The main differences between the faces of cats and cats: how to independently distinguish the gender

How to distinguish a cat from a cat? When there is a desire to acquire a furry pet or pet, this question becomes the most pressing for many. It is quite obvious that the sex of an animal can be determined by its sexual characteristics. But not only! It turns out that there are other ways that can collectively help solve the problem of choice.

Any animal tolerates a change of environment more easily at a young age. And the owners are especially pleased to deal with a cute little lump that grows and develops before their eyes, touching with its habits. At the same time, for many, the gender of the future pet is a fundamental point. But how can you tell a cat’s kitten from a cat at such a tender age? In order not to miss when choosing, you can use several methods at once.

Why do you need to know your pet's gender in advance?

When a person decides to take a kitten into his home, he usually immediately knows whether it will be a cat or a cat. Therefore, the sooner the gender of the kittens is known, the sooner you can take the baby home and accustom him to the litter box and new owners. Reasons why it is important to know the gender of your future pet:

The kitten needs to be given a name. There are frequent cases when Fluff grows from Pushinka, and kittens are suddenly born to Murzik. Changing the name for an adult animal is not advisable, since the pet already responds to it.
You should know in advance what veterinary procedure will need to be performed (castration or sterilization) and at what age.
Adult cats and cats have behavioral characteristics, so some people prefer animals of a certain gender.
Males of purebred animals are more expensive than females. Catteries often have pre-orders for kittens of a certain gender even before they are born.

Physiological nuances

Before deciding who is better to adopt - a cat or a cat - you need to take into account the physiological characteristics of representatives of both sexes. For some this will be the deciding factor.

Estrus and spaying in cats

Girls mature sexually by the age of six months. In large breeds, this period begins a couple of months later. From this time on, females experience sexual activity 2-3 times a year. Their ability to bear children remains throughout their lives.

The period of estrus is accompanied by loud meowing. Cats are obsessive, trying to escape from the apartment, or even make a puddle in the wrong place. If the pet lives in a country house, then regular escapes and pregnancy are added to the listed problems.

Most owners sterilize their pet. Surgical intervention is only possible for young, sexually mature individuals. The veterinarian examines the patient, finds out about the time of the first estrus and prescribes surgery. It is usually carried out between 6 and 12 months of age, depending on the breed.

Sexual hunting and castration of cats

Puberty in boys occurs on average at 8 months of age. From this time on, their secretions acquire a persistent and unpleasant odor. A matured animal becomes almost uncontrollable. The cat marks its territory, destroys furniture, and ruins wallpaper. A wandering male may disappear for several days, and upon return he will not look his best.

To get rid of these problems, veterinarians recommend resorting to castration. The operation is carried out within a short time, the pet easily tolerates it and recovers quickly. A neutered fluffy becomes more balanced and flexible, preferring to spend time within the walls of a house or apartment.

Alternative methods to identify a “castrato”

While examining the cat

If self-examination does not bring firm confidence in a particular result, you should resort to alternative methods of clarification. The first thing worth mentioning is that if the cat was not taken from the street, you need to ask the former owners whether he is neutered or not.

While ordinary people may not know, if they purchase a cat from a cattery, the workers of the latter should know exactly the answer to the question of interest.

If the cat was picked up on the street, you can examine its ears. Now there are foundations and services whose volunteers find homeless animals and sterilize them by leaving a mark or hanging a clip. The mark may involve partial cropping of the ear or the use of a triangular incision.

If none of the above methods help or are irrelevant, you should simply contact your veterinarian or the nearest veterinary clinic. The doctor will examine the cat, do tests if necessary and tell you everything that may interest the owner at the moment. There you can sign up for a castration operation if it turns out that this did not happen.

Traits associated with genetics

There is such a thing as sex-linked inheritance of traits. Thus, individuals with a three-color coat color will definitely be female, since the simultaneous presence of bright red, white and black colors guarantees the presence of two X chromosomes. (XX – female, XY – male). A genetic pathology (triploid set of sex chromosomes XXY) occurs very rarely, when cats have this coat color, but they cannot have offspring. Also, calico and tortoiseshell colors belong only to cats.

But red fur color or cinnamon color, on the contrary, is mainly the prerogative of males, but it also occurs in cats, but only when both parents are red, which is quite rare.

There are obvious differences by sex in mature animals during the period of sexual heat, which, as a rule, occurs no earlier than 7 months:

Cats begin to more actively mark the surrounding territory, filling your home with a specific smell, become anxious, noisy, and try to go outside.
Cats make heart-rending sounds day and night, fawn over others, roll on the floor, and arch their backs.

Determined by gender

Now you can see how the gender of pets is determined.

There are situations when it is necessary to determine the sex of an animal in adulthood. However, it is not always possible to catch the cat for a thorough examination. Difficulties in determining may also arise if the cat has been neutered.

In this case, signs that will help determine the sex of the animal will come to the rescue:

The method of determining the distance between natural holes is also suitable for adults. Even in castrated cats, you can determine the place allocated for the testicles.
The muzzle will tell you who is in front of you. In cats it is rounder and wider, while in females there is an elongated face. The male's nose has a wider wall. This method of determination is suitable in the case of comparison. In another situation, an inexperienced person is unlikely to notice the difference if there is only one “sample”.
Watch your gait. Cats are elegant and graceful, they walk quietly and smoothly, as if they are “swimming.” Cats have a more “predatory” gait. A cat walking on a walk resembles a small copy of a tiger - its “shoulders” lower its paw to the ground with importance and taste.
Cleanliness. This is not to say that cats are sloppy, but in comparison with females they still lose. The cat spends a lot of time grooming itself; it licks itself with or without reason. You can also find a cat in a disheveled state: with a rumpled ear after sleep and traces of cobwebs on its face after a walk.
Schedule. Cats are businesslike, they constantly look around and “make inquiries” about the affairs of their household. Cats, on the contrary, explore the territory and prefer to sleep at home.

