DO YOU PREFER MALE OR FEMALE CATS?

[gini]

In all of the years I have owned cats, I have only had one female. Patches is a sixteen year old Calico. She is just like a problem child that you dearly love. She was about six months old when we adopted her and I must confess I seriously thought about returning her. The day we adopted her and put her in the car she started in - and hasn't stopped for sixteen years. She is spiteful, pees on everything, is beyond demanding and is very jealous. She does anything to get her way.

My males have been the exact opposite and very easy to train. All of my males have been my little soul mates.

What is your experience?


------------------

[kgeorge]

I have had one female cat for 19 years, we found her outside a store at 4 weeks old, she had her moods and was sometimes affectionate but not much a little standoffish (spelled wrong).

Now I have a male Norweigian Forest Cat who is a love, very affectionate and you can do anything with him. ONe thing I did notice is when I was at the breeders the females were not as friendly as the males, even the breeder said the males usually were more outgoing, but the females do come around when they get to know you. I will most likely stay with males cats but I love them all.

[pam_pesto]

I have only had one cat in my life, little Pesto, and she is a girl. While she can be a little stuck up at times, she is very loving and sweet to her mom and dad. She cleans us, and smashes our faces with hers, and generally wants to be wherever her mom and dad are. She runs to the door to greet us when we come home, and cries when we leave. She talks to us incessantly. But maybe she is an exception. I think she's exceptional, that's for sure!

[wolflady]

This is a very interesting topic, and in fact a friend and I were just talking about this the other day! She has a female cat right now, and she asked me if she should get a male or female to add to her family. From experience, and even reading (good ol Cat Fancy and cat books)...I have discovered that male cats tend to be more loving...especially in group cat situations. Don't get me wrong, cats will be cats... http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif They have their quirks. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/rolleyes.gif

I've grown up in a multiple male cat household...with an occasional female in the mix. Every single female cat we've ever had was sweet (of course!), but really didn't want anything to do with the other cats. Some people might see this as "stuck up" behavior. My family's first cat was a female calico. She was sweet, and loved to purr and sit in laps(of people she knew). When our male cat moved in, she just didn't want anything to do with him. It's not that they didn't get along. He wanted to play, and she would get annoyed and walk away. Basically they co-habitated and that was about it. Then we got another male cat. The 2 boys bonded quickly and played with each other all the time. My sister has a female cat. Again, she has the same kind of attitude and can be quite standoffish. In college, I took in a female cat...which was going to be dumped by my friend's aunt. I thought that was just awful and took the cat in. She was great...in a single cat household. I was going to keep her, but she had nothing to do with my fiancee's cat...and terrorized him to a point that he turned into being a skittish scardy cat, and withdrawn. We decided to give her to a lady that didn't have any other pets. Right now we have 2 male cats. I have also observed at the cat rescue where I volunteer, that the males tend to be more social with each other than the females. (this makes for an interesting experiment, huh? http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif )

I've read that it's better, if you're going to have a multi cat household, that having multiple males is the way to go. Females will be more territorial against other females (sounds like a wolf pack here!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif )than males will be to other males. However, cats are individuals and I have seen multiple females get together just fine.

But then again...will anyone ever truly understand the cat?? http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/confused.gif

------------------
"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats." - English proverb

[luvdemabys]

Our usual mix is two males and a female. We would agree, the boys are definitely more affectionate and sociable. Before we became addicted to Abyssinians, we'd have two boys. At that time, cats just showed up and claimed us, and not surprisingly, they were toms (when they arrived, we took care of that in short order.) When we finally were contacted about an aby litter, we were entranced by an exquisite little princess. She promptly cowed the two resident alley cats, and she was fairly affectionate. THe girls (at least aby girls) do like to play and Wynki will indulge in a game of chase and be chased with the boys, otherwise she has nothing to do with them, no snuggling or grooming. We find the two to one arrangement delightful.

