Home Hygiene How to distinguish a newborn kitten boy from a girl. How to determine the sex of a kitten

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How to distinguish a newborn kitten boy from a girl. How to determine the sex of a kitten

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Are you expecting a new addition to your home in the form of a small feline? This is wonderful! Who would you like to see in the house more - a kitty or a cat? In order not to make a mistake when choosing, you will need to know how determine the gender of the kitten. When these young animals are more than one and a half months old, you can already easily distinguish a female from a male by external signs: the characteristic features of the muzzle and the difference in the genitals will appear. The difference is noticeable both in the character traits and in the certain behavior of the furry beauties.

If the owner definitely wants a cat and has a lovely female name at the ready, then he needs to quickly determine the gender of the newborn kitten. And why wait weeks if you can use a proven method and look under the kitten’s tail?

Newborn kitten: male or female?

Among all the possible criteria when choosing a young furry pet, the main one for many is whether the animal belongs to the fair half of the feline family, or vice versa, to the strong half. The character of a cat differs in many ways from the character traits that are characteristic of cats. Depending on whether a cat or a cat has settled in the house, the relationship between the owner and the pet is built. For some, the behavior of the animal during such a tedious period of “demanding love” is also important. Cats can bring numerous offspring and associated troubles. Not everyone wants to foster cat children. Well, cats can become good breeding producers without introducing the chaos and confusion associated with the appearance of kittens in the house. That is why the gender of the future pet becomes important for many owners.

A few must-read tips before you start determine the sex of a cat. Find out what not to do:

try to perform the procedure at the time of feeding;
use brute force: pull the tail up, grab the babies by the scruff of the neck or paws;
make animals nervous in every possible way;
apply forceful pressure to the genitals or abdomen.

Most important: the need to calm or distract the mother cat. You can successfully choose the time when she goes off to feed, or if you trust the owner, it is enough to offer the mother of the entire brood a favorite treat or the owner’s affection.

So, access to cat babies is open:

Carefully take one baby and place it with its tummy on a warm diaper, which is located in your palm;
Lift the tail and inspect the area of the anus and genitourinary opening. If possible, have your assistant take a photo of the area. This will simplify the task and return the baby to his mother sooner.

Keep kittens for no longer than one minute, as newborns freeze very quickly without their mother's fur.

Cat or cat, how to determine gender?

If you're wondering how determine the sex of a newborn kitten, be prepared for the fact that in the absence of experience, you may make mistakes. We propose to consider some ways that will shed light on this issue.

A visual inspection of the animal's genitals helps determine the sex. You can also distinguish a boy from a girl using tactile sensations - through palpation. Often, experienced owners can distinguish representatives of the stronger sex of cats by color.

Visual differences in the sex of kittens

So, we determine the sex of the kitten by examining its genitals:

If you look at the genitals of several kittens, then during the comparison process it is much easier to distinguish the sex of the kitten.

Tactile detection

To find out the gender, take your baby and, with your free hand, gently feel the area between the urethra and the anus. A smooth spot is typical for a girl. If your fingers feel small formations that resemble a tumor, then there is a chance that in two months such a “tumor” will turn into testicles.

The accuracy of this method is not 100% certain, since in small cats the testicles may be in the abdominal cavity during the neonatal period, and in young cats there are swellings in that area and other hormonal phenomena. This way is more reliable you can determine the sex of a kitten 1 month old.

Find out the gender of a kitten by color

If you see several kittens in front of you, try to look at their furry outfit. Nature has arranged everything so that the sex of a domestic cat is associated with color.

So, here is a baby with a weave of three colors on his fur. There is a high probability that you are looking at a cat, because they have the so-called tortoiseshell coloration.

Have you picked up the red baby? Most likely it will be a boy.

There is also a genetic method: if the litter has parents of a certain color, then the gender of the kitten can be easily distinguished by color. If a female of black, blue, chocolate or lilac color paired with a red or cream-colored male brings non-tortoiseshell kittens, then these babies are boys. This rule works vice versa.