The methods presented are not extremely useful in determining the sex of an animal, but will be interesting for cat lovers and novice cat lovers.

Cat and cat

This method is the most accurate when determining the sex of adult cats and even when identifying the difference between a newborn cat and a female cat.

When you are about to inspect, first wash your hands with an unscented product and warm water. Use warm hands to caress the kitten so that it feels calm and not nervous.
If the baby calmly approaches your hand extended in his direction, it means he trusts you, and you can confidently study him.
Place the baby on a warm palm with his stomach and gently lift his tail.

Methods for determining the sex of a kitten at 2 - 3 months:

What you can and cannot do when you first try to identify a male cat

Need to:

1. Hold the kitten carefully.

2. Place the kitten on its stomach and raise its tail.

3. If possible, wait until the baby is 3-4 weeks old.

4. Make sure that the mother cat is not against your actions.

5. Keep handling time to a minimum to avoid stress.

It is forbidden:

carelessly hold the baby
do not pick up the kitten by the tail
If possible, do not handle the kitten until 3 weeks of age. If you hold a kitten in your hands for a long time, it may smell like you and the mother cat may abandon the baby. This will lead to the fact that you will have to feed the kitten without its mother
do not interrupt feeding
thermoregulation in very small fluffies (up to 1 month) is not developed, so do not hold it in your hands for a long time, as this can lead to hypothermia even in a few minutes
do not try to put pressure on the genitals

Advantages, disadvantages, consequences

To reassure doubting owners (after all, castration is a responsible procedure!) Let’s consider the positive and negative aspects of outside intervention:

Arguments for". The cat stops screaming and demanding to be let out into the street. Behavior becomes calmer and more balanced. Life expectancy increases by several years. The risk of serious diseases, including inflammation or testicular cancer, is reduced. Changes in the coat are possible. She becomes brighter and more tender.
Arguments against". Careful monitoring of nutrition after castration. A special diet for several weeks is possible. Anesthesia affects the animal's body. After surgery, the cat may feel lethargic and apathetic. The effect wears off in the worst case after 24 hours. There are hormonal changes that can affect the correct excretion of urine. As a consequence, the development of urolithiasis.

It is important to understand that any decision must be made. You can consult with experienced breeders or a veterinarian. If the owner is ready to put up with night concerts and the smell of urine that will fill the entire apartment, then it’s not worth it. In any case, castration very rarely carries negative aspects and is painless for the pet.

Numerous reviews from owners of neutered cats are replete with stories that the cat begins to intensively care for itself, licks itself more often, and becomes kinder. Everything is again strictly individual. According to one foreign study, about 45% of cats behave exactly the same as before the operation.

ATTENTION! It is reliably known and proven by the experience of many owners that the odor of urine becomes noticeably less

Character traits depending on breed

As already mentioned, the behavior and character of an animal depend not only on gender, but also on breed. You should choose a pet not only based on its external attractiveness, but also on its expected psychological characteristics. Some cats cannot stand loneliness, and if their owners are always at work or on business trips, they can become very sad and even get sick. Others only need to stay in the owner’s house to fill the bowl and clean up. You should choose a cat, taking into account its characteristics in accordance with the breed.

The British Shorthair is one of the most common and sought-after breeds in Russia and the rest of the world. These aristocrats are distinguished by truly royal calm, even laziness. A representative of this breed will rarely play, except as a kitten.

Adult British people prefer to spend time on a cozy couch, periodically looking around their kingdom with a languid gaze.

Scottish Fold cats (Scottish Fold) are also popular among Russians. They look very cute with their folded ears and expressive eyes. Males of this breed can be extremely willful and like to be in control and demonstrate independence. Female Scots, on the contrary, are very affectionate and attached to their owners. If there is a child in the family, then it is better to get a cat of this breed: she will tolerate his affection, and will not respond aggressively if she doesn’t like something; rather, she will simply move away from the annoying little person.

Sphynx cats require special care. It is better to have such cats for families and people who do not have children or are already old enough. It is quite easy to damage skin without protection in the form of fur.

Siamese cats are very impressionable, they can be nervous and aggressive, especially under certain living and upbringing conditions. They are playful and cheerful, but they will not allow anyone, including children, to offend them. If a male cat of this breed gets angry, she may hiss threateningly and release her claws.

Persians are similar to plush toys not only in appearance, but also in character. They are very calm, even lazy. It should be remembered that representatives of this breed need careful care for their luxurious coat.

Maine Coons, which are increasingly popular, have a rather friendly character and become attached to their owners. Cats, of course, aim to be the head of the house and strive to establish their own rules. Cats of this breed are affectionate and gentle, willing to communicate with children. It is necessary to understand that such large animals require a lot of space and food for physical activity.

When planning to get a cat, you should carefully weigh all the pros and cons of different sexes and breeds. The most important thing is to remember that it is not a toy that is bought for the house, but a living creature with certain needs and characteristics, for which a person takes responsibility.

No one (with the exception of the mentally ill) will throw away a child who has not lived up to expectations or is causing a lot of trouble. A cat can be kicked out the door if, in the opinion of a person, it does not behave as he expected. In order not to breed homeless and unfortunate animals, and not to take sin on your soul, before getting an animal, you need to think everything over carefully.

Adult animals

Cat and cat

Just like in humans, there is a “war of the sexes” in the cat world. Cats are as different from cats as day is from night. Experienced cat owners know this, so they advise taking home a kitten of the gender whose character traits are more suitable for the owner.

It is important to understand that character “manifests itself” only at the age of puberty. Therefore, until seven or eight months you will be able to evaluate the kitten’s sociability and mobility, but you will not see the characteristics characteristic of each sex.

