t neutered, will have the instincts to defend their territory, especially from tomcats.
As said above, female cats like to keep to themselves. They don’t like strangers, whether that is humans or other animals.
They aren’t as territorial as male cats, but they can be over particular places in the house or their preferred owner.
As a result, a female cat is very likely to become in charge of the other cats, and she will make her feel very well known to the other cats in the household.
If you want a cat that likes to play, then you want to think about having a male over a female cat.
This is because female cats may be territorial over their owner, but they don’t usually form a strong enough bond to want to play with their owner.
As male cats are social creatures, they are more likely to want to play with you.
A very distinctive behavioral difference between male and female cats is that male cats are known to mark their territory with urine. Un-neutered male cats are more likely to do this than un-neutered.
Owning More Than One Cat
If you want to own more than one cat, you may wonder what combination of genres is best to have. This can come down to personal preference, but there have also been studies to help guide you to your answer.
There is a lot of evidence to suggest that either male and male or female and female cats are a better option. Although, there are some social behaviors that are affected by which genders of cats you decide to have.
For example, it is known that an only male cat household is more likely to spend a lot more time together with each other and in the same room.
While female cats will keep to themselves and won’t be seen grooming other cats, a male cat may groom another male cat.
However, sometimes the behavior depends on the personality of the cat sometimes, and not whether they are male or female.
The issue with introducing another cat to your existing cat is that it is a long process. This is because no matter if the cat is male or female, they will be territorial of their home and their owners.
Even if all the introductions go well, there is no guarantee that the cats will like one another and enjoy each other’s company. Just like humans, they may have clashing personalities.
If you want to introduce another cat, it is also advised to adopt a cat from littermates. This will ensure that your cats will get along and like one another’s company.
This helps with socialization as the cats learn proper cat behavior.
Alongside this, they are able to play with one another and entertain each other.
You don’t have to get kittens from littermates, you can get older cats from littermates as well.
It is just a better option than adopting two cats that are completely unknown to one another. This just then makes your job of keeping the peace between them even harder.
Male Or Female Cat
The choice of what gender of cat you adopt or purchase is completely your own choice.
For some cat parents, they need to trial having a male or female cat to see which gender they suit more. This is because some cat owners do have a preference over which gender of cat they prefer.
Whilst also, some cat owners don’t have a preference at all. Sometimes it just depends on the cat that you meet.
There may be differences between a male and a female cat, but their personality has a major impact on them as well.
Just like with humans, men, and women aren’t the same, but it is the personality and character of the person that counts.
The same can be applied with cats, the gender doesn’t really matter.
What does matter is the personality of the cat and how they behave around you.
Neutered And Spayed Cats
Before you bring a cat into your home, it is important to know if they have been spayed or neutered. This is because cats are known to be very territorial when it comes to their territory.
In addition, some of them may not like being touched by humans.
Male cats that haven’t been neutered are known to be a lot more aggressive. They will also urinate in the house to make their mark and try their best to escape the house during the breeding season.
While female cats that haven’t been spayed are seen to be much more vocal. Whilst also, they will attract all the male cats in the neighborhood during their breeding period.
If you decide to neuter or spay your cat, you should do so as soon as possible. This way, you will prevent any unwanted behavior from occurring in your house.
You don’t have to neuter your male cat or spay your female cat, this is a choice. However, beware, you could end up with lots of kittens if you have a female cat that hasn’t been spayed.
If you don’t want overpopulation and an easier cat to handle. We would suggest neutering or spaying your male or female cats.
Breeding Season
One of the biggest differences between a male and a feline is the breeding season. Male cats tend to go through a period of time during which they are more active than usual.
During this time, they may start showing signs of aggression towards other males.
It is best to keep your male cat indoors during this period. You should also try to avoid exposing him to females during this time.
Female cats, on the other hand, usually show no such aggressive behaviors. They are generally calmer than males during this time. However, they still prefer to stay away from males.
Final Thoughts
The differences between a male and female cat is that a male cat is typically larger than a female.
Yet male cats are seen as a lot more playful and sociable, while female cats can be stubborn and like their independence.
However, this isn’t always true because a female cat may have a friendly personality that likes to be played with.
At the end of the day, when choosing between a male or a female cat comes down to your own personal preference. It is normally which cat tugs at your heartstrings, and the gender of the cat doesn’t matter.
Therefore, you now know the differences between a male and a female cat, but what matters most is their personality.
Learn More about reading interesting articles about Cats Here.