[Caralea]

I have 2 males and one female cat household. Started with a tortise female, added a Petsmart male longhair, then took in a siamese male. The first two got along alright, no trouble. Add a siamese and then it was 'katie bar the door' time. He terrorizes the female and gets along super with the other male. Little Bit (female) Chance (1st male) and Bandit (2nd male) tolerate one another. Chance has really blossomed since Bandit arrived. They are all loving one at a time. Bandit is jealous of the time I spend with Little Bit and will chase her when she gets down. All in all will say the mix is pretty good. Cats will be cats.

[Fuzzy317]

Jackson, a 10 year old male cat, is very easy going, but not a hold me cat at all.

Fluffy, a 12 year old female cat, is easy going too, and she is a lap cat and a table top cat.

Eli our male dog loves everybody, as long as you give him treats and pets.

Rosie our 2 year old female cat is the explorer. She is into everything, and any lap. She doesn't like Eli, and is starting to warm up to Fluffy.

I don't have enough experience with cats, so to me they are not one gender or the other, but they do have their own personalities.

------------------
Recently adopted by a dog, 3 cats, some fish, and my fiancee

[catsncactus]

I think personality just depends on the cat. I've had both male & females over the years. Currently, I have two of each. The tabby female is a love sponge. If we could hold and cuddle her 20 hours a day she would ask for more. The calico female is cold, aloof and fearful. The longhair male was cold and aloof until he was about 2, now he is very interactive, but less cuddly than the female tabby. The shorthair male (male litter-mates) is the alpha male and is agressive and somewhat affectionate and loving, but in a different way than his brother.

My theory-it just depends.

[bookitty1231]

I have 2 DSH females, they are sisters by the way, and 1 Siamese mix male. The females seem to stick together in everything they do, sleep, eating playing,etc. My male had it rough for a few days when I brought him home, but I think they enjoy his company. He is much more loving than they are. He loves to be cuddled, but only by me. He is also a talker, my girls rarely have anything to say, except when one can't find the other. I call them my twins. I love them all, each has it's own unique purrsonality. But it does seem to me males are more affectionate and easy going. We also have a male outside that loves to be cuddled also and he was born a stray under my house.

------------------
"As we all know, cats now rule the world."
--John R.F. Breen

[4 feline house]

We had two siamese girls through most of my childhood (they lived to be very old) and even though they were extremely affectionate, they peed on everything. EVERYTHING! When I was a teenager, we got another little blue point siamese. Ginger was the newer, wedgie siamese, whereas Samantha and Bean were the old apple-headed. Therefore, everyone in my family thought Ginger was ugly. I felt sorry for her, so I gave her special attention, which meant she took to me like a duck to water. But she peed on EVERYTHING! When I left home, poor little Ginger was miserable, so I got special permission to bring her to the sorority house where I was then living, and she never peed on anything again. Before I brought her, she had been hit by a car (remember my post a day or two ago about my mom living on a very busy intersection, yet still letting her cats out?), and her health was never the same, and she only lived a few years longer. And she never peed on anything of mine. But when I was out into my own apartment and wanting a cat, I couldn't help thinking of all the peeing girls we had had, so I picked boys. In fact, I never had a girl again. I thought boys were much easier to housebreak, cheaper to neuter, and way more affectionate. And all my boys were. But then I started fostering, and had a few girls here and there. None of them peed! But the boy fosters were still quicker to warm up to me and some became attached to me, but never the girls. Then one of my girl fosters did get attached, and she had kittens while I was fostering her. I kept her babies, two girls. They were so intelligent, sweet, and affectionate, and very attached to me. And they didn't pee! I would never say this in the same room as my current cats, but these two girls and their adopted step brother were my favorite of all the cats I have ever owned or fostered. So, to make a long story short (or maybe it's already too late for that!), I went from never wanting a girl cat to loving cats of either gender. Incidentally, of my four cats I now have, the three girls are far more physically affectionate than the boy. He clearly loves us, but his idea of "cuddling" is sitting on the arm of the couch while we watch TV. In the meantime, the girls are all jockeying for position in our laps. And no, none of these girls pee!