Habits characteristic of different sexes:

Cats are lazier. They love to cuddle on the sofa and on their owner's lap. The cat is more likely to be cuddled and hugged. Cats tolerate such caresses less often.
Cats love solitude. By taking a murka into your home, you sign a cohabitation agreement. It will be difficult to teach a female to sit on your lap, because girls have no time for wasting time when the house is full of things to do.
Cats are affectionate only when they need it: during the heat period or in anticipation of dinner. Cats love scratches behind the ears, regardless of time or season.

Behavior during estrus differs between sexes. The cat begins to “mark” the territory, rubbing the sides of the furniture and also scratching the sofa. Cats mark their territory using more severe methods: the urine of a mature cat has a pungent odor and also tends to appear in all corners of the house.

Neutered cats behave differently. It is believed that they are more aggressive, however, this is not entirely true. On the contrary, a cat, deprived of the need to fight for a female, stops trying to prove itself to neighboring rivals, and therefore becomes more affectionate.

Gender differences can also be observed in culinary preferences. The cat won't eat from a dirty bowl, but the cat won't care. Girls also have more requirements regarding drinking water: the bowl must be clean and the drink must be fresh.

Cats love clean water

There is a sign by which, supposedly, you can determine the gender of a kitten. When the babies begin to feed on their own, you need to put a bowl of milk on the floor and move the kittens to it. Watch the babies' tails. Those who hold their ponytail up during meals are boys, and those who have it down are girls.

Male and female cats differ from each other in the process of growth and development:

Males are usually larger and their weight increases faster than that of cats. Adult cats are visually smaller than cats. Males have a wider chest and larger paws.
Cats grow up more playful, cats often try to avoid communication and are melancholic.
The nipples are pronounced in both males and females, but in cats they are larger in size.

Cat tenderness
The sex of adult animals is easier to determine than that of babies. Cats and cats have distinctive features:

Genital organs. The cat's genitals are external, and the testicles are easily visible. Cats have internal genitals, so there are no bulges on the outside.
A one-year-old cat has a dry constitution, rough bones, developed muscles and massive limbs. Cats remain graceful, as at six months of age.
On the face of an adult cat, one can distinguish a massive forehead and clearly defined angles. The cat has a small head and huge eyes. For some breeds, differences in the appearance of the head and muzzle are not typical.
Males have visually thicker and more beautiful fur than females. A healthy animal has greasy hair under its tail. The female has scanty fur in these places. It is also a secondary sexual characteristic in cats.

Black cat and red cat

Determining gender by appearance

Many experienced breeders are able to understand its gender by the appearance of a newborn baby. For example, it is believed that cats are larger than cats, which is why the biggest babies are boys. This principle of determining sex does not always give accurate results. The fact is that a frail, small kitten may well grow into a large animal, and a big girl will later turn into a graceful cat. The size of newborn babies often depends on how their mother ate during pregnancy, so kittens can be equally large or identically small.

Some breeders pay attention to the color of the kitten, believing that in cats this color is a little brighter and more noticeable than in males. This method is also not entirely objective, and it is impossible to accurately interpret gender based on color. And yet, there is one way by which you can accurately identify the female. If a kitten has a tortoiseshell coat color, then the owner is a girl, since a certain sexually mature gene is responsible for the appearance of such a color. Also, red kittens are more often boys. Usually such pets grow up to be very graceful, but arrogant. Sometimes red females are also found, but much less frequently.

You can even determine the gender of a newborn pet by its voice. Some veterinarians claim that girls make louder and squeakier sounds than cats. And yet, this method of determining gender is not considered objective and 100% accurate.

If the owner wants to know exactly the sex of his kitten, he needs to look under the tail of the newborn baby. Based on the location, shape and size of the holes, it is possible to determine the gender of the litter as accurately as possible. If the owner is not sure of his interpretation, he needs to conduct a regular inspection. Sooner or later, the genital opening will take the desired shape, and the owner of the kittens will be able to understand whether it is a boy or a girl. Buyers of kittens should also look under the kids’ tail in advance so as not to encounter unexpected surprises.

Experienced breeders can determine the gender even by the shape of a kitten's face. It is believed that cats have a slightly more elongated muzzle, while cats have a slightly flattened muzzle. However, here everything depends on the characteristics of the breed and the specific litter, and it is almost impossible to accurately determine the gender by the face.

Determining the sex of a newborn kitten is not an easy task even for an experienced breeder, not to mention ordinary animal lovers. And yet, the main thing remains not the gender of the baby, but his character and habits, which make him unique to his owner.

If you decide to have a cat at home and the sex of the animal is very important to you, you should learn how to determine it. After all, cases when Murziki transform into Marquis, and Vaska into Vasilis after they have pleased their owners with numerous offspring, are not uncommon. The reason for this is that the primary sexual characteristics in small kittens are not too clearly expressed. Well, and fluffy fur, which effectively hides even what is visible. Determining the sex of a small kitten may not be the easiest task, but it is quite doable. The main thing here is not to follow stereotypes.

Meanwhile, the only sure way to distinguish a cat from a female cat is to look under the animal’s tail. And it’s better to do this as early as possible, especially for kittens of fluffy breeds. As the fluffiness increases, it will become more and more difficult to figure out who is in front of us. Some people mistakenly try to “bring the cat to clean water” by feeling or looking out for bulges – the testicles. This is the wrong tactic from the start. In many kittens, the testicles will not be visible until several weeks later (sometimes up to 12), when they descend into the scrotum. Moreover, in cats, when they are very small, small tubercles - swellings - may well be observed in these places. As you can see, it is almost impossible to correctly determine gender using this method.

