Is it possible to distinguish a cat from a cat by its face?

Kittens

It is best to determine the sex of kittens immediately after birth. This is especially true for purebred babies, for whom, as a rule, people line up even before they are born. The owner watches the new addition to the cat family and wonders how many are girls and how many are boys?

The sex of a kitten can most accurately be determined by its sexual characteristics. This is done like this:

Before the inspection, you need to prepare: wash your hands with soap and wipe dry. Palms should be warm;
Also make sure that the mother cat is not against your interference in her family life;
If both the cat and kittens are calm, you can proceed;
The kitten is carefully lifted and placed with its tummy on the palm;
When examining the area “under the tail,” you need to pay attention to the location of the external genitalia;
In a cat, the distance between the anus and genitals will be slightly larger, in a cat it will be smaller (about 1 cm);
Figuratively, this arrangement can be divided into two types: “exclamation mark” in the female, “colon” in the male;
In addition to this method, the gender of kittens is determined by examining the fur in the specified area. A cat will have a tuft of hair between the anus and genitals; cats do not have such hair.

Do not try to “test” the sex of newborn kittens!
Only experienced veterinarians can resort to such manipulations. With age, determining the sex of a kitten becomes even easier.
The indicated distance between the natural holes in cats becomes larger and becomes overgrown with thick hair. In cats, the distance does not change, and hair does not appear in this area.

How to tell a boy's kitten from a girl's

In order to find out the gender of the kitten, you will need to place the baby on a warm towel on his tummy and gently lift his tail. There are several differences that are present in babies from birth. By correctly identifying them, it will not be difficult for you to distinguish a boy from a girl.

Distance between anus and genitals

Look at the photos below. These are close-up photographs of 3 week old kittens (1 month old). On the left is a boy, and on the right is a girl.

You need to pay attention to the distance between the anus and genitals. In males the distance is greater than in females. For clarity, consider the following picture.

Shape of genital organs

Look at the pictures below. These are close-up photos of 3 week old kittens. On the left is a boy, and on the right is a girl.

Still, in this matter it is preferable to look under the tail rather than in the eyes. If you see a conditional colon (“:”) under the tail, then this is definitely a cat, and if there is an inverted letter “i”, then, accordingly, a female kitten.

You need to pay attention to the shape of the genitals. In a male kitten, the shape of the genital organs resembles a dot, while in girls, it resembles a vertical line.

Manifestation of the shape of the testicles in male kittens at 3 months

Part of the genital organs of a male cat are the testicles, which are located between the anus and the penis. Almost invisible at birth, they begin to appear and enlarge in fur babies at 10-12 weeks of age. The photos below will help you visually understand this issue.

Tactile palpation of the genitals of kittens

Feeling the genitals is an effective method of determining gender almost from birth. This method will help to tactilely determine the presence of testicles in a kitten. This is possible even for a baby a few weeks old.

To determine, you will need to carefully swipe in the indicated place with two closed fingers (index and middle). If the kitten is male, you will feel pea-shaped formations (3-5 mm in diameter) in this area.

Video on how to distinguish a cat from a cat

Coloring can tell you how to find out the gender of a kitten

Oddly enough, the color of the coat can most likely help and tell you how to distinguish a girl’s kitten from a boy’s.

Non-standard folk methods

Some experts determine the sex of a kitten by...look! Indeed, a wary look is most often found in cats, and a self-confident look is most often found in cats. But this method is not informative, because anyone can come across an overly self-confident cat. To reinforce the impression, pay attention to the wool. In male kittens, the fur grows very thickly between the anal and genital openings, but in females there is no hair between these openings.

There is also a grandmother’s method for determining the sex of kittens. Place a saucer of milk in front of the baby - if, while the kitten is lapping up the milk, its tail is raised triumphantly to the sky, this is definitely a male. If it is lowered to the floor, it is a female.

A stronger smell of urine can also be an indicator that the kitten in front of you is a boy.