[Logan]

I grew up with a male, holy terror, Tigger, who lived to be 18 years old. I remember him as being very affectionate when he wanted to be, but I have the scars to prove he wasn't always so sweet. I think I probably brought some of the aggressiveness on by playing too rough with him. He was a wonderful cat, who to this day, my mom remembers for how many things he broke and scratched in her house!
Shrimp Boat was my timid rescue kitty. She only loved me. Never wanted to go outdoors, and unfortunately was a "scaredy cat", excuse the pun. We had her for 7 years, but took her on a trip once in our camper, and she escaped and we never saw her again. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/frown.gif I grieved for her and I still do.
Mimi came next and has been the queen of my family for almost 12 years now. Mimi is one of those wonderful cats who is so easily taken care of. She goes out when she wants, comes in when she wants and can love you to pieces, WHEN SHE WANTS. She loves to sleep on you. She is especially affectionate when we are in bed. But the arrival of Butter, a male, has thrown her for a loop. Butter is not a lap cat, but loves to be near us. He is much younger and very playful. He sleeps on the bed, but never on one of us. Maybe he'll come around because he's only been with us for about 7 weeks now.
Bottom line....I just don't know. Mimi, alone, is a terrific cat and defies all the "female" stereotypes mentioned before. But with the addition of a young, curious male, her personality has changed. Maybe female cats need to be in a single cat household.
I love both, but learn something new from them every single day!

[khoiho]

My darling girl Miuccia who I found on the street at the age of 5 weeks can be quite aloof. She does not like to be touched for long or held unless she felt like it, and she'd bite if you cross the line. She usually likes to keep her distance, she won't rub up against people unless it's dinner time. She doesn't "talk" and she rarely purrs. Although she is not very physically affectionate, we could feel that she loves us passionately and intensely. She just shows this is other ways. She keeps her distance but she follows us around. She climbs into bed when I'm asleep and would sleep on my head. When I'm in the bathroom I shut the door, and when I open the door she is always just outside waiting for me. Most of the time she will just lie on the carpet about a meter away and gaze at us, blinking in a very languid and seductive manner.

Our little boy Xander (who is half Burmese) is the complete opposite! He will climb all over us to get hugs and caresses. He purrs and purrs, and would actually fall down and roll on the ground once we start petting him so that we would continue to pet his roly-poly body. He will run towards us and start rubbing against our legs and tripping us over and he will call to us continuously. We have never seen him in a bad mood or bite anyone.

From my observation of cats (not just my own cats) in general, I feel that boys are usually more physically affectionate than girls, but if you have a good relationship with a cat, they will find ways to express their love for you.

[felixowner]

do you think it matters the gender of the owner to the gender of the cat? i am female and have had two males, halley and felix, and one female, S. i don't know whether it is them or me, but i've felt like the males were acting like more of a spouse, and the female like more of a sister. (it's probably me)

[4 feline house]

Spencer:

Sadly, alot of times cats and dogs are afraid of men because they have been previously abused, and there are far more male abusers than female, so it is likely their abuser was male, thus the fear of men. I'm not male bashing, lots good and bad can be said of both genders.

[HowieDawn]

This may be a little off of the subject....but it fits in with the last couple of replies. A couple of years ago, my husband's uncle died. He had a quaker parrot. The parrot did NOT like women. I thought that everyone was crazy....a bird cannot ditect the sex of a human. Anyway, we ended up taking him (Sam) We got him home and he was great. Loved everyone. He even mimicked the squeek in the dryer...and learned to say "hush" when i fussed at him, (considering I told him HUSH a lot) Then it happened. About two weeks into it...he started bitting. He loved my husband very much. Would ride around on his shoulder and give him kisses. He did not like me at all. He would bite me when i fed him, bite me when I pet him. So, I don't know why he acted this way. I definately know that he was never mistreated by a woman or anyone.

