It often happens that a kitten gets a name for a male and later turns out to be a female (or vice versa). Especially in the first few weeks it can be difficult to determine the gender. Certainly if you get a kitten that does not have a pedigree, it may be that it has not yet been checked by a veterinarian and it has not yet been determined whether it is a boy or a girl. But a mistake is also sometimes made at the vet when it comes to determining the gender of a cat.

Determine the gender of your cat based on physical characteristics

Look under the cat’s tail. Calmly approach him and pet him on the top of his back near his tail. The cat will automatically push its abdomen up. Grab the cat’s tail and lift it up so that you have a good view of its genitals. First try to look for the characteristics of a male. These are slightly easier to find than the female characteristics. A male cat has an anus, scrotum and a penis. The female cat only has an anus and a urine hole. The scrotum protrudes a bit and is covered with fur. If it’s okay, you’ll see 2 balls (note, sometimes the cat’s balls have not completely descended, or there is only the scrotum may be less visible). Be careful with this, make sure the cat is at ease.

The fur pattern and color. Some fur drawings or colors are typically male or female so red cats are mostly males and turtle cats are mostly females.

Territory definition. This does not apply to castrated cats. But males define the territory by spraying, females do this in some cases but this is less common.

Heatiness. If a cat is in heat, she will meow louder and stick her bum in the air. This is about a female cat. (More about heat and pregnancy).

Also interesting: recognize a healthy cat.