Don't try to draw conclusions from animal behavior. Differences in the habits of cats and male cats will appear much later - closer to puberty. So far, children, demonstrating character, show only, if I may say so, personal qualities. Gender does not affect their behavior in any way.

How to really tell a cat from a cat? You need to carefully consider everything that is under the tail. In our research activities, we will focus exclusively on the shape of the genital organs and their distance from the anus. These are the only signs by which we can answer the question that interests us accurately.

The cat's genitals are located very close to the anus and look like a small vertical stripe. The whole thing looks like an inverted exclamation mark.

In a cat, the “point” of the genital organ will be round, and it will be located at a decent distance from the anus (about a centimeter) - at this interval, over time, testicles will appear. The “male” structure in kittens resembles a colon.

As you can see, learning to distinguish between kittens by gender is not so difficult. It is enough to do this a couple of times - and you are unlikely to ever make a mistake.

However, in some cases it is possible to determine the sex of an animal without even going into “intimate details.” If we see a tricolor kitten or a tortoiseshell baby, it is almost certainly a female. The fact is that the X chromosomes are responsible for both the black and red color in the color of cats. And for both of these colors to appear in color, there must be two such chromosomes, and this is only possible in two cases: either we have a cat in front of us (most often), or a cat with genetic abnormalities (which is very rare).

Numerous observations of cats and female cats living in apartments and houses have established that cats are more affectionate with their owners, are more willing to pet themselves, and sometimes even ask to be held. But at the same time, cats tend to instinctively mark their territory, leaving marks that are not very pleasant to smell. Kitties are more clean, they do not mark their territory, but at the same time they are practically absolutely not tame and can allow themselves to be petted for a short time only out of respect for their owner, without experiencing any pleasure from it.

Having learned to distinguish a cat from a cat, you are guaranteed to save yourself from almost all possible surprises, except for one: representatives of the cat tribe often choose their owners themselves, not trusting people with this important matter. And if a kitten (of any gender) decides that you are worthy of the honor of being its owner, it will be useless to resist its charm - no matter what you plan.

When the decision is made to get a kitten, a whole series of questions arise: what breed, color and, of course, gender should the potential pet have? If everything is quite transparent with the pedigree and color, then not everyone will be able to determine the gender of the baby. So that furry Vasily does not have to be urgently renamed Vasilisa, let's find out the main signs of cats.

The most accurate way to determine the sex of a kitten is to look under its tail. Pay attention to the distance between the genital organ and the anus. In cats it is a few millimeters, up to 1 cm, and in males it is 2 or 3 cm. In addition, the shape of the genital organs is also important: in girls it resembles a vertical stripe, in boys it resembles a dot. With high reliability, you can determine the sex of a kitten using palpation. If you place your index and middle fingers on the free space between the penis and anus, you can feel two small peas, a couple of millimeters in diameter. These are the beginnings of the testicles that will soon develop in the cat. This method should be used extremely carefully so as not to damage the fragile organism. It is recommended to palpate kittens at least one to two months old. In slightly older, three-month-old cats, the shape of the testicles is so pronounced that it can be seen visually. At the same time, the size of future testes also increases. The fur in this area is often distinguished by a different shade, thickness, or direction of growth. The color of the animal can also tell about its gender. A three-color suit consisting of white, red and black is a guarantee that this is a cat. This combination of colors is possible only if there is a pair of X chromosomes, which is typical exclusively for the female sex. The red color, on the contrary, is characteristic of cats, and it is extremely rare in female cats. For adolescents and adults, in addition to the obvious sexual characteristics, there are a number of secondary ones, which makes it possible to determine the gender with a quick glance at the animal or, say, in the case of a sterilized boy. The main features stand out in the appearance and behavior of four-legged animals:

In cats, the muzzle is extended forward, it looks sophisticated. The body is graceful, often slender. The cats have a fairly wide muzzle and large size.
Adult cats are cleaner than their male friends.
Cats mark new territory using a specific pungent odor. Cats also mark, but people don’t notice anything unusual: the pet simply sharpens its claws, but in fact secretes a certain secretion from the glands on the pads of its paws.
Cats are quite active and enjoy hunting. At the same time, they are independent and do not show too tender feelings towards their owner. Cats are mostly lazy, but at the same time affectionate. Fighting for a bride or territory is a common thing for them.

If you are trying to understand the physiology of a newborn or one-month-old kitten, you should follow a number of rules:

Wash your hands thoroughly to get rid of any strong odor.
Do not hold the baby in your hands for more than a few minutes, otherwise, due to unstable thermoregulation, the animal may quickly freeze.
It is better not to pick up kittens whose age does not exceed 3 weeks. If your own scent transfers to the fluffy cat, the mother cat may refuse to feed him further.
Take it carefully, place it on your tummy and lift the tail a little. In this case, the animal must not be lifted or pulled by the tail.
Try to find out all the details you are interested in in the shortest possible time so as not to expose your baby to stress.

Of the described methods for distinguishing males and females, only a visual assessment of the genitals is absolutely reliable. Other methods can act as an addition to the main approach, since they can misfire.

The question of how to distinguish a cat from a cat can cause a condescending smile among animal lovers who have been dealing with domesticated representatives of the baleen-striped family for more than one year. Experienced breeders can tell who is who at first glance, because for them the difference between kittens is as obvious as the difference between a little boy and a girl. But the question of determining gender sometimes requires an exact answer, for example, if an animal is taken into the house as a family member by ordinary people.

Of course, everything can be solved without problems if it is purchased at a nursery, where specialists can easily determine the sex at a very young age. It’s another matter when a small kitten was brought into your home by chance, and first of all everyone would like to know whether it is he or she. Indeed, in each of these two options you need to be prepared for certain difficulties: the cat will definitely ask to go for a walk and may begin to “mark” the territory, and the cat, if released, will almost certainly return pregnant.