We ended up having to give Sam to one of my husband's brothers. I was getting too many triangles on my hands. (triangles are the shapes of the deep impression a bird makes when they bite you!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/frown.gif)

------------------
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails, Explore, Dream.
-Mark Twain

[This message has been edited by HowieDawn (edited February 24, 2001).]

[Vi Co Bi]

I've had so many cats in my home from years of fostering and rehabilitating, but never noticed one sex being more social or affectionate than another. What I have noticed, which seemed to have a bigger impact, was when the animal was neutered/spayed. Males who were neutered after they'd matured and used their "equipment" were not as much fun as males who'd been neutered as soon as their testicles dropped (I've had males done as young as 10 weeks and have heard of them being done sooner). The effects were similar with females. The ones who were spayed after having their first heat or after having a litter (or two), were more aloof (maybe more mellow) than females who had been done before their first heat.

Even with feral rehabs, I don't recall much difference, except they, no matter what sex, seemed to bond with one person and prefer that person above all others. Some would tolerate other people and some would be friendly. But I had some feral rehabs who became so protective of their person that anyone getting near their person would be inviting attack. Now that I think about it, the worst one I ever had who was like that was a male.

When my household numbers have been down below a dozen, I've usually ended up with the 2 females to 1 male ratio. Never really thought about it, but it just always ended up that way...

[yorkster]

Originally posted by gini:
In all of the years I have owned cats, I have only had one female. Patches is a sixteen year old Calico. She is just like a problem child that you dearly love. She was about six months old when we adopted her and I must confess I seriously thought about returning her. The day we adopted her and put her in the car she started in - and hasn't stopped for sixteen years. She is spiteful, pees on everything, is beyond demanding and is very jealous. She does anything to get her way.

My males have been the exact opposite and very easy to train. All of my males have been my little soul mates.

What is your experience?

[yorkster]

Originally posted by gini:
In all of the years I have owned cats, I have only had one female. Patches is a sixteen year old Calico. She is just like a problem child that you dearly love. She was about six months old when we adopted her and I must confess I seriously thought about returning her. The day we adopted her and put her in the car she started in - and hasn't stopped for sixteen years. She is spiteful, pees on everything, is beyond demanding and is very jealous. She does anything to get her way.

My males have been the exact opposite and very easy to train. All of my males have been my little soul mates.

What is your experience?




I've had a lot of cats, and always had better luck with males. They have always been quite a bit more affectionate. My little female died last year, and I miss her lots. We have a male left at home now, and are getting a kitten in April, and we requested little boy-baby, because we feel so sure that males are mellower. My kitty at home now sleeps with us every night (usually on my pillow), plays fetch, watches tv w/ us, loves to be held like a baby, and "grooms" us. He also seems to know when you're upset, and will give you kisses on your ears! Also, contrary to what you always hear, males do NOT spray any more often than females (as long as they are fixed). I have had females that sprayed. I think the reason females are a little more difficult, is because they are a little more territorial or something, but I'm not sure about that. Does anyone know??

[4 feline house]

You know, the only cats I've ever had that didn't perch, whether they were male or female, tabby or -and whites, calicos or solid, yellow or black, etc. were the ones that couldn't jump, either from age, disease, injury or weight. And one little guy who was evidently "too white", because he never jumped, he only climbed.

[gini]

Originally posted by SpencerTheLion:
...yes, it seems females are more territorial and tend to like high perches more than the males, esp. calicos. On the spraying thing, I suspect if they are neutered early and have plenty of territory there is less urge to mark things.


Oh, how I wish that it was true. Patches was already spayed when we adopted her at six months of age. She has sprayed whether she was an only cat, with another cat or two cats. She has ruined my carpeting and just this morning after feeding her and giving her lots of time on my lap while I was at the computer, she jumped down and sprayed on a door - just a few feet from me. She has a whole house and a large enclosed yard and she has marked it all well. I think I said, she is just like having a problem child that you dearly love.