That's probably all I can advise you. If you have your own methods for distinguishing the sex of kittens, please share them in the comments. I also ask you to share the article on social networks if you liked it.

Adult animals

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

Let's compare the genitals

A look from behind at an adult member of the feline race will immediately reveal his (or her) gender. But the smaller the kitten, the less pronounced these differences are. And in newborns everything is so similar that it’s not surprising even for a professional breeder to make a mistake.

The simplest and most reliable way is to wait until the baby is at least three months old and his sexual characteristics become unambiguous. If you need to determine the sex earlier, you should know a few rules for handling a kitten:

You can only pick up a kitten outside of feeding time and with the permission of the mother cat.
Hands should be clean and free of strong odor.
You should limit the time of contact with the animal, you can even take a photo of the “problem area” and then slowly study it.
Hold the kitten as carefully as possible - stress and injury are of no use to it.

It’s very good when you have the opportunity to look under the tail of not just one kitten, but several at once. If they turn out to be different sexes, then it will be possible to draw such a conclusion based on the differences found. However, your patience and observation will certainly be rewarded with a positive result.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the distance from the anus to the opening of the urethra. In females they are located much closer to each other, there is practically no space left for fur between them

In a small cat, on the contrary, there is a significant space from the anus to the penis: here, gradually, a few weeks after birth, the testicles will begin to develop.

The next important sign is the shape of the genital opening. In male kittens, the urethral opening is small and round. In cats, the opening of the vulva is larger, compressed into a vertical stripe. Schematically describing this feature, they compare the genital picture of a male individual with a colon, and the female one with the Latin letter “i”. Perhaps this is the most reliable way to determine the sex of very tiny kittens.

In long-haired babies, visual testing may be difficult.

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.

At what age is a kitten's gender determined?

A veterinarian or an experienced owner can easily understand what gender a kitten is, at any age. Some difficulties may arise with one-week-old babies. During this period, sexual characteristics are not yet intensively developing, and the coat is already very thick. Features of determining gender depend on the age of the kitten.

These kittens were born very recently

Differences in character

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.

Determined by character and habits

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.

Checking the floor carefully

When examining a kitten immediately after birth, precautions must be taken. To avoid harming your baby, follow these tips:

Follow the rules of hygiene: cats should not be handled with dirty hands, or immediately after contact with other animals. Always wash your hands before visiting children;
It is impossible to tear the kitten away from feeding. Wait until the baby eats, and then take him away;
You need to act carefully so as not to agitate the cat. Some females experience real stress after giving birth, so it is undesirable to disturb them. Even if the cat is in high spirits, do not make noise or make sudden movements near the babies;
Despite frequent advice on “probing” the sex of kittens, this is strictly forbidden. Palpation can damage the genitals of newborn kittens, which will lead to irreparable consequences;
You can only examine the kitten for a minute. The cubs freeze quickly, so they need to be returned to their mother as quickly as possible.

That's all you need to know to determine the sex of a kitten. Now you know how to distinguish a cat from a cat. If you have questions, you can ask us.

Determined by external signs

Experienced breeders can determine the sex of a pet by its face and body.

Cat: An adult cat, unlike a cat, has a much wider muzzle and nose. It has a large body and powerful paws. A castrated cat has thick skin and a large head.
An adult cat has an elegant physique and graceful curves. This can be especially observed in short-haired breeds, for example, in a Sphynx cat. Cats also have a more elongated muzzle.

Cinnamon colored cat

Not suitable for comparison of the faces of cats and cats of the British breed. British cats often have a wider muzzle, unlike male cats.

A cat can also be distinguished from a cat by color:

It is easy to distinguish a cat at birth. If a kitten was born tri-colored or tortoiseshell , you can be sure that it is a cat. This color combination is ensured by the presence of two X chromosomes only in cats;
unlike cats, cats can also be calico ;
cats differ from cats in the presence of red flowers in color. Only cats come in cinnamon .

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.

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.