Therefore, if you plan to take a kitten into your home, you should initially decide which gender is preferable for you. It's no secret that there are significant differences in keeping cats and male cats. They even behave differently towards people, have their own habits and characteristics during puberty, some of which owners should mentally prepare for in advance.

Noticeable only to pros

Some avid cat lovers can even distinguish the sex of animals just by looking at them. Thus, experts say that a cat is always confident and, to some extent, arrogant. But the cat is very serious and wary.

If you look closely at your pet's habits while eating, you can also tell what gender it is. To do this, just pour milk into a saucer. The boy will drink it with his tail raised up, and the girl will lower hers down. This is the so-called grandmother's method of determining the sex of kittens.

External signs

Avid cat lovers claim that you can distinguish a cat from a tom by its face and even by the expression of its eyes. Of course, for those whose experience in communicating with cats is minimal, this method of distinction is unlikely to help one hundred percent. So, cats have a fairly wide muzzle and nose, a powerful and large body, and thick paws.

Cats are smaller than males and have more graceful curves. The cat's muzzle is elongated rather in length than in width. In addition, many cats have a specific color. The thing is that the X chromosome is responsible for the red and black color of the coat, if there are two such chromosomes, both of these colors will be present in the color. But since the presence of two X chromosomes can only be in a cat or a cat with problematic genetics, accordingly, only cats can be tri-colored or tortoiseshell.

Differences in character

Calico cat

You can distinguish a cat from a cat by behavior at the age of 9 months. Until this age, children play equally, show affection and differ little in character.

Adult cats, unlike cats, are lazier and calmer. They sleep more. They are easy to hold and do not come out.
The peculiarity of cats is that they love to bask in the sun.
Adult cats prefer to show their character. They are most often affectionate during the period of estrus. They are rarely given to hands. Sometimes they can let themselves be petted, but will quickly try to escape. Cats move around the apartment quietly, barely audible, unlike cats that often stomp.
During the period of heat, cats meow often and loudly, trying to attract the attention of cats. They rub against furniture and mark their territory with small puddles.
Cats are distinguished by their desire to always mark their territory. This does not always manifest itself at an early age; marking begins actively at 11-12 months. Cats have a stronger and more pungent smell of urine.
After castration, male cats show more aggressiveness than male cats.
Cats show great cleanliness, licking themselves for hours. Choose the most tidy place to sleep. They eat mostly from clean dishes. And they can be picky, refusing some specific food (but if there are several pets in the family, the cat may forget about the cleanliness of the bowl, since while she is picky, her food will be eaten).
Cats always look confident, cats are wary.
At the age of 3 months, a cat's kitten will lap up milk with its tail raised, a cat's kitten will lower its tail down.

In adult males, the anus, scrotum and urethra are clearly distinguishable. The penis is located between the scrotum and the anus. In a calm state, it is a fluffy tubercle. Inside the scrotum are testicles in which sperm are formed. The scrotum is visually visible when the cat's tail is raised.

In furry breeds, the organ is not so clearly visible due to their long hair. To unambiguously identify a cat’s gender, he needs to wet the fur under his tail, then the testicles will be clearly visible. In females, the only external genital organs are the urethra; besides it, the anus is clearly visible under the cat’s tail, but there are no bulges.

Cat's genitals

If more than six months have passed since the cat was castrated, then his behavior and coat are almost no different from the same signs in sterilized females. After surgery, cats are left with an empty scrotum, only by feeling it can one determine the sex of the animal.

Choosing a pet: he or she?

There is a big difference in the behavior of these animals of different sexes, and it does not matter what breed they belong to: Sphynx, British Fold or Turkish Angora. No wonder they say that cats love to walk on their own. They are very independent and will come to the arms of their owners when they themselves want affection and warmth. Only when they are in the mood will capricious furry girls allow themselves to be petted, and as soon as they get tired of it, they will immediately go about their cat business. They are initially tuned to complete dedication only in relation to their own babies, so they become especially affectionate when kittens appear.

This is how wise Mother Nature created them, and we can only unconditionally accept the existing costs in the character of pets depending on what gender they have. But furry girls very often behave like real guards; they instantly determine if there are suspicious sounds at your door associated with the approach of guests, and long before the bell rings, they warn about this with a guttural growl. There is an opinion that cats are more attached to the place in which they live than to a person. Is it not this feature that can explain the incredible instinct shown by mustachioed female travelers in finding a way to return to their once lost home?

Cats are more attached to their owner, whom they love very much, but in their own way, in a cat’s way. They know how to actively express their feelings, so they will happily sit in your arms, purring loudly and exposing their necks for pleasant scratches. All the tenderness that a cat saves for posterity will be given to the person who cares about them. They will meet you at the doorstep in the evening and see you off in the morning, wake you up with gentle touches of their whiskers on your cheek, happily lie down on your lap and will not interfere with your watching TV or reading a book. But such an idyll is possible if you can immediately correctly place all the accents understandable to a boy kitten and show who in the house still has undeniable authority - you, and not the animal.

When the cat grows up, the instinct of procreation will appear, and the owners, willy-nilly, will have to deal with this issue. You will have to work with any animal, and it doesn’t matter what gender it has. Those who want to take home a small fluffy kitten, a boy or a girl, should remember that each of them will need love, attention and care. Therefore, you will have to decide who is better only on the basis of personal preferences.

Self-examination of a cat for castration

Inspecting the cat

First, you need to try to determine for yourself whether your new pet is neutered or not. Testing at home does not present any particular difficulties. If we talk about preparing for the test, then everything is simple - the cat needs to be calmed down.

Self-checking for castration of a cat can be divided into two types: visual and tactile.