A cat of tortoiseshell color or any non-red color gives male offspring if the babies’ fur coat is red or cream.

Unconventional methods for identifying the sex of kittens

How else is it possible determine the sex of a small kitten? Of course by the look! The cat looks wary, and the cat looks self-confident and even arrogant.

You can also distinguish the sex of a kitten by the presence of undercoat between the anus and the genitals. The cats in that place are “fluffier” than cats.

Our great-grandmothers did it simply: they put a saucer with warm milk and watched. The animal raised its tail straight up while lapping - the cat; lowered it - the cat.

If the animal's urine has a pungent odor, most likely the baby is a representative of the male half of the feline.

Of course, it is not difficult to determine the sex of an adult animal. But how not to make a mistake with a kitten? If you read the article and decided to try to determine on your own who is a cat and who is a cat, then the procedure will no longer be difficult for you.

The dilemma of how to identify a female cat among newborns worries both experienced breeders and lovers of these mustachioed animals. Finding out the gender of the pet is important in both cases for planning the future of the animal.

However, despite the fact that sex differences seem obvious, it is very difficult to determine them in a kitten until he reaches the age of three months. In order not to rely only on intuition, you should use several practical recommendations on how to determine the sex of a pet.

Newborn kittens

During this period, difficulties in determining the gender of the kitten are due to the fact that in the first few days after its birth, the male and female organs of the newborn look the same. And yet, there are some signs of how to determine the male or female cat that has turned out to be a baby.

Before you begin to “identify” the sex of an animal, you need to remember what to do first.

Be sure to wash your hands well with gentle soap, without strong fragrances. After this, your hands should be treated with a chlorhexidine solution and, without wiping them with a towel, warm them by rubbing them against each other.
Make sure that the kitten’s mother is nearby, sees all the owner’s manipulations and does not object to them.
The kitten should be picked up carefully and placed in the palm of one hand, belly down.
Then, as carefully as possible, lift the animal's tail.

Do not do it:

Ignore hygiene.
Treat the animal roughly, forcefully and inappropriately.
Forcibly tear the newborn away from the mother during feeding or sleep, and take the baby away from her to another room.
Grab the kitten by the withers and pull on the paws or tail.
Press on the location of the genital organs.
Examine the kitten while holding it in your arms for more than three minutes because:

he can absorb the smell of his owner, and this will push his mother away from him;
he may become hypothermic, because kittens have not yet developed thermoregulation;
this can cause the kitten to become stressed.

In order to understand how to determine whether a baby is a male or female, you should be guided by two reasons:

If the kitten is a cat, then the distance between its anus and the urogenital opening is more than 1 centimeter. Such details as testicles are not observed in a newborn kitten, so visually, both holes resemble two points. The photo below will illustrate the difference in the genitals of newborn kittens.
If the kitten is a cat, then its urogenital opening and anus are located at a distance of no more than 1 centimeter from each other. Visually, both holes look like a point and a longitudinal one.

Month old kitten

If the owner of the animal wants to find out where the cat is and where the cat is, then you need to wait. This is due to the fact that the testes in cats do not descend into the scrotum until exactly three months of the animal’s life.

But there is a simple way to identify a male cat among kittens. Before executing it you should:

The owner should wash, dry and sanitize their hands. Keep them warm.
Carefully place your pet, paws up, on your hand or lap.
Slowly, using a finger and light pressure, move along the abdomen down to the anus. If the kitten is a cat, then in the process of moving his fingers under them, the owner can feel two “peas”, which are the testes. If the kitten is a cat, then there cannot be any “peas”. The location of the genital organs can be clearly seen in the photo below.

During this examination, you should not handle the kitten roughly or press hard on the genital area. Palpation should also be carried out as carefully as possible around the organs, and not over them.

Photo of the location of the genital organs in kittens:

Habits as a way to determine gender

Another way to recognize where a cat is is from habits, since a living creature has only its own character traits. In this regard, it is possible to find out the gender of a pet using the following criteria.