[LouiseC]

We have a female and a male, both 7 years old now. We have had other males previously, but this is our first female. Our males have all been more affectionate. Our princess is a pill! She is standoffish, absolutely will NOT be picked up, will NOT sit on my lap, or my husband's lap, and is careful to remain at fingertip distance for the most part. And try to give her a pill or clip her claws, and you take your life in your hands! However, at night in bed, after we turn the light off,(and the light MUST be off!) she will come and sit on us, and purr - won't leave us alone until she gets petted to her satisfaction! Go figure... She does seem territorial. If someone comes to the door, or up on our porch, she will let out a little growl, and go running toward the door. But what's really funny is that she sort of disappears under the furniture before she actually gets there. All talk and no action!

[yorkster]

Originally posted by LouiseC:
We have a female and a male, both 7 years old now. We have had other males previously, but this is our first female. Our males have all been more affectionate. Our princess is a pill! She is standoffish, absolutely will NOT be picked up, will NOT sit on my lap, or my husband's lap, and is careful to remain at fingertip distance for the most part. And try to give her a pill or clip her claws, and you take your life in your hands! However, at night in bed, after we turn the light off,(and the light MUST be off!) she will come and sit on us, and purr - won't leave us alone until she gets petted to her satisfaction! Go figure... She does seem territorial. If someone comes to the door, or up on our porch, she will let out a little growl, and go running toward the door. But what's really funny is that she sort of disappears under the furniture before she actually gets there. All talk and no action!

That's so funny. My female made it almost impossible to trim her claws, give a pill to. You would have thought she was being really abused to here her go on. My male on the other hand is so relaxed about it, he almost goes to sleep. He will even purr while I am clipping.

[Logan]

I've decided that I like having one of each!!! Even if they don't like each other!

[LouiseC]

Yeah, our male is really mellow too. The most he ever does when he is displeased about something is let out a little peep. But then, he doesn't have a very loud voice anyway. The princess, on the other hand, is like yours - screeches like she is being tortured if we have to pick her up for anything. In the summer when the windows are open, I worry someone will report us for cat abuse! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/redface.gif We definitely have to put her in a carrier to go to the vet. We never even had a cat carrier before we got her. We could always just carry our males in our arms or have them on a leash. And when we put her in the carrier, she really gets upset. Fortunately, her health is excellent, so she only goes to the vet once a year - in January when the windows are closed, thank goodness!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif



Originally posted by yorkster:
That's so funny. My female made it almost impossible to trim her claws, give a pill to. You would have thought she was being really abused to here her go on. My male on the other hand is so relaxed about it, he almost goes to sleep. He will even purr while I am clipping.

[LouiseC]

We love both of ours too. They get along quite well. I especially like to see them curled up together sleeping. They also usually will share toys, and sort of alternate playing with something. Once in a while, the male will exert his dominance over her, but he's much too lazy to do that very often. She is more playful,he's kind of lazy about playing too, which can be funny. She is so cute, and also extremely fastidious, whereas he is a bit of a kitty slob.


Originally posted by Logan:
I've decided that I like having one of each!!! Even if they don't like each other!

[4 feline house]

Speaking of perching, the cabinet over the fridge is empty because it's useless to me being that I'm under 5'2" so it has always been a place the cats could go to get away if they wanted to. The only thing is, now Peaches has also started getting into the cabinet that holds the glass ware. This morning, she was on the top shelf where I keep the crystal. I couldn't reach her to get her down and was afraid she would knock one of my pieces down, especially since she was proceding to "love" on it as she looked down at me. What to do? I went and got the catnip! That brought her down in a hurry! Five minutes later I had four stoned cats mellowing in the living room, eyes all glazed over!

[LouiseC]

Our old-fashioned cupboards have mechanical latches, not magnets. But once our cats got into the cupboard during the day while we were gone, and I came home to find my GRAVY BOAT on the hard oak floor of the pantry. No, it wasn't broken, not even chipped, even though it was a three foot fall out of the cupboard, and the gravy boat has a big, loopy handle! I have never figured out how they did that, unless one pushed it out on top of the other one!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif Great idea with the catnip!