Visual

This is what the suture looks like after surgery

Visual is a search for external signs of the operation performed. If the cat is young, then they should be more pronounced. The first thing you need to pay attention to is the condition of the fur in the genital area - if it is shorter than the rest or is clearly recently shaved, this may be a sign of recent castration.

If the cat is not a “young man,” this method, of course, will be irrelevant. You can examine the genital area for scars; this method, like the previous one, is only possible if castration has been performed recently.

As they age, many castrated cats develop a kind of “belly” in the area of the scrotum—a sagging fold of skin.

Tactile

With tactile everything is easier. It involves feeling the scrotal sac. Before starting, you should wear disposable sterile gloves. If, when palpated, you feel hard elastic formations inside, or at least one, the cat was not neutered, but if not, there is nothing to worry about.

Although there is some possibility of getting caught by a cryptorchid cat, in such animals the testicles do not descend into the scrotum and they seem to be absent. But this happens very rarely.

How to determine the sex of kittens

It is easy to determine the sex of kittens at a very young age, before they are covered with thick fur. To do this, you need to take the baby in your hands, trying not to disturb the cat and kitten, place it in your palm and carefully lift the tail to get a good look. You will see two openings - the anus and the urethra (exit of the urethra).

In a male kitten, both holes will be round in shape and at some distance from each other (approximately 1cm). The general appearance of the holes resembles a colon “:”. If it is a cat, then the holes will be located close to each other, and the shape of the bottom one will not be round, but elongated. Thus, the overall appearance will resemble an inverted exclamation mark or the English letter "i".

At a slightly older age, when the coat becomes thicker (at 1–2 months), in males the distance between the anus and urethra will become even larger and covered with thick fur, while in females the distance will be no more than 1 cm and practically hairless.

When the kittens are a little older (3 months), it will be possible to palpate the testes (testicles) in the scrotum - like two small (no more than 0.5 cm) balls. It is recommended to probe very carefully so as not to harm the kitten or cause pain.

If the cat is almost adult (from 5 months and older), the differences will be very characteristic - the cat’s scrotum with testes will be clearly visible. Castrated males do not have testes in the scrotum, but the distance between the urethra and anus is more than a centimeter and both openings are round in shape.

There are a number of indirect signs of the gender of cats, but in order to successfully use them, you need considerable experience in communicating with cats of both sexes and observation.

Determined by gender

There are several ways to determine the sex of a kitten. And although it is not very easy, in principle it is possible to distinguish a cat from a cat. Some pet owners are unable to do this on their own, so they turn to a veterinarian for help. And not without reason, because identifying the sex of a newborn animal is quite difficult. But we will try to figure out how to distinguish a cat from a cat on our own.

DNA test

There are a lot of such comments from pet owners on the Internet who don’t know how to determine the sex of a kitten. If the period is still very short, this does not mean that it is impossible to understand the gender of a newborn animal. It’s entirely possible, but you’ll have to spend some money to do it.

A DNA test is a 100% method that will allow you to understand what gender your kittens are. It will accurately distinguish a boy from a girl even at a very young age. But this method is very expensive, which forces pet owners to resort to traditional methods.

Genital analysis

Not a hundred percent, but a reliable method of how to distinguish a cat from a cat is the analysis of the genitals. You can recognize, understand and determine the sex of a kitten by the appearance of the genitals and their shape. More details about this are shown in the photo. Look at your pet's genitals. For a boy, the distance from the anus to the genitals will be much greater than for girls.

Remember that you need to be very careful when touching your cat in the genital area. Your pet's genitals are very fragile and careless handling of them can only harm him.

Palpation

You can feel the kittens' organs. This method is one of the most effective for determining the sex of a kitten, but when using it you need to be as careful as possible. In principle, you can identify and understand whether you have a boy or a girl very quickly, but you should be especially careful with the fragile genitals of a newborn cat. Gently run your finger over your pet's genitals; if you have a boy, you will definitely feel the testicles.

It is quite possible to identify this, but do not forget that in boys the appearance of the shape of the testicles is typical at the age of three months. Therefore, if the animal’s age is too young, then it will not be possible to determine the sex, since this sign does not appear earlier than two and a half months after birth. In addition, the location of the supposed location of the testicles is often determined in animals by changes in the color of the fur and its thickness.

But this method is inaccurate. For example, in boys, the testicles may not descend from the abdomen at an early age. And in newborn girls, hormonal changes can cause swelling under the tail, as a result of which the result can be deceiving.

Analysis of a kitten's fur and color can also indicate that it belongs to a specific gender. As a rule, males cannot be tricolored at an early age. Therefore, if there are three colors on a cat’s fur, then, without a doubt, this is a female. This coloring is an exclusive feature of girls.

But if your cat is red, then most likely this is a male. There are an order of magnitude fewer red-haired females in nature than males.

In the face

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You can find out whether your pet belongs to one sex or another using another method. However, this method is also inaccurate, and if the animal is less than a month old, it is unlikely to give a 100% result.

To do this, you will need both male and female kittens. By carefully looking at both cats, you can reveal that the muzzle and nose of males are wider than those of females. In addition, females have thinner muzzle outlines. The muzzle of females is more elongated, not so wide.

You should also pay attention to the cat's body. In boys it is wider, stockier, and more powerful. The paws and tail in this case will also be slightly thicker; in females they are thinner. In particular, females are more graceful and fragile, this can even be seen in their gait, but not in all cases. Their body curves are more graceful.

Cinnamon colored cat

There are several methods for determining the sex of kittens. Most cat lovers determine their gender visually:

according to the shape of the genitals;
by coat color;
by habits;
by physique.

In addition, if you have experience, they use the method of palpating the testicular primordia in the space between the anus and the urethra.

Cryptorchidism in cats The appearance of the anus and genitals is described above for newborn kittens and animals one month old. In order to examine their structure, the kitten is carefully turned tummy up. Another way is to place the baby on the diaper with his back up and lift his tail.

