Content
- How to choose which cat to adopt
- Cat characteristics
- Cat characteristics
- Male or Female Cat - Which to Choose?
If you're thinking about adopting a cat, you're probably wondering What is better, a male or female cat. This is, of course, a difficult decision, as you certainly want to know which one best suits your family and lifestyle, and therefore whether you will be able to provide proper care.
For that reason, in this Animal Expert article, we want to help you make that choice in the best way possible, explaining the reasons you should know and consider when deciding to adopt a cat or a cat.
How to choose which cat to adopt
Regardless of gender, there are many other considerations to take into account before adopting a new family member. This is because each individual is unique and therefore each feline has its own personality that will adapt to a lesser or greater degree to different habits and lifestyles. Your future cat's personality will be shaped by different biological and environmental factors, as genetics (breed), sex (as we'll see in this article) and age, added to environmental factors such as past experiences and learning, will determine whether the your feline will have one personality or another. Also find out how to tell if the cat is male or female in this article.
The main characteristics you should consider when choosing between adopting a cat or a cat are:
- Age: generally, people tend to prefer adopting a kitten because they are at a stage where they adapt and learn more easily from the environment. Now adopting an adult or older cat is generally a good option, especially if you don't have time to provide a basic education, and young cats are more active and often require more attention and play. On the contrary, older cats generally have a more mature, serene, and affectionate personality.
- Breed: whether your cat is purebred or a mutt, having an idea of its breed will help you to identify its physical needs and whether it has a tendency towards a specific personality, for example, if it is very active, gentle, affectionate... what breed your cat belongs to, this other article on the 10 most popular cat breeds in the world can help.
- Know your past: Before adopting a cat, if it is in the care of other people, as a caretaker, you should ask about its past. That is, if he had bad experiences in the past, such as abuse and/or abandonment. Knowing your feline's past will be essential for you to know how it was socializing, if they have any specific fears or if the process of adapting to the new environment will be more or less difficult.
- Presence of diseases: in shelters there is usually the option of adopting cats with physical problems and/or pathologies, commonly FIV (feline AIDS) or leukemia. These cats have twice as much difficulty finding a home because they are more delicate, but if you think you can provide the necessary care and affection, adopting one can be a good way to give a second life to cats who are unlikely to meet a family. Now, if you already have cats at home, consider whether you want to take the risk, as many of the most common diseases are contagious.
And if you're still unsure whether to adopt a cat or another animal, we recommend you read this other Animal Expert article on 5 reasons to adopt a cat.
Cat characteristics
Feline behavior is partially influenced by sex. It's no wonder, then, that you try to find out what characterizes and differentiates male and female cats.
As a general rule, but avoiding the erroneous belief that all cats of the same sex behave the same way, females tend to be more affectionate and homely. They tend to seek physical contact frequently, want to feel secure in their trusted environment, and generally are protective with people nearby. This need arises from the instinct of wanting to have a nest or shelter in order to feel comfortable and protected if you have a litter. In this sense, cats tend to tolerate less sudden changes in habits and environment, due to this need to have everything under control.
Another point to remember is that females have periods of heat, usually between spring and summer. During these stages, cats experience stress and anxiety, meow very often (especially at night), may mark the house with urine (not always) and run away. This behavior is, as you've already discovered, problematic. Well, it's a danger to your cat, a nuisance for you and your neighbors, and there's a risk of pregnancy, which causes the uncontrolled growth of the cat population, which, unfortunately, aren't always welcome by families that welcome them. deserve and love them, often ending up mistreated and/or abandoned.
However, there is a very recommendable solution for this problem, which is spaying or neutering your cat. That way, you'll avoid at the root the vast majority of factors that can harm your feline, and you'll avoid health problems, such as the development of cysts on the ovaries.
Cat characteristics
With regard to male cats, they stand out for having a more independent personality and lively than females. Well, unlike females who need to stay at home due to the possibility of being mothers, males usually have a active sex life, in which they usually go in search of females in heat.
This behavior is often problematic as they tend to run away and wander due to the need to explore and travel long distances away from home, therefore, there is a risk of having an accident.
Also, males generally come into conflict with other males due to competition for territory and females in heat, which means your cat suffers damage such as infectious scratches and bites and the possibility of getting disease more easily.
For this reason, it is always advisable to neuter your cat as soon as possible, before it develops its sexual behavior. So, as you have seen, it will be the safest option for your pet.
On the contrary, if you believe that your cat won't be able to run away from the house and that, for that reason, you don't need to worry about neutering it, the truth is that it will feel anxious and irritated because it won't be able to leave the house, despite of sexual behavior ask for it. This impossibility will create a lot of stress on your feline and will facilitate the development of behavioral problems.
However, neutering your cat will make him feel calm, as he will not have this need by lowering the level of his sex hormones so that he develops a better personality. affectionate and gentle and, in addition, certainly decrease and/or eliminate the behavior mark the house with urine (depending on how old you are spaying), which usually smells very bad and is designed to mark territory, warning other cats to stay away.
Male or Female Cat - Which to Choose?
Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of having a male or female cat, in order to make the proper sex decision, it is important to consider your needs and preferences, as well as whether you will be able to satisfy the basic care of your future. Pet. So there is no correct answer to whether a male or female cat is better, but this it will depend on the type of companion you are looking for.