Indifferent to the owner.
They behave independently.
Active hunters.
They fiercely protect their personal space and are active in games.
Very clean.
If a cat has marked its territory, it can also scratch objects surrounding the area.

They are carefree and reach out to their owner, happily making contact with him.
Affectionate.
Lazy, and mostly sleep or eat.
They devote little time to self-care.
Cat . His urine has a strong pungent odor.

These features are generalized, and the animal may have individual character traits.

Coat color as a way to determine sex in kittens

To recognize where a cat is where a cat is, a medically based theory will help, according to which, if it is a cat, then it has a red “fur coat.” Tortoiseshell kittens are usually female.

The color of a kitten's coat directly depends on the number of X chromosomes in the pet's body. Female kittens with 2 X chromosomes have a tortoiseshell color, but male kittens with 1 X chromosome cannot have this coat color. If a cat was born wearing such a three-color “fur coat,” then there is a high probability that he will not be able to have offspring.

Of course, nature can give an animal any color, but information on how to identify a female cat is based on the most likely color distribution in boys and girls. It should be noted that kittens with white and black fur can be either male or female.

Folk signs as a way to determine gender

Another way to identify a male cat is to rely on the experience accumulated over the years by cat owners. Some argue that you can determine the sex of kittens by:

Look. Cats look more wary, and cats have a confident look.
Wool. Cats have thick hair between the genitals, while cats, on the contrary, have virtually none.
Urine. Male secretions have a strong odor.
Tail. When a kitten lowers its tail to the floor when drinking, this indicates that there is a cat in front of the owner; if the tail is raised, then the cat is in front of the owner.
Morde. Facial expression and features can also help the pet owner recognize the gender of the animal. Males, as a rule, have sharp and large features, while female cats have soft and smooth lines of features.
General appearance. Male kittens have a strong and visually large build, while female kittens have a petite and graceful build.

In the photo below, you can see the difference in appearance between cats and cats.

According to a special period in the life of cats. When she rubs against furniture and things around her, she does not allow herself to be held in her arms and strongly arches her back. Cats, during the period of sexual desire, meow loudly, become aggressive and mark their territory. In order to save both of them from “suffering”, the animals are brought together for mating. If the owner has not seen this process, and he is tormented by the question of how to determine that the cat has covered the cat, then he should monitor the animals. If the pets do not observe the behavior that was before mating, or after some time it turns out that, then the answer to this question is positive.

In conclusion, it should be said that it is possible to determine what gender a kitten belongs to before it reaches three months of age, guided by the above recommendations.

In order to understand what gender your cat gave birth to your little miracle, you need to do a simple and banal action. You just need to look under the cat's tail.

Has your beloved cat given birth to several kittens? This is good, because then you should not have problems with the definition. You can visually compare the genitals of small cats. This helps to compare the organs of animals and understand which sex they belong to.

To determine gender, take the cat in your arms and lift the cat's tail. Under it you can see 2 excretory canals: one of them is the anus (outlet of the rectum), and the other is the outlet of the urinary system.

In females, it looks like a narrow slit located next to the anus. The male's testicles and foreskin can be seen. Usually, until 2-3 months of age in male kittens, they are not yet descended, and this adds difficulty in understanding the sex of animals.

Ways to understand gender - three types

At a recent birth

If the cat has just been born and its body is still wet, then it will not be difficult to understand the gender. Kittens have two openings: the exit of the rectum and the genitals. In females the space between them is very small, but in males the distance can be up to ten millimeters.

Wet fur will not interfere with your examination of the cat. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that in newborn female animals the distance will be no more than 2-3 millimeters.

Upon reaching 10 days from birth

At this age stage, small cats already have a well-defined coat, but the cats will have bald patches that are located between the genitals.

In female cats there is little space between the holes and there is no hair between them, but in male cats the distance between the genitals is greater, and there may be fur between them.

Upon reaching 40 days after birth

At this age, the genitals of kittens are already pronounced, and male cats have testicles and foreskin, while in females one can distinguish an anus and a narrow slit.