Originally posted by 4 feline house:
Speaking of perching, the cabinet over the fridge is empty because it's useless to me being that I'm under 5'2" so it has always been a place the cats could go to get away if they wanted to. The only thing is, now Peaches has also started getting into the cabinet that holds the glass ware. This morning, she was on the top shelf where I keep the crystal. I couldn't reach her to get her down and was afraid she would knock one of my pieces down, especially since she was proceding to "love" on it as she looked down at me. What to do? I went and got the catnip! That brought her down in a hurry! Five minutes later I had four stoned cats mellowing in the living room, eyes all glazed over!

[Meow101]

Hi,
The only cat I've experienced is a male cat, Boogie. He is a sweet kitty. I don't know about girl cats though, but I'd like one. Is yours "fixed"? http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/confused.gif I also have another user name, Smare.
Thanks,
Meow101

-------------------------------------
In a cats eye, they are the ruler
-------------------------------------

[AuntZiggy]

I have an Orange Male Boo-Bo and a Grey and White Egyptian Mau Female, Julie. The Male is definately more affectionate and outgoing. He is very attached to me, followes me everywhere, is very vocal if I talk to him he answers me all the time. Sleeps with me, climbs up on me to lick my nose and stroke my face with his paws. He climbs my leg wanting to be picked up. I couldn't ask for a more devoted friend. My female is affectionate when she feels like it, she too asks me for love but not quite as often as Boo-Bo. They both have different personalities and habits. The wrestle with each other and seem to share their territories. I also have an outside Female Norwegian Forest Cat, Windy who adopted us about 3 years ago. She comes in and out all day long and gets along with everyone. Very independent likes to eat and sleep asks for love once and a while, she just likes to be connected and know that you love her and that you are there for her. My little Rat Terrier Alfie tolerates the cats and plays well with Boo-Bo and Julie. Windy doesn't play with the cats or the dog. I love them all.....

[Pam]

4 Feline House......So glad to read your post today! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif One day I was trying to hem a pair of slacks. You know how kitties love thread and string. Well, after trying and trying to sew these slacks with Andy's "help" I decided to go out to my flowerbed where I grow my catnip and bring some inside. After 30 seconds with the catnip, Andy could have cared less about the thread! I had been feeling a little guilty about that up til now! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

[carmel horgan]

[MALE/FEMALE WHAT DOES IT MATTER...AS LONG AS THEY ARE HEALTHY AND HAPPY WHO CARES.
WE WOULDNT MAKE DISTINCTIONS ABOUT MALE OR FEMALE CHILDREN AND PREFERENCES(or at least we shouldn't)SO THE DEBATE ON M/F TO ME IS INSIGNIFICANT. ALL MY CATS ARE RECUE ANIMALS
I HAVE NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICK MALE OR FEMALE......THEY HAVE ARRIVED ON MY DOORSTEP HOMELESS OR SICK AND I HAVE BONDED WITH THEM AND KEPT THEM. THEY ARE ALL INDIVIDUAL,HAVE INDIVIDUAL TRAITS AND CHARMS. I DO NOT DISTINGUISH THEM BY GENDER.
C

[carmel horgan]

[MALE/FEMALE WHAT DOES IT MATTER...AS LONG AS THEY ARE HEALTHY AND HAPPY WHO CARES.
WE WOULDNT MAKE DISTINCTIONS ABOUT MALE OR FEMALE CHILDREN AND PREFERENCES(or at least we shouldn't)SO THE DEBATE ON M/F TO ME IS INSIGNIFICANT. ALL MY CATS ARE RECUE ANIMALS
I HAVE NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICK MALE OR FEMALE......THEY HAVE ARRIVED ON MY DOORSTEP HOMELESS OR SICK AND I HAVE BONDED WITH THEM AND KEPT THEM. THEY ARE ALL INDIVIDUAL,HAVE INDIVIDUAL TRAITS AND CHARMS. I DO NOT DISTINGUISH THEM BY GENDER.
C

[I_love_cats]

I had experienced with a female cat for 13 years but she had a kidney problem and we had to have her put down. She was a tabby, she didn't like stranger. Murr would hiss at them, growl but she liked us and she didn't like other cats Now I have three cats, two males and one female. Out of my cats the males are easy to train, very clean. My males always do a good job covering their pee and poo but my female she doesn't clean up after see used her litterbox and lately she been doing her pee else where. I always love my males but the bad part about them it they are meowing cats.

