Female and male cats share many traits, however feminine cats have some distinctive temperament traits and bodily variations.
If you’re a cat lover with each female and male cats, you may need in contrast them and seen some variations in your feminine cat’s character, habits, bodily look, and extra. Learn on for 15 fascinating information about feminine cats.
1. Feminine Cats Dwell Longer Than Male Cats
One examine discovered that the common life span of feminine cats was 15 years, which was two years longer than male cats (which dwell on common 13 years). This longer life expectancy is likely to be as a result of the truth that feminine cats are much less inclined to have wanderlust looking for potential mates.
Roaming outdoor places cats into extra harmful conditions the place they is likely to be hit by automobiles, or attacked by canines or wildlife. Cats that spend quite a lot of time outdoors are additionally extra uncovered to lethal ailments like feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonitis, and rabies. Feminine pet cats that had been spayed had even better longevity, dwelling a further 0.6 years on common in comparison with unspayed feminine cats.
2. Feminine Cats Are Extra Probably To Be Proper-Pawed
Like people are right-handed or left-handed, cats can present paw desire and be right-pawed or left-pawed. Though nearly all people (99%) have a robust desire for being right-handed or left-handed, fewer cats have a desire for dominant paws. About 75% of cats use one paw greater than the opposite, in response to one examine.
Simply over half of feminine cats (52%) choose utilizing their proper paw. Equally, 52.3% of male cats choose utilizing their left paw.
3. Feminine Orange Tabby Cats Are Uncommon
For those who see an orange or ginger cat, it’s unlikely to be feminine. It’s because the genes accountable for coat coloration are sex-linked. The gene accountable for orange cats is carried by the X chromosome. Females at all times have two X chromosomes (XX); males at all times have one X and one Y (XY). To be orange, a feminine cat will need to have the genes for orange in each X chromosomes.
The black gene is extra widespread in cats than the orange gene, so it’s uncommon for females to inherit the 2 orange genes they have to be orange. About 80% of all orange tabby cats are male as a result of they solely want one orange X gene to be orange.
4. Nearly All Calico Cats and Tortoiseshell Cats Are Feminine
Calico and tortoiseshell coloration patterns are nearly unique to feminine cats. The identical orange/black coloration genetics come into play. With a purpose to be calico or tortoiseshell, a cat will need to have two X chromosomes (XX), every carrying the totally different alleles wanted to create the calico or tortoiseshell coloration sample. Since two XX chromosomes at all times make a cat feminine, these coloration patterns are strictly seen in females.
A male cat can solely be a calico or torti if he’s born with an additional X chromosome, which causes a uncommon situation referred to as Klinefelter’s syndrome. This cat would have three chromosomes: XXY.
5. Unspayed Feminine Cats Are Referred to as Queens
Simply as unneutered male cats are often called tomcats, feminine cats have just a few totally different nicknames primarily based on their breeding standing. Intact females of breeding age are referred to as queens. In cats, the method of giving start known as queening. In some elements of the world, a spayed feminine cat known as a “molly.”
6. Feminine Cats Can Change into Pregnant at 4 Months
Feminine kittens can generally attain sexual maturity and develop into pregnant younger—by 16 weeks of age. Nevertheless, it’s extra widespread for puberty to finish and the primary estrus (warmth cycle) to happen round 6 months of age. With a purpose to stop undesirable being pregnant, early spaying is advisable at 4 to six months of age.
7. Feminine Cats Can Change into Pregnant Any Time of Yr
Though spring and summer time are the main breeding seasons, feminine cats can develop into pregnant at nearly any time of 12 months. The commonest months for cats to develop into pregnant are February by means of October. Cats may develop into pregnant within the winter months in some elements of the world the place there are extra hours of daylight throughout these months.
8. Feminine Cats Go into Warmth Two to Three Occasions Per Yr
Cats are seasonally polyestrous, which implies they’ll go into warmth (referred to as estrus) a number of instances inside a breeding season. Feminine cats that go into warmth however don’t develop into pregnant will usually go into warmth once more inside just a few months.
9. Feminine Cats Are Induced Ovluators
Feminine cats don’t ovulate until they’re mated by a male. That is referred to as induced ovulation. Breeding causes feminine cats to ovulate, making the possibilities of being pregnant very excessive. They normally must mate a number of instances throughout their estrus earlier than they ovulate. A number of breedings over a number of days usually leads to being pregnant.
10. Feminine Cats Can Have Kittens from Greater than One Father
It’s widespread for feminine cats to mate a number of instances when they’re in warmth, and never at all times with only one male cat. If a feminine cat is mated by a couple of male with a brief window of time, she will be able to develop into pregnant with a litter of kittens from a number of fathers (referred to as superfecundation).
11. Feminine Cats Typically Have Phantom Pregnancies
A situation referred to as false being pregnant or pseudopregnancy happens when a cat’s physique responds as if she is pregnant when she shouldn’t be. False being pregnant can generally happen if a feminine cat is induced to ovulate by means of mating however doesn’t develop into pregnant. Cats experiencing pseudopregnancy may show behavioral modifications and bodily modifications, resembling a swollen stomach or milk manufacturing from the mammary glands.
False being pregnant normally resolves by itself in a single to a few weeks. Spaying is advisable for cats that have repeated episodes of pseudopregnancy.
12. A Feminine Cat’s Being pregnant Lasts About Two Months
In contrast to people, who’re pregnant for about 9 months, cat being pregnant is far shorter, lasting between 60 to 65 days. Bodily indicators of being pregnant can normally be seen by the point a cat is three weeks pregnant. Indicators that your feminine cat is likely to be pregnant embrace elevated urge for food, sudden weight acquire (particularly within the stomach), swollen and pink nipples, and behavioral modifications.
13. Feminine Cats Can Urine-Spray
Though urine marking is often related to male cats, feminine cats spray urine as properly. This regular feline habits could be problematic for home cats once they spray urine indoors. Urine spraying includes a standing cat depositing urine on vertical surfaces like partitions, couches, timber, and many others.
Urine spraying is said to territory marking and mating habits, however some cats will spray urine if they’re burdened or unwell. In case your feminine cat is spraying urine and your vet can’t discover a medical purpose for it, step one is to have your cat spayed. Different options embrace eradicating stressors within the house and utilizing calming pheromones.
14. Unspayed Feminine Cats Are at Threat of Pyometra
Pyometra is an an infection of the liner of the uterus that’s triggered by hormonal modifications. Though pyometra is usually seen in youthful unspayed cats, it most frequently afflicts older, unspayed cats. Pyometra is a life-threatening an infection that may progress quickly.
Indicators of pyometra embrace fever, lethargy, not consuming, an enlarged stomach, and a pus-like discharge from the vagina. For those who discover any of those signs in your unspayed feminine cat, convey her to a veterinarian at once.
15. It’s Extra Costly to Spay Feminine Cats
Neutering male cats is comparatively fast and simple as a result of the veterinarian doesn’t must enter the physique cavity to take away the testicles. Conversely, the spay surgical procedure for feminine cats is a extra invasive belly surgical procedure. It requires extra anesthesia, surgical instruments, and time, so it normally prices greater than a neuter surgical procedure for a male cat.
Spaying your feminine cat can cut back behavioral points like urine spraying, eliminates the possibility of uterine most cancers, and lowers the danger of different hormonally linked ailments.