Sex differences in young kittens

Methods for determining the sex of domestic cats

Snot in a kitten, cat and cat: how to treat it

To determine the sex of a small kitten, various methods are used, including scientific ones, for example, using a DNA test.

DNA test

A laboratory method using a DNA test allows you to distinguish a cat from the first day of birth with maximum accuracy, as well as establish a predisposition to genetic diseases. The test is usually performed at a veterinary clinic. To do this, a cheek scraping or a drop of blood is taken from the animal.

Most often it is used by breeders of elite cats (British, Scottish Fold, Peterbald, Russian Blue and others), who professionally breed animals with a pedigree. In addition to gender recognition, the method allows you to detect chromosomal abnormalities, hereditary diseases, pathologies, paternity, and maternity.

Note! A DNA test is the most accurate, but expensive method, so it is rarely used. There is no need for it if the offspring are healthy.

Anatomical method

Visual comparison of the place under the tail of newborn babies is considered traditional. Experienced breeders easily cope with this task. Beginners will need some skill.

Kittens under 3 weeks of age require careful handling. If the baby has not yet stood on his paws, then he is gently taken by the scruff of the neck, warmed in the palms of his hands and turned over with his paws up. In order not to irritate the mother cat, it is better to pick up the kitten when it is full, has had enough of playing and is getting ready for bed. At this time he is most calm. If the baby is calm, the mother is calm. Frequently touching newborn kittens unnecessarily is not recommended - the mother may abandon the offspring.

Difference in genitals

The tail is carefully moved back and the butt area is examined. There are two openings: the anus and the urethra. The shape and distance between them will determine the gender of the kitten. In a cat, the distance between the holes is small (about 5 mm) and between them there is a thin stripe called the vulva. In cats, the anus and urethra are at a greater distance (10 mm or more), forming a colon. Later, testicles form between them.

Note! At the 10th day of age, you can notice that in female cats there is no hair near the genitals, while in female cats this area is covered with fur.

Feeling the genitals

In 2-month-old kittens, external sexual characteristics are more pronounced. In males, bulges appear under the tail - testicles. Some cats also have similar formations, but they are smaller than those of seals.

In British Fold cats of both sexes, swelling can be felt near the genitals. This is a feature of this breed, ignorance of which can confuse an inexperienced owner.

Palpation of the area near the anus will not cause discomfort to the animal and will allow you to recognize the sex with an accuracy of 90% out of 100. The presence of thick fur between the urethra and the anus indicates that it is a cat. Thick fur or lack thereof indicates a cat.

Age limits

Veterinarians recommend surgery to remove the testes at the age of 7-8 months. During this period, puberty occurs and the urinary ducts develop to a normal state.

With early intervention, the body's development occurs slowly. In some cases, the male remains forever like a kitten.

Sometimes castration is carried out at a late age - after two years of life. This choice is supported by the fact that all the cat’s organs and tissues have fully developed. The operation is easy to carry out, since all the vessels and testes are clearly visible. A serious disadvantage of castration at this age is the consolidation of behavioral habits under the influence of hormones. It's not easy to get rid of them.

Surgery is performed on older animals only for medical reasons. At this age, it is difficult to tolerate anesthesia and recovery will take a long time. The intervention is carried out after a detailed examination.

Castration and sterilization

The period of puberty depends not only on the gender, but also on the breed of the cat. On average, it occurs at the age of 5-8 months in women, and 6-9 in men. Some breeds (Maine Coons, Bengals, British and Scottish, as well as some others) mature much later: in the period from one to three years.

It is advisable to subject the animal to surgery to remove the gonads before the first signs of maturation. It is recommended to sterilize cats at about six months of age. Males should be neutered at 8-12 months.

Sterilization operations differ in the degree of invasiveness. Most often, the cat's tubes are tied and the ovaries are removed. If this is not done, then she will lose the ability to give birth to offspring, and estrus and all the “jumps” associated with this period will not go away. It is much more humane to remove the ovaries, the organs that synthesize sex hormones. In this case, the cat’s hormonal background will change, and she will not feel an urgent need for a cat.

For males, the most common operation is castration. During this intervention, the testes are removed, where sex hormones are also produced that motivate the cat to “deeds.”

If the owner does not raise his hand to the genitals of his pet, drugs that pacify the animal’s sexual instincts will come to the rescue. However, it should be remembered that such treatment can be harmful to the health of the pet. Today, veterinarians believe that sterilization not only relieves cats from the desire to procreate, and their owners from regular (2-3 times a year) multi-day “concerts,” but also has a beneficial effect on the cat’s health, prolonging its life. After all, in this way the animal gets rid of unnecessary stress. And for a cat, an unrealized instinct, a lack of sexual contact when she feels an insistent need for it, is a serious nervous shock, real torment.

Owners of cats and kittens should not worry that castration or sterilization will cause suffering to the animal. Animals are deprived of morality; all their sexual claims are dictated solely by physiology. If you deprive a female cat of a source of hormones (ovaries and testicles, respectively), they will not experience any dissatisfaction. On the contrary, it will bring peace to the animal and make it happier. After all, he will not have the need to look for a partner and follow the call of nature.

Determining the sex of a British cat

It is quite difficult to distinguish a British cat from a cat in childhood. Primary sexual characteristics have not yet been formed, and the thickness of the coat hides other differences.

At birth, both British cats experience swelling in the genital area, and it is difficult to determine the presence of testicles. The only thing that will allow you to distinguish a British cat from a cat is observing their habits.

British cats will be more competitive and more active towards their sisters. They are larger than females. It is more difficult to distinguish by the size of the muzzle, since in both individuals they are quite wide.