[krazyaboutkatz]

The female cats that I've had when I was growing up have been good cats but they had mood swings. I only have males now and they are all very lovey dovey and friendly. I love all cats but I prefer males because of my experinces with them.:)

[wayne0214]

It has been generally observed that, among my menagerie, that the males are more predictable in their behavior than the females. The females can run the gamut of personality types, where as the males are more standard in their conduct.

Of all the cats and kittens that I keep in the house (for their own safety) the females are the only ones that have a tendency to fight against each other. Cookie cat is the aggressor of the bunch, and she is the smallest. Opheia is the attackee, in that she is usually at odds with the others, but she is not aggressive. Tiger (a lynx-point Siamese) is not a lap cat, but she will cuddle with me only when she is hungry and I carry her to her specially prepared food . Tiger is the only one who will consistantly play "chase" with the males, probably because she is so big, (nearly 9 lbs) Amy is independent, and does not make close friends with any of my furkids, even the kittens. Yet, Blue, Mackerella, and Cookie are the serrugate moms. Whenever I bring in kittens from the outside , these three will immediately adopt them as their own and share in the responsibilities of feeding and washing them. Mackerella ( a standard DSH tabby) is exceptionaly feminine in her manners, and even appearance, she has an exceptional beauty in her physical as well as her personality. Princess is the "lady" of the group, in that she will never demand her way or to be first of the lot when it comes to eating. Yet all of these mentioned, except the serrugate moms, and most recently Tiara, will sleep next to me on the covers, nearly every night. The males, Snow cat, Fawn, and most recently Silver Prince and Otis, the kitten , will be found next to me, all cuddled up on the covers when I wake up. Amy in the only one who will stay with me during the night starting from immediatly when I go to bed. The others will come on board after I have fallen asleep. :)

When any one takes in female into their homes, it is recommeded that they watch their behavior and expect anything to occur. If you get one like Mackerella, that you have acquired a little queen, But if you acquire one like my outdoor AbyQueen, then there are going to be problems between her and the others. It is also recommended that a female cat, whether she is spayed or not, be an only cat, unless you can find one(s) that she will gladly accept.

........wayne

[lailamara]

Over the years I've had more females than males and find that they are just as affectionate as the males. Zoe and Theo were littermates and they had a long affectionate relationship with each other and with us. Theo seemed to favour my husband and Zoe favoured me but that's not to say that they didn't take advantage of any available lap including unsuspecting visitors. The kits I have now are cousins born a week apart and raised together and Maya the female is more dominant and vocal but they get along great with each other and with us. The vet complimented them on the cleanliness of the insides of their ears( one less job for me). They haven't favoured either my husband or me but we've only had them for 2 and 1/2 months and they also are equal opportunity lap sitters. They cuddle and sleep together sometimes with us, sometimes not, and play, play, play. My preference is to have one of each. ( By the way Wayne, you haven't mentioned Jumper's name in your posts lately is he O.K. and is Bluzette a.k.a as Blue )

[yorkster]

Wow, this is a thread from some time ago (Feb., 2001) It's a good subject though! :)

I am sure there are always exceptions, but for me the males have tended to be more calm, loving, affectionate. (also a little more silly!)
I have had both males & females over the years, but just better luck with the males. Don't get me wrong, I love ALL cats and would never turn one away, but if it's a situation where I have my choice, I'll pick a boy :p

[wayne0214]

Lailamara, No, I havn't mentioned Jumper's name because I lost him back in February. He was outside and was chased into the highway by a coyote raid and was hit by car. I honestly wept for him, and I still miss him. I still have his vet' things in the 'frig. He was a character of a pet. Yes, Blue and Bluzette is the same kitty.