Sometimes there are situations when you purchased a girl from a cat breeder, and then find out that it is a boy. There are situations like this, so future pet owners should pay attention to this and see who they are purchasing.

The main conclusions from this article: to determine the sex of a born kitten, you need to lift its tail and look there. The distance between the reproductive system and the anus determines who you are. Girls have a shorter distance than boys. On average, 2-3 mm in girls and up to 10 mm in boys.

Pay attention also to the structure and shape of the urinary system. In males you can see the scrotum and foreskin.

Determine the sex of a small kitten - not an easy task. This must be done to determine a name or to put a purebred pet up for sale.

You can go to a veterinary clinic or learn how to do it yourself.

At what age is gender determined?

The earliest period when sex is determined is 2 weeks of life . The pet has not yet completely pubescent, which makes it possible to examine its genitals.

This applies to long-haired breeds (Siberian, Maine Coon, etc.). Although at this stage there is a chance to make a mistake, after 1-2 weeks it is even more difficult to examine the organs: the genitals are covered with overgrown fur.

In short-haired breeds, such as the Scottish Fold, gender identity is well determined from the age of three months.

The completion of the formation of the reproductive system occurs six months after birth. At 6 months, it will not be difficult to distinguish a cat from a cat.

How to distinguish a male kitten from a cat

You can distinguish a boy from a girl based on several signs:

shape and location of the genitals;
appearance;
features of animal behavior.

External differences between the sexes include the following:

males gain weight and height faster than girls;
boys are naturally curious, playful, and have well-developed hunter instincts;
cats have a wide chest, powerful feet and large pads;
Both sexes have nipples, but in cats they are large and pronounced.

There are several ways to determine the sex of a kitten. The surest and simplest is to examine the baby. Before the procedure, wash and warm your hands.

What to do:

Make sure that the mother is not against the owner’s actions.
Gently place the kitten on its tummy on your hand.
Raise the tail up and examine the distance between the urinary opening and the anus.

Important! The examination is carried out no earlier than 7 days after the kitten is born. If possible, it is worth postponing the procedure until the second week of life.

What not to do with a small pet:

Take it from the mother cat during feeding.
Take carelessly. Lift by the limbs or scruff of the neck, grab by the tail.
Press on the stomach.
Pick him up during sleep or when his mother is unfriendly.
Leave on palms for a long time. After 2 minutes, the baby should be returned to the mother. At first, children have poorly developed thermoregulation. The baby can quickly get hypothermia.

Distance between anus and genitals

In cats, the vulva is closer to the anus. The distance is approximately 5 millimeters. In cats, the distance from the anus to the urinary opening is one and a half centimeters.

Males also have more hair in the genital area, which appears from the second week of life.

For a better understanding, a schematic diagram of the location of organs in different sexes is presented.

Shape of genital organs

In addition to the distance, the shape of the organs will tell you the gender. The genitals of females are similar in appearance to the English letter “i”. The male genitals resemble a colon.

Shape of testicles in male kittens at 3 months

The testicles are part of the reproductive organ system in a male animal. In a cat, they are located between the anal area and the penis. From the moment of birth, the testicles are not visible and are formed by the 10-12th week of a cat’s life.

Tactile palpation of the genitals of kittens

The method allows you to determine the sex of a kitten in the first stages of development.

What to do:

Carefully place your pet on your palm, tummy up.
In the direction from the abdomen to the anus, in the groin area, run your finger without pressing.

If it is a male, the testicles will be felt.

Important! Do not put pressure on the abdomen, reproductive organs, or chest. Careless handling results in injury.

Color

Knowledgeable owners can easily determine the gender of their pet by the color of their coat. This way you can find out the gender of even a newborn fluffy. Only females can have a tortoiseshell color.

Tortoiseshell males are extremely rare. The appearance of such a boy is the result of a genetic disorder. Such males are sterile.

The bright red color is characteristic of males. Girls are rarely born red.

Blood analysis

In veterinary clinics, they do a blood test, which accurately determines the sex of the animal.

