Happy Pets

Male or Female?

If, like the majority of responsible cat owners, you would prefer your cat not to breed, a simple neutering operation will iron out the most significant behavioural differences between male and female felines. With the removal of the organs that pump sex hormones — testosterone in males, and oestrogen in females — into the cat’s body, both sexes will become less likely to roam or spray (particularly males), less temperamental and, most importantly, incapable of adding to an already teeming feline population. (Unchecked breeding has resulted in many unwanted kittens and cats, who, if they are lucky enough to survive in the first place, may be forced to become strays or to adopt a feral lifestyle.)

Unless you are prepared to keep, or find homes for, any kittens that she may have (and in her prime she may be capable of producing four or five three times a year), you should pre-empt the arrival of a litter of kittens by having any female cat that you adopt spayed as soon as your vet recommends it. Similarly, your male cat may sire numerous offspring — although the likelihood is that you’ll be blissfully unaware of them — unless you take him to the vet to be castrated.

If, however, you would prefer your cat to remain entire, it’s important that you’re aware of the behavioural differences between male and female cats. A torn is unlikely to be at home much because his hormones will be urging him to patrol his territory to ward off trespassers, as well as to respond to the calls and scent of any local females on heat. In the laying-down of territorial markers, he will be an assiduous sprayer of pungent urine and may require frequent trips to the vet as a result of the wounds that he’ll inevitably sustain in his scraps with other toms.

An entire female is usually more home-loving, apart from when she’s on heat, when her sex hormones kick in and she‘ll begin to invite the attention of toms. If she becomes pregnant, her kittens will be born nine weeks later, her maternal duties then keeping her fully occupied for two to three months.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
How to Identify your Pet Sex

• What is a cat? part 2
• Fragrant felines
• Mobile Feline ears Resemble Radar Detectors, Hearing and the Cat's Ears
• Cat Maternity problems part 2
• Male or female?
• Pet-care, Touching and the Cat’s Tactile Receptors
• What to Look for in a Kitten or Cat
• Finding a cat
• Cat Maternity problems part 3
• Some sense about sex

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 31st, 2008 at 2:21 am and is filed under Cats, Kittens. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.