Should We Get a Boy Cat or a Girl Cat ?? Which Is a Better Pet?

Boy cats spray.
I had both girl and boy cats.
They were both very nice and friendly.
BUT with either gender, you REALLY need to get the cat neutered or spayed.

They are both good pets. Behavior and friendliness have more to do with temperament and handling then sex.

If you get a male cat, get a kitten that has NEVER been outside and keep him indoors. Get him neutered at the earliest allowable age (4 months). As long as he's never had a reason to mark his territory, you shouldn't have a problem with spraying. My boy kitty was extremely loving and affectionate.

I prefer little female kitties. I got both of mine as kittens. Have them spayed at 4 months. They are VERY sweet and loving. I'm certain that the most important thing isn't gender, but how they're raised.

Well, I have one of each now and have previously owned both. Although all have been spayed or neutered, my boys have been much more affectionate than my girls. BUT, they've all been different breeds as well. My tabby boy was sweet and very affectionate; my tabby girl is not as affectionate but still very sweet! I have a long-haired boy now (not sure what breed) that is extremely affectionate; moreso toward the males in my family - which is odd/interesting. So, you just never know.

Additionally, my cats have never sprayed the furniture or anything. In fact, the ONLY problem I have is my male kitty sometimes misses the litter box once in awhile.

Also, both cats I have now are in-door cats but not declawed. I would never have an out-door cat again! I've seen too many roaming around and getting hit by cars; breaks my heart!!

If you're getting one from the pound (recommended!), hopefully, they have an area where your son can play with the cats and see which one he bonds with. I love the way our pound has an open area and you can play with all of them and see which one you really like. That's how my daughter picked out a teeny-tiny kitten that is now our big furry boy. The girl tabby we have now jumped on my back as I was bent over - needless to say, I brought her home!

Good luck!!

It's more temperment than sex. Check out animal shelter rescue. My sister adopted a cat that way - you get to "interview" the kitty (at least in Florida). They "clicked" with a kitty and the relationship was great till the kitty died of old age. The kitty was a few years old, so not a kitten, but such a love bug!

It depends on the cat.

I suggest that a first timer go to rescue or shelter. Talk to them about your family and needs. Get a cat that is older and already spayed or neutered. Find out what cat or cats would do well with children.

We have 2 cats. The female is crazy and the male is very very laid back. But the female is still good with kids. I've had many cats over the years and while I do like boy kitties, any cat could be good or bad.

KITTENS are crazy. And pointy. I would get a cat older than 1 year. Trust me, it will have plenty of play left.

Something you can also ask a shelter is how to safely trim the claws. It's very easy to do with a human nail clipper.

As others have said, no difference if you neuter early. My parents always got us female cats in the belief they are mellower, but I know plenty of mellow boy cats who were neutered young.

I have had cats in my house since I was a child, right now I have 5 cats, all rescues. 4 male and 1 female. They all have different personalities - all need love at different times of the day and night. Some sleep with me, some with my daughter and some alone.

Cats are just like dogs or any other companion animal. They reflect the love and attention they are given, they show the positive treatment/feeding/excersize/devotion and commitment as well as the negative. It has nothing to do with the gender of the animal and everything to do with how they are treated, along with their own personality.

Neutering a male cat is generally cheaper than the invasive surgery required for spaying a female, but both are absolutely required if you want to live with a happy, well adjusted and healthier feline. Male cats will spray. Female cats will go into heat - even before they are one year old.

When my children were small I taught them how to respect their pets from the first day - whether it was a dog, a cat, a hamster or a parakeet and they've all grown into responsible, caring pet care givers.

Please make sure that just because your son *wants* a cat that you are both ready and prepared to provide the vet care, food and shelter that a domestic animal needs and deserves.

And one last thought - Please do not buy from a breeder or a pet store. There are way too many cats and dogs in this world already and far too many of them are tossed aside like garbage when a family has to move or can't afford the care that they should have considered before bringing a living, feeling animal into their homes. Adopt!

A kitten, an adult or a senior cat (or dog) will bring so much love into your home that you won't believe you ever lived without such a source of adoration and fun before this!

Good luck! :)

Boy cats are friendlier, and they won't spray if neutered.

I've had both over the years, and currently have one of each. Our female cat is very laid back and social, nothing bothers her, and she's not intimidated by anything or anyone. Our male cat is also laid back, but he is also more lovey-dovey and affectionate. He is actually less territorial than she is, but they both know to share.

I think it just depends on where you get the kitten and how you train/raise them. Either one can have good and bad personality types, just make sure the cat is fixed, indoor only, and loved and trained from a young age (our cats are not allowed on counters or dressers, know the word "no" , are comfortable being brushed and clipped because we started them young, etc.). When I was in college I even trained our family cat to use the toilet. She was so smart!

Cats are a lot of fun. Good luck!

We have had 3 cats...the females seemed sweeter to me, but it's not about gender. All cats have different personalities although the breed can tell you kinda what to expect. I find Persians the sweetest and most laid back.

