How to tell if a cat is a boy or girl pictures

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Determining the sex of your new cat isn't always an easy feat. The traits of a male cat compared to a female cat aren't always evident to new cat owners, and it's even more difficult to determine the sex of a kitten or a neutered male.

There are, however, telltale signs and behaviors that can make it easier to determine a cat's sex, and read on to discover the best ways to determine the sex of your cat.

Once a cat or kitten has been successfully sexed, unless the owner is a cat breeder, it's important to find a good vet who can spay or neuter the pet.

For those adopting a kitten, chances are the new pet is only a few weeks old. Newborn and tiny kittens are so immature that it's nearly impossible to tell their sex. Once they're six or eight weeks old, however, their genitalia becomes more visually obvious. The penis, however, is not normally visible in male cats, and it's unlikely that the owner will be able to feel or see the scrotum. Thus, apparent lack of a penis or testes is not an indication that a kitten is female.  

As a rule of thumb, breeders use "punctuation marks" to identify the sex of younger cats or neutered cats. To do this, raise the pet's tail gently; start by petting gently and try scratching the cat's lower back as he or she may raise the tail automatically as purring begins.

• Female cats: When looking at a female cat's genital area, the space just under her tail, it will look like an upside down exclamation point (¡) with the long slit of the vaginal area below the anus. The anus and vagina are typically only about half an inch apart. In kittens, the anus and vagina may both look like dots, and they may be even closer together.
• Male cats: The male cat has a larger separation between the anus and the penis, with the testicles in the middle. Both of these openings look more like dots, circles, or a colon (:) than like slits or lines.

For those adopting a grown cat, use the same sexing technique as is used for kittens; this usually works well for both neutered and "whole" cats. If a pet is not spayed or neutered, however, it'll be easier determining their sex based both on appearance and on behavior. Once cats are spayed or neutered there is no obvious behavior difference between the genders; apparent differences are likely related to individual cat temperaments.

• "Whole" cats: Tomcats that have not been neutered have readily evident testicles and a broader jowl. They also have unique behaviors that begin as they reach maturity. Un-neutered male cats tend to be more active and aggressive. They're also more likely to mark their territory through urine spraying than neutered toms. A female cat who hasn't been spayed will go into heat roughly every two weeks when in season. During this time her behavior can change drastically as she attempts to find a mate. During this time, un-spayed female cats are typically more demanding of attention and vocally louder.
• Spayed and neutered cats: Spayed female cats will still show the upside down "!," but if she is adopted as an adult, hormonal tests can be used to determine if she is spayed. With female cats, it's important to find out if they've been spayed or not before having an unplanned litter. Most neutered male cats will still show the vestigial remnants of a testicle sac, and the anus and penis will still be relatively close together. Neutered cats will not display typical male or female behaviors. Neutered males are generally more passive than "whole" males, and spayed females do not go into heat.  

While all cats look very similar, some colors and physical indications are unique to a particular gender.

Specifically, it is extremely rare for a male cat to have tri-colored calico or orange-and-black tortoiseshell fur. For those with a calico or tortie cat, chances are very good that the pet is a female.

It is uncommon for a female cat to have orange or ginger-colored (or orange-and-white striped) fur. For those with an orange cat, there's a good chance that it is a male.

A cat that has given birth is far more likely to have visually obvious nipples (though both males and females do have nipples).

Females going through heat may have a small amount of mucoid vaginal discharge, and a pregnant cat will have a low-hanging, distended belly.

If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your pet, know the pet's health history, and can make the best recommendations for your pet.

Determining the gender of your kitten can prove to be challenging—at first glance, even professionals find it tricky to distinguish a female kitten from a male. However, a few characteristic differences can be observed in kittens as young as five weeks old, like genital spacing, coat color, and behavior, indicating their sex. 

Don't disrupt the mother-kitten flow within the first few weeks of life. If a kitten is handled too much during this time, the mother may abandon it and stop nursing it altogether. So don't get too anxious to determine the sex of your kittens. Instead, wait until at least two weeks—or preferably longer—to start handling your kittens. 

While assessing your kitten's gender, it is necessary to minimize stress. Start by picking them up, gently petting them, and snuggling them close to your body. Scratching their back right at the base of the tail may cause them to automatically lift it, giving you a bird's eye view of the parts in question. But if a kitten is standoffish or panicky, leave the inspection to a later date and bother a less sensitive member of the litter, instead.  

At two weeks old, some breeders liken the appearance of kitten genitalia to punctuation marks. A female kitten's genitals will resemble an upside-down exclamation point, with the vertical vaginal slit sitting just below the anus and with very little spacing in between (when the cat is upside down and facing you). A male kitten's organ looks more like a colon, with the penis residing just below the anus and separated by enough space to accommodate his testicles. You may even be able to see small lumps in that space, which will grow as the kitten matures.

If, upon visual observation, every kitten looks the same to you, then pick one and gently place your finger and thumb on either side of the scrotum area (on a suspected boy). Palpate two small, hard, oval-shaped objects under the skin. These are the testes and they are almost impossible to hold—they slither away underneath your fingers. Obviously, if testes are present, your kitten is male.

Another simpler, but less reliable, way to tell the sex of your kitten is by the color of its coat. Tortoiseshell or tri-colored cats are almost always female. The chromosomal makeup of female cats is solely responsible for this coloration, so you can pretty much guarantee any calico cat is a girl as well. Orange or ginger-colored cats, however, are most often male (think of the iconic male tabby cats). Yet, this trait is not as reliable as the tri-colored trait, as only three-quarters of ginger-colored cats are male.

As kittens become bigger, they start to develop their unique personalities. Male "tom kittens" may start to roam as they approach sexual maturity. They may also become territorial, often spraying to establish their home base and ward off trespassers. Males are also more restless and aggressive.

Female kittens (sometimes as young as four months) may go into heat—vocalizing this "coming of age" with loud yowls and attention-seeking behavior. However, the earlier you spay or neuter your kitten (the standard recommendation is five to six months, but pediatric spay and neuter can happen at six to eight weeks) the less your cat will display these gender nuances.

Some people claim male cats are friendlier and more outgoing than females. But this difference is, by no means, universal and cat personalities are almost as varied as human personalities. So choose your pet by the connection you make upon first interaction, and pay less attention to its gender.

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