Male Versus Female Cat Issues

While most of a cat's behavior is based on its background and socialization, its gender can also affect its temperament. Certain health conditions tend to affect only one gender or the other in cats, as well. If you have your cat spayed or neutered, it will alleviate many of the possible gender-specific behavior or health issues you could encounter with your cat.

  1. Male Behavior Issues

    • When a male cat reaches puberty between 7 to 9 months of age, he will begin to exhibit mating behaviors, including marking his territory with urine. Intact male cats spray vertical surfaces with a pungent-smelling urine that contains pheromones. Mature male cats also get into frequent physical fights with other male cats over the right to mate with a female, or over territory if allowed outdoors. A male cat who smells the scent of a female cat in heat will incessantly seek her out, crying loudly until he has access to her so they can mate. If you attempt to keep a mature, intact male cat indoors, he will routinely try to escape outside to mate.

    Female Behavior Issues

    • A female cat reaches sexual maturity between 5 and 10 months old, depending on the breed, according to Catster. When she reaches maturity, the female can give birth to a litter of kittens if allowed to mate. Female cats can have up to five litters of cats per year if allowed to roam freely outdoors, according to the Sacramento Area Animal Coalition. From February to October, a female cat will experience estrus, a period of time when she becomes sexually receptive to male cats. Estrus lasts for about one week at a time, repeating every two weeks until she becomes pregnant. During this time, the female cat will yowl loudly to attract a mate and become overly affectionate toward you. She will also try to escape repeatedly if you try to keep her indoors.

    Medical Issues

    • Feline lower urinary tract disease affects both male and female cats, but tends to affect males more often and more seriously. This condition refers to a variety of symptoms that result in the obstruction of the bladder. In male cats, the formation of crystals in the urine leads to a blockage of the urethra, preventing the cat from urinating at all. This condition can lead to death if not treated immediately by a veterinarian. FLUTD can develop from a high-magnesium diet, a bacterial infection, genetic abnormality or an insufficient amount of water intake, according to Pawprints &Purrs. Female cats can suffer from mammary cancer, the third most common type of feline cancer, a condition rarely seen in male cats. The prognosis for this type of cancer depends on how early it is detected, and will require surgical removal of cancerous tumors of the mammary glands.

    Spaying and Neutering

    • Spaying or neutering your cat will prevent 90 percent of the gender-specific behavioral problems associated with sexually mature cats, according to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. These surgical procedures involve the removal of the ovaries and uterus in female cats and the removal of the testicles in male cats. Spayed females have a reduced risk of mammary cancer and no risk of ovarian or uterine cancers, while neutered males have no risk of testicular cancer after the procedure. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends spaying or neutering your pet to reduce the pet overpopulation problem. Cats can be spayed or neutered as early as 8 weeks old or before they reach puberty at around 5 to 6 months old.