Getting a shelter kitty will mean that he/she is fixed. I have found that opposite gender cats to the "prime" owner work best.Keep in mind the "prime" owner tends to be in the mind of the kitty, sometimes "prime" is the main food giver.

We have 3, 2 males and 1 female. I feed all 3. The males adores me, the female prefers my husband. The female usually only comes and "cuddles" me when her food dish is low.

We've got both. It is more their personality instead of what sex they are.
If you get them spayed/neutered when they are young you will not have to run into the problems with spraying, marking or aggression.
Just go to the shelter and see which one's personality you click with and that's who goes home with you :)

look at shelters or even on kijiji for an adult young or older, i wouldnt advise to get a senior cat because of potential health problems, your son may get attached and the senior cat may die more suddenly than a younger one. Definitely find one who needs a home, don't go the pet store route, there are so many unwanted kitty's that you could give a wonderful loving home to. Two cats is a good number because they will play with each other and have less of a tendancy to potentially 'strike' or agressively play with your son. Don't get a purebred they are more agressive and have more health problems. Between a year and 5 is probably the age range you should look for. Go to a shelter or rescue facility and you will find a little friend who you wont want to leave there without. Also don't second guess your attraction to the cat, and the cat will likely pick you. good luck! and please please remember that once you adopt a kitty is it yours, like your son is yours. If you wouldn't get rid of your son or 'rehome' him do to say behavioural issues, don't get rid of or 'rehome' your pet. Kitty will be a part of your family.

All my cats were friendly. It depends on how they are socialized. The only thing I caution about is GET THE KITTY FIXED as soon as possible. This will eliminate the spraying urge in a male and will make the pet happier and healthier. Also it will reduce the number of pregnant cats giving birth.

Best of luck in your decision. I have had as many as 4 cats living in my house at one time and they are work but they bring a lot of happiness.

If you get a male neutered before he hits kitty "puberty", and the female spayed, really there isn't much of a behavioral difference.

Unaltered males tend to be territorial, a bit more aggressive, and wander around. Many (not all) develop an unfortunate habit of spraying to mark their territory.

Unaltered females also wander more, and are INCREDIBLY annoying when they are in heat.

So really, get either one... Just make sure to get them fixed. And PLEASE do not de-claw your cat... It leaves them defenseless if they happen to get out.

If your children are young, you may do better to go to your shelter and get an older cat. You can save a life, and it will give you a chance to play with and see the personality of the cat before committing. :)

I have two females. My Bombay is much friendlier than the other cat, who is a mix of ... something plus Siamese. But the mix was also really traumatized as a kitten and we've had to rehabilitate her, and she's a bit of a special needs kitty regarding her vision and anxiety.

Both are very, very affectionate with me and have bonded completely with me. Both have bonded very well and are affectionate with my daughters. The Bombay is bonded with my husband, and affectionate to him. The other wants to bond with my husband and be affectionate but she's afraid of him because he doesn't pay her much attention. She's much more "my" cat.

All of the male cats I've come across have been very standoffish and difficult for me to bond with, except for my brother's cats.

So I'd say that my personal preference is female cats. Mine have been altered since 8/9 weeks old and have never been through a heat, so they've never been through that agony and they've never, ever sprayed. My brother's cats were also altered since 8/9 weeks old as males and have never sprayed as a result.

If it were me, I'd visit the shelter. So much depends on temperament. Neutered early is great, true, however, some fixed cats will still exhibit more aggressive tendencies.

One thing to consider with a kitten is that it can be traumatic for some people, esp. our young ones. Kittens want to play, pounce, and dig their tiny needle-claws into you because they are learning how to hunt. So they bite and do lots of stuff which can be a problem for some kids. My sister had a kitten who was always pouncing on her son-- it got to the point that he was scared to leave his room because he never knew when she would 'strike'. It was bad.

Me, I'd go looking for an adult cat whose personality is already pretty developed. Not that there's any scientific evidence to back it up, but I'm pretty partial to gray cats; they seem to be pretty mellow for the most part. (Yep, our kitty is gray!)

I have two boys and they were neutered as early as possible. They've never sprayed but they're also indoor only kitties. (I hear cats become more territorial if they are indoor/outdoor cats and tend to mark their territory indoors more frequently when they are exposed to other cats around the neighborhood.)

The only time they've ever peed in the house was when one of them got a UTI infection and started associating his litter box with the pain he was feeling while trying to pee (fixed with antibiotics, no more peeing) or that time we let the litter-box sit a little too long before cleaning it. Cats don't like going in a dirty box so they'll use your rug to get the point across. Both cats were baby strays that sort of adopted us so we didn't really have a choice in what sex we got. The choice was keep them or send them to the pound to possibly end up euthanized, so we just kept them.

As far as spraying....

We've had cats for many years.... we ALWAYS neuter our cats, both male and female.

Neutering doesn't completely stop the spraying....it can reduce the likelihood of it, though.....we still have problems from it. It is a territorial thing.... (We have several cats, though.... 2 male and 2 female.)

And... btw... both male AND female cats will spray......