I'm thinking that Jumper will be replaced with my two Abyssinian- mix orange tabbys. There is something in the self-survival about an Abyssinian (mix) that must be constantly be guarded against, because all my furkids survived the raid, -except Jumper. They all went on the roof for safety, but Jumper apparently tried to outrun the raiding party, and was subsequently hit by traffic on the highway, of which there is very little. It seems as though there has to be in place several factors simultaneously in play in order for any of my furkids to be killed on the highway!:( . I should have never let him outside that day. What a price to pay for that stupid decision.

My newly adopted Amy tuxedo kitty has done a lot to help relieve the missing of Jumper. I think that is one of the (subconscious) reasons I adopted her. As with the loss of any pet, aside from the regret, there must be a replacement almost immediately otherwise one can become overtaken by their own grief, especially if they only have one or two furkids. Right now my original indoor 9 has swelled in number to the indoor "13" , and I truely love them all. This is the reason I'm so fussy about letting any of them outdoors any longer.

.........wayne

[lailamara]

Wayne I'm so very sorry to hear about Jumper. I was away travelling for a few months and so didn't read any posts from that time period. I know from what you did write about him was very dear to your heart. I have a friend who lost two cats to coydogs and years latter we still miss them and yes they were indoor cats but got out on a hot summers night. I'm glad there are other special kitties to help you deal with his loss.

[nsweezie]

I would say that I prefer male cats. I've had 4 males and 1 female, plus I've lived with a number of other female cats belonging to family or friends.
I've found that the male cats are much more dependant and affectionate. Of course this is just my experience, but it has always worked that way for me.
Right now I have 2 boys, and when I compare them to my sister's two females, there is such a difference. Zoey and Minnow (the 2 females) are very independant, and want things their way. Clyde, Scooter and Monty are definatly mama's boys!
I've also noticed that the "top" cat in our house is ALWAYS a female. It used to be Ebie, and when she died Minnow took over.
All the cats are fixed, so I don't know what the difference would be with unfixed cats.

[lynnestankard]

We've always had female cats in the past but when we took in Bagel (F) and Ketchum (M) I never even thought of their sex as being a problem - I just wanted them both. Then their best friend Dan came to join them - so for the first time we had 1 female and 2 males!! I love 'em all and - yep - they are all different - but Bagel is definately TOP CAT! :D :D
If those boys get one inch out of line - she's in there boxing ears and sorting them out!!! :D :D

Lynne

[wayne0214]

lailamara, I do appreciate your sentiments concerning Jumper. You are the first on Pet Talk to inquire of him. I have so many furkids now, that I really do not expect those who read my posts to remember all of them :)

...........wayne

[moosmom]

I have six cats, 4 are females, 2 are males. I find that the older male, Casey, is always trying to "mount" my 8 year old tortie, Mollie Rose, any chance he gets. It's gotten to the point where he will grab hold of the knap of her neck and when she gets away, he's sitting there spitting out pieces of her fur.

MooShoo, my other male (a sphynx) chases all the girls. They hiss and swat at him till he goes away.

I have always had more females than males simply because I always thought it would be less of a hassle as far as spraying is concerned. I have friends who have more than 2 males and they have problems with them spraying. I have never had that problem (knock on wood).

I have since learned that the females can be very "catty" (if you'll excuse the pun) when it comes time to stake their claim to sleeping spots.

Donna

[gini]

Gosh, I started this thread well over a year ago, so I was surprised to see it pop up. I was startled when I read my first post, because at the time, I still had Patches with me. I lost her to kidney disease in May of 2001.

Rascal had already announced that he was "moving in" - but there was no question, Patches the female was in full charge of the house, bed, food and anything else she decided was hers.

Rascal (male) now has the whole house to himself, the bed, the food and lives up to his name. But when he wants something he has a sweet way of asking, unlike Patches, who demanded most everything.

When it is all said and done, I have loved them all, male or female.