A similar procedure may be necessary if it is not possible to clearly see the genitals due to a large amount of fur or the result is urgently needed.

The information received is entered into the animal’s passport.

Non-standard folk methods

There are several more non-standard options for determining whether a pet is male or female.

In the face

An additional external sign by which male cats are identified. It is believed that girls have soft, smooth features. Boys have angular muzzles, wide cheekbones and the bridge of their nose.

Such methods are not 100% reliable. , since the external characteristics of cats, like those of people, are passed on from parents to children. It is worth considering the characteristics and characteristics of the breed. For example, the Maine Coon has sharp, predatory facial features, regardless of gender.

By voice

Most cat lovers believe that a male differs from a female in the sound of his voice, that is, meowing. Identified by low and high tones. Males have low voices, while females, on the contrary, have high voices.

By weight

It is not possible to determine the gender of a kitten by weight category with 100% certainty.

Males and females are determined by weight in the following cases:

If weighing is carried out daily, the characteristics of the breed are taken into account and the rate at which the babies gain weight is monitored.
If weight gain has a direct bearing on the breed of the kitten. In this case, a large weight category really indicates a male.

Folk signs when determining gender

Distinguish between a cat and a female cat according to folk signs. They are not so reliable, but they are supported by the experience of generations.

These include:

Sight. It is believed that boys have a stern or arrogant look, while cats are modest and meek. The method is questionable, since there are no fewer arrogant girls than boys.
The amount of fur in the genital area. Males have more of it. This is true, but if you plan to sell the kitten, it is better to use proven and reliable methods.
Behavior. It is enough to monitor how the kitten behaves. Boys are playful, cocky, and often fight and bite. The girls are calm and shy.
Tail position. If you place a saucer of milk on the floor, it is believed that the boy will run towards it with his tail in the air. Girls run around with their tails down.

There are many options for determining the gender of a young cat.

However, if the owner does not have the opportunity to wait until the reproductive system is fully formed or there are difficulties in determining it, it is worth contacting a veterinary clinic, a familiar breeder or an experienced cat owner.

Have you decided to get a kitten, but don’t know how to determine its gender? Or haven’t decided yet whether you want a girl or a boy? Kittens have practically no differences in behavior, but with age their character changes.

All cats are cute, funny and energetic animals. They become very attached to their home and to their person. Aggression in these animals is quite rare.

Who to choose: a cat or a female cat

It is impossible to say which of them is better, but it is worth noting the characteristics of both sexes. Cats are more pliable, they know how to give in. She can be freed from bad habits and educated. Cats are very attached to the house, while male cats can easily escape. The females act softly and unobtrusively; the owner will not have time to come to his senses, but will already be buying her favorite food and giving her the best places to sleep. Cats are curious. But they suffer greatly from loneliness.

Cats are less clean; they may throw food around the bowl or pee near the tray. The cat will not use cunning to get what he wants, but will directly demand with all his might. Cats are simple-minded. It is worth noting that cats are as smart as cats, but they are not as cunning. The cat is confident that he is a leader, no matter what.

So, you have decided who you want to see in your home, a boy or a girl. All that remains is to choose what you want.

To identify a cat or cat, you just need to look at the animal’s genitals. A cat's genitals are external, while a cat's are vice versa. It's simple. But try this with a very small kitten.

It is quite difficult to do this in tiny kittens, up to 3 months old, because there are no sexual characteristics yet.

It is most realistic to determine the sex of an animal a week old, since their genitals are clearly visible due to the fact that they have not yet become pubescent. But the probability of error at such a young age is very high. In 2-3 week old kittens, it will be even more difficult to determine the sex, as their fur begins to grow. But when babies turn 3 months old, the differences between boys and girls are already clearly visible.

Often, a cat who has recently given birth is not at all happy about her babies being touched. And if the gender of the kitten needs to be determined as early as possible, then this should be done very carefully and quickly so that the mother cat does not get nervous.

Carry out an inspection, carefully feeling with two fingers the distance between the anus and the genitals.