How to distinguish a pet by its habits and character

There is no way to immediately distinguish, based on habits and character, whether a kitten is a boy or a girl who has come into your home. To do this, you will need to wait until their puberty, which occurs at seven to a maximum of nine months. Before this, all the actions and actions of the animal, regardless of its gender, will be based on instincts, and, in addition, it is important to understand that the baby needs some time to get used to it, feel cozy and comfortable.

Please note that distinguishing a cat from a cat at a young age by behavior is very difficult. All babies love to play, sleep, they like to be affectionately scratched behind the ears, stroked, and when they misbehave, they immediately try to hide somewhere far away.

Therefore, you should not rush to make hasty conclusions and call the animal on the second day, without figuring out what its gender is, “Vaska” or “Murka”.

Colors

In addition to obvious signs and observation of habits, the color of the animal will also tell about the gender. Here are some nuances of the cat's palette:

The tortoiseshell or tri-color color can only appear in girls. This is caused by genetics: to combine all three classic colors, a pair of X chromosomes is required, which is typical for girls. In cats, the black-white-red color can only appear in the event of a genetic failure or disease.
A color called Calico (a type of tortoiseshell) also belongs to girlish “outfits”.
Only a cat can have a completely red color, as well as a hint of cinnamon.

Regarding spotted cats, there is no exact definition based on color. Red and black pets may have white spots, regardless of gender. However, it has been noticed that the combination “red and white” is more common in boys, and “black and white” cats are more often found.

How to distinguish: advice from the people

The urine of males usually smells more unpleasant than that of females.
You can determine the sex of a kitten using traditional methods. This non-standard definition is based on observations, beliefs and signs of animal behavior. For example:

Sight. Girls look wary, boys openly and confidently.
By genitalia: British or Persian (long-haired pets). In cats, hair in the area of the genitals and anus grows more actively and thickly than in cats.
Smell of urine. Male representatives have a sharper and more specific secret.

A real indicator of gender designation is an experiment that is carried out like this: pour milk into a saucer and place it in front of the purr. The boy, lapping up the treat, will raise his tail up to the sky. If the tail is lowered and curled peacefully near the paws, there is only one conclusion - it’s a girl. People also believe that the cat greets guests, and the cat sees them off. Representatives of the feminine gender do not make contact with strangers, but it is possible to lure men with a tasty treat.

How to properly pick up a kitten?

To determine the gender of a kitten, it must be carefully taken from its mother. It is better not to do this while feeding. Be sure to wash your hands first so that there is no smell that could disturb the mother cat. Use soap with a neutral scent. The kitten must be examined quickly and immediately returned to its mother.

Do this for no longer than two minutes. The baby is placed with his tummy on the palm of his hand and they look for sexual characteristics under the tail. In order not to disturb your baby, you can take a photo with your smartphone and then look at it for as long as necessary. You cannot pick up a kitten by pulling back the skin or pulling it by its paws or tail.

Cat's motherly love

If the first time it was not possible to determine the sex of a newborn kitten, then you should not repeat the procedure several times a day. This will disturb the cat and she may hide the kittens.

How and at what age is the gender of a kitten determined?

Kittens developing in the womb already have distinctive sexual characteristics. Therefore, you can recognize the gender of a newborn kitten by external signs immediately after the cat gives birth. This simple process requires some experience and skill.

Newborn kittens

In newborn kittens, the sex is determined in the laboratory by a blood test or visually by the location of the anus and urinary opening under the tail.

Attention! Testing the gender of newborn kittens is stressful for mother cat and babies. Therefore, such manipulations must be carried out with extreme caution so as not to harm the babies.

The external genitalia of kittens begin to develop by two months. Feeling the genitals under the tail will tell you how to distinguish a kitten from a cat. A visual examination and comparison of sexual characteristics will also help.

Mature cats and female cats are distinguished by their character, habits, and face. Animals reach sexual maturity at 7-8 months. There is a significant difference between the sexes in size, build, habits, and voice timbre.

Characteristic features of male and female genitalia in cats

The easiest way to find out the gender of your pet is visual. It is suitable for those who are faced with the question of how to distinguish a small cat from a cat for the first time. Look under the kitten's tail. Sexual characteristics in small kittens are not clearly formed, but differences can still be found in older animals. In a cat, the anus and genitals look like two points located parallel and horizontally.

The easiest way to find out the gender of your pet is visually

You can also visually rely on the distance between the anus and the genitals. In a cat it is small, about 1 cm, but in a small cat it is noticeably larger. The fur between the anus and the genitals is also a clue. In cats it is quite thick in this place, but female kittens do not have it at all.

If doubts still remain, a tactile inspection can be performed. To do this, you need to carefully probe the place where the testicles should be with your index and middle fingers. How to determine gender? If you have a small cat in your hands, then under your fingertips there will be small peas, no more than 5 mm in diameter.

Cat's genitals

Find out gender by genitals

Usually, to find out if you have a kitten or a cat, you just need to look under your pet’s tail. To do this, lay it on its back and look at the shape of the genitals:

if this is a dot, then you have a boy;
if the vertical line is a girl.

This method is usually used when the kitten is already 3 weeks old. Otherwise there is a high chance of error.

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Note that a kitten at 2 months and a half will already have testicles, which will also help in determining its gender. Also, the distance between the anus and the genitals is greater in the male than in the female.

Pros and cons of the operation

Any surgical intervention carries certain risks. Some owners consider it unacceptable to interfere with nature and make animals comfortable to keep.

In order to understand whether to castrate a cat or not, the advice of a veterinarian will help you make a choice. The advantages of the operation include lack of aggressiveness, balance and absence of territory marks. The pet will become docile and obedient, and will not try to run away from home.

Disadvantages include a tendency to overeating and obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and the likelihood of complications.