If you feel small peas inside, then it's a cat. The main and most pronounced sexual characteristic in kittens is the testicles in boys. It is by them that sex is distinguished in adults. But the problem is that the testicles of male kittens begin to “emerge” by three months.

How to act correctly:

There is no need to “paw” newly born kittens. The cat needs to be given time to lick them and feed them.
Talk to the cat. She needs to understand that you are not the enemy of her kids.
You can only pick up a kitten if the mother cat does not interfere. If you take the babies by force, the cat may abandon them.
Be sure to wash your hands and dry them before handling your cat's offspring. But do not use strong smelling soaps.

What not to do:

Hold the kitten during the feeding process.
It is rude to grab an animal, lift it by the tail, by the paws.
Make mommy cat nervous.
When holding kittens in your arms for a long time, they must be returned to their mother as quickly as possible.

How to identify a male or female cat by external signs

Boy kittens grow faster than girls and look larger.
Kitties are more playful than cats.
Representatives of these animals also look at the world differently: cats are more calm, and cats are suspicious.
Cats are more graceful, and cats have a wide chest and powerful paws.
Like humans, males have a lower voice, while females have a clearer voice. Cats seem to be “squeakier” and “more talkative”.

Also, for example, only a cat can wear tortoiseshell and tricolor colors. It's genetic. Very rarely, approximately 1% out of 100, there are cats of this color with a genome disorder.

But the red color most often belongs to cats. Also due to the characteristics of genetics. A mother cat passes on the red color genes to male kittens, but for a cat to be born red, it is necessary to receive this gene from both the father and the mother.

Determining gender by behavior

Cat habits are formed by 8 months of life. During this period, by observing the individual, you can determine who is in front of you: a cat or a female cat.

Cats are lazier and calmer. They sleep most of the day. You can calmly pick up a cat; he most likely will not try to escape, but not because he is more affectionate. Cats are more active.
Cats guard and sometimes mark their territory with their claws (they have special glands in their paw pads)
Cats are more clean and rarely allow strangers to pet them; they often lick their fur. “Ladies” choose clean and soft places to sleep. They won't eat from a dirty bowl or drink stale water.
Cats fight with each other for cats, but cats never fight for cats.
Cats are quite capricious, and it can be difficult to find a common language with them.
Cats have impudence in their eyes, and kitties have wariness.
Females have almost no odor, while males have a specific aroma.

Males have a lot of hair in the genital area, while female cats have little hair there.
As our grandmothers used to say, if you invite a cat to “sip” milk, the cat will eat with its tail up, and the cat with its tail down.
Cats' urine smells more pronounced.
Males are more affectionate than females.
If you take a kitten by the collar, as the mother cat carries them, and it squeaks, then it is a cat.

Veterinary method

You can accurately determine the sex of a kitten by contacting your veterinarian. If a visual examination for some reason does not bring results, you can donate blood for analysis. Of course, you should resort to this method only in cases where the gender needs to be found out urgently.

To lick its fur, a cat needs the same amount of water as to go to the toilet.
The temperature of male cats is higher than that of humans, approximately 38 degrees.
These animals have about 250 bones, with 10% of the bones in the tail.
The cat ear can be rotated 180 degrees.
Cats can see some colors.
Whiskers have difficulty seeing small details under their noses, but they see well at a distance of 60 meters.
A cat can have kittens from different fathers in the same litter.
Cats wag their tails violently when faced with a choice. For example, they want to go outside, but it is raining. The cat wants to go for a walk, but is afraid to get wet. Her tail swings vigorously from side to side. Once the cat makes a decision, its tail will stop.
People who own cats are less likely to suffer from heart disease and stress.
Cats can purr not only from pleasure, but also from pain or fear.

And for good measure, a little humor: To determine the gender of the kitten, place the kitten on the floor and lightly spank it on the butt. If he ran, it was a cat. If it runs, it means it's a cat. Go for it!

And further. You don’t always have to think about choosing a cat, just listen to your heart and choose the kitten